Do women's watches need automatic winding?

What does our editor-in-chief, Masamasa Hirota, think of a useful ladies' watch?

Chronos Japan magazine has not covered women's watches unless there is a special reason.

Women who truly love watches will wear men's watches without any hesitation, and women who aren't interested in watches will find quartz watches more suitable for everyday use than mechanical watches. However, the latest automatic watches may provide an opportunity for many women to discover the appeal of mechanical watches.

　Even after more than a decade of working with watches, there are still some questions I have yet to find an answer to. One of them is whether women are interested in mechanical watches. I've been thinking about this for a long time, but I still don't have an answer, and I don't think I'll ever find one.

　Logically, it's clear why women aren't interested in mechanical watches. Many women's watches have small cases, which means the movements they house are smaller, resulting in a shorter power reserve. This means that if you forget to wind the mainspring, the watch will stop immediately. The task of pulling out the crown, adjusting the hands, and winding the mainspring every time this happens is a pain for most people.

　In particular, a woman with well-groomed nails would not buy a watch that requires frequent pulling out of the crown, and a man would not want to give such a watch as a gift. I myself prefer mechanical watches, but I have rarely given one to a woman, and I'm sure the readers of this magazine are the same.

　However, mechanical watches have advantages that quartz watches don't have. One is that they can be disassembled and repaired. Of course, there are quartz movements that can be disassembled, but not all of them. In contrast, almost all mechanical movements can be repaired, so they will last longer. I don't like the term "lifetime watch," but with a mechanical watch, the possibility is high.

　Another benefit is that they are easy on the eyes. Mechanical movements have more torque than quartz, allowing for thicker, longer hands that make it easier to read the time. The reason mechanical watches are often said to last a lifetime is because, in addition to the aforementioned ability to repair them, they are easy to read even with presbyopia.

　The final benefit is status. Harry Winston now offers not only quartz watches but also mechanical watches for women. According to CEO Nayla Hayek, this is because "American and Chinese women have begun to place importance on mechanical movements." While this trend is not yet widespread, the perception that mechanical watches are luxury goods will likely spread in the world of women's watches as well.

　If you were to choose a women's mechanical watch, it would undoubtedly be desirable to choose one with a long power reserve, for the reasons mentioned at the beginning. However, many such watches have large movements and cases designed for men, making them unlikely to suit Japanese women. The average wrist circumference for Japanese women is 14.9 cm for those aged 20-24 and 15.0 cm for those aged 35-39 (according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry). This means a case diameter of 35 mm or less is appropriate, but women's mechanical watches with long power reserves at this size are rare. Even if such watches exist, movements with long power reserves require powerful mainsprings. Since women, on average, have only about 6% of the grip strength of men (according to the Japan Sports Agency), winding the crown would be difficult. It's likely women won't buy manual-winding watches.

　Now, let's get to the point.

　Even if the power reserve is short, an automatic watch reduces the chance of the watch running out of power. Reducing the effort of pulling out the crown and winding the spring reduces the risk of damage to fingers and nails. However, automatic watches for women in the past could hardly be described as usable.

　Magnets are widely used in the clasps of women's bags. While they have recently become more common in men's bags as well, the number of women's bags is far greater. This means that women's mechanical watches, including automatic watches, are more susceptible to magnetization. Furthermore, the thinner case of women's watches compared to men's watches also exacerbates this susceptibility.

　Another problem was the lack of movement. Tsuyoshi Tokoro, who is involved in movement design at Seiko Instruments, says, "Women's movement is less than half that of men." If women can't move their arms, no matter how good the automatic movement, the mainspring won't wind. This is why many manufacturers are forced to make women's watches with manual-winding movements. This leads to problems with short power reserves.

　But technological advances are revolutionizing women's automatic watches. New materials like silicon and sprockets make watches more resistant to magnetism, while improved reversers and unidirectional winding mechanisms require less movement to fully wind the mainspring. Additionally, the latest movements can even boast power reserves of over 50 hours. Technological advances have significantly improved the performance of mechanical watches, and perhaps no one has benefited more than women's automatic watches.

"Are women interested in mechanical watches?"

　With the caveat that this is a good product, perhaps the latest automatic women's models listed below will persuade even the most discerning women to turn their attention to mechanical watches. (Masamasa Hirota, this magazine)