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It’s a sunny Saturday in March in New York City, and Vogue editor Lilah Ramzi is milling around the Vogue Vintage Market in SoHo’s Roll & Hill showroom, greeting giddy shoppers and regaling them with anecdotes of the archival pieces on display in the sunlit space. On her wrist is a gleaming cocktail watch: a petite Cartier Baignoire with a thin black satin strap and white gold diamond dial. It isn’t even 11 a.m.
Later that afternoon, uptown at the Merci C’est Vintage pop-up at The Fifth Avenue Hotel, Silvia Dusci of Le Sundial is sporting a similar Cartier Baignoire—hers with a more understated gold dial (an homage to the 1912 original), styled with an artful white poplin top, black trousers, and Roger Vivier pumps.
It could hardly be a coincidence that both Ramzi and Dusci were wearing cocktail watches in the middle of the day. Brynn Wallner, founder of Dimepiece, a platform dedicated to all things women and watches, tells Vogue these “more feminine, cocktail-style watches are really having a moment.” Wallner says the way women are approaching watches now is as versatile investment pieces that can be worn as easily and interchangeable as jewelry—a conscious shift that speaks both to how expensive watches can be, and the fact that there isn’t always a functional need for one. “For most women, wearing a huge watch isn’t practical,” Wallner adds. “You want something more dainty and jewelry-forward because it’s [more likely] to be stacked and goes with almost any outfit.”
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This spirit of elegant, everyday adornment stands in sharp contrast to the Y2K era of crop tops and low-rise jeans, Wallner says, when people actually needed something to tell the time, and therefore gravitated towards eye-popping, in-your-face, men’s styles. (Who can forget the rose gold Rolex Daytona taking up serious wrist real estate on the likes of Victoria Beckham, Paris Hilton, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley?) The turning point for Wallner was 2023, when Cartier’s Baignoire on a bangle debuted—the brand took note of the style’s growing popularity (and its passe-partout nature, akin to its Love and Just un Clou bracelets) and issued a timepiece that offered the best of both worlds. “It’s one of the hottest watches right now,” Wallner says, adding that it’s the first time in recent memory that a ladies’ watch is getting the waitlist treatment normally reserved for limited edition or highly coveted men’s watches.
Tariro Makoni, of the popular Substack Trademarked, tells Vogue she’s been “aware of EIHGs wearing the Baignoire since late 2022, early 2023, worn during daytime and evening.” The EIHG—or “elusive international hot girl”—Makoni has coined, refers to her observation of a cultural archetype she’s come across both out in the world and on social media: a woman who is “sharply intelligent, enigmatic, and always has the best stuff.” A telltale signifier, she adds: “100% of Baignoire owners in my life are textbook EIHG.”
Former fashion editor Noah Lehava, who runs a curated vintage fine jewelry and watch shop with NoahNoahNoah, has witnessed this increase in demand for delicate women’s watches firsthand. “My affinity with watches evolved from my love of collecting jewelry,” she says. “It was a natural progression; I’ve always been drawn to watches that wore more like bracelets and jewelry than they were pure utilitarian.” As she delved deeper into the world of traditional vintage ladies styles a few years ago, uncovering everything from diamond-encrusted Piaget Polos to itty-bitty Audemars Piguet tennis bracelets and sculptural tiger’s eye dial Chopards, she realized how untapped the market was. “I think everyone may have a different idea of what a cocktail watch is to them. Some want something bold and eccentric, while others may want something more delicate and fine.”
Julia Rabinowitsch, founder of The Millennial Decorator, a destination for curated vintage drops across fashion and accessories, also tells that Vogue that over the last five years, she’s “seen a rapid—and massive—growth in interest around watches, especially among women,” noting a shift from “maximalist, hardware-type watches to daintier and smaller watches.” Her most popular sourcing requests to date are mainly for Cartier models, which she posts in elegant vignettes on her Instagram feed and stories. Comments and DMs flood in for the Cartier Tiny Tank Louis & Allongée, as well as the newer Cartier Baignoire Bangle.
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In addition to the surging interest in women’s watches on social media, demand is growing on secondhand platforms. According to Noelle Sciacca, The RealReal’s associate director of fashion & strategic partnerships, customer searches for cocktail style watches have increased more than 29% in the last year—specifically for the Bvlgari Serpenti (up by 34%), the Cartier Panthère (up by 30%), and the Cartier Baignoire (up by 25%). Consignments and sales are also up, with “demand for smaller, more delicate watches 20mm and below” having grown overall. Sciacca cites the Chanel Premiere and Hermès Kelly watches as among the most popular models in the category.
