No More Hiding: The Best Big Watch Faces for Women

Without this article veering head-on into a catastrophic car-crash-debate about controversial topics surrounding gender-defining terminology, and who believes what (and before I get accused of being narrowminded with my rather traditional views on the matter!), let me say that, on this occasion, women can actually wear men’s watches without making a gender claim.

It has nothing to do with social acceptance, or discrimination, or a need to have the option made available to us purely out of principle. I’m a girl and I like to wear men’s watches. It’s that simple. I own a Mr Jones Golden Hour (yes, the one with the bee).

It’s a behemoth of a timepiece – 45mm in diameter, to be precise. It’s not intended as a lady’s watch as such, nor is it a men’s watch. I wear it because it makes me smile and I’m a sucker for boyfriend jeans, boyfriend shirts, and the beloved boyfriend watch.

For far too long, there has been an unspoken narrative that women’s watches need to be dainty, delicate, diamond-festooned things. And while there is nothing wrong with the latter, these characteristics don’t define a woman’s watch (now I’m sounding woke!).

The Appeal of the Large Watch Face

If you’re a female and you’re becoming increasingly drawn towards watches with larger diameters, you’re not alone. Maybe you want to rebel against the “dainty” constraints you once believed you had to adhere to. Perhaps a larger watch with a bigger presence aligns with your new role at work.

Or perhaps you love gender-neutral styles, or prefer the masculine undertones that a broader diameter naturally brings to the wrist.

As I mentioned earlier, there are numerous advantages to a larger watch face. For starters, watches with larger faces are easier to read the time from.

This enhanced legibility often accompanies additional features and high-end complications. A larger case means a larger crown and push-pieces and, generally speaking, a watch that is easier to manipulate.

All that aside, larger watches create great visual balance and double up as a status symbol, reflecting one’s success and sometimes marking a significant milestone in life.

If you’ve come to this guide for some