With the price of gold reaching new highs, it’s unsurprising to see resale climb as well. “The Bvlgari Serpenti and Cartier Baignoire collections grew 9%, while the resale value for watches under 20mm increased by 12% from the previous year,” Sciacca says. Ramzi’s Baignoire was a The RealReal discovery: it had been styled on her for a campaign she was shooting with them, and by the end of the day, she says she couldn’t bear to part with it. “I’d never considered myself a watch person, but there was something about the diminutive scale of this vintage Cartier Baignoire that felt so refined,” Ramzi says.
The numbers at Vestiaire Collective paint a similar picture. A spokesperson for the platform notes that the Cartier Tank has doubled in price since 2020 (up to $2,600 from an average $1,300), while other popular Cartier ladies watches—include the Must 21, Panthère Vendome, Tank Solo, Tank Louis Cartier & Panthère—are “all selling within 30 days on average.”
And it’s not just women embracing smaller watches, typically of the 20 to 35mm case size. Wallner points to Bad Bunny and Tyler, the Creator as enthusiastic collectors of traditionally labeled vintage (often factory gem-set) women’s watches. Earlier in January, Timothée Chalamet, a Cartier ambassador, was seen sporting two Mini Cartier Tanks at once; in 2023, at a Lakers-Pacers game in Vegas, he was snapped courtside in a teeny-tiny steel Cartier Panthère. (That same year, GQ declared “tiny watches as the biggest trend of 2023.”) Last fall, actor Paul Mescal wore four perfectly petite Cartier watches on his Gladiator II press tour.
Wallner says this new, creative way of wearing watches was partly born out of necessity, as those seeking to buy a watch in their price range had to look outside the proverbial lock box to find those undervalued gems hardcore collectors weren’t yet seeking. Rabinowitsch adds that the appeal of these watches touches on broader shifts in fashion: “Cocktail watches provide a subtle elegance that many resonate with.” “They offer an understated, yet timeless option in an era of oversized, logo-heavy accessories that many are choosing to invest in,” Rabinowitsch says. As Makoni puts it: “It’s consumption laced with the emotional input of hedonism (no one needs a cocktail watch) and the tangible output of practicality (it’s simple, timeless, and feels ‘safe’).”
For Jalil Johnson, founder of the Substack Consider Yourself Cultured, the cocktail watch is as relevant now—and fun to style—as the cocktail ring. “Both gained popularity around the same time, and both offer something similar in spirit: jewelry with ornamentation at its core. Traditionally, they were reserved for evening wear, often saved for formal occasions. But today, I’d argue the cocktail watch feels incredibly modern when worn during the day. It’s a smart way to dress up your look without going over the top,” he says.
Johnson tells Vogue his first (and only) major watch purchase was the Hermès Kelly watch, “a subtle yet iconic design” that was first introduced in the mid-’70s and inspired in the padlock on the Kelly bag. “What I love is that you can often find it on the resale market for under $1,000. I consulted with Brynn Wallner before buying it, and it’s become my go-to. Even though it’s more decorative, I wear it almost every day.”
Creative consultant Carina Nicklas of Looxlikecarrie, also seeks to create contrast when styling her Chanel Première. “For daytime, I usually wear it with denim and a leather jacket—it adds this unexpected element that feels modern but not too delicate,” she says. “I also love pairing it with something softer, like suede, silk or oversized tailoring.”
After hours, it’s all about making a statement. Ramzi wore hers with a 1984 Oscar de la Renta gown to The Frick’s grand reopening gala. “I rarely stack anything else on that wrist when I’m wearing it; it’s both a timepiece and a showpiece, and deserves the spotlight,” she says.
Nicklas takes a similar approach for evening: “I keep it simple but thoughtful, with a silk slip or an all-black look with statement earrings.” She’ll often wear it over a sleeve, “which makes it feel less traditional and a bit more playful.” Johnson, too, loves the idea of styling a Bulgari Serpenti with a strapless column dress and easy mules. “Because the watch is the star, you really don’t need much else. A great pair of earrings and a diamond pinky ring would be more than enough.”
As we gear up for the 2025 Met Gala and this year’s Costume Institute exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which emphasizes the role jewelry has played in shaping dandyism, below are a few creative watch and jewelry pairings inspired by how our favorite creators are styling their watches now, bringing modern flair and personality to their wardrobes.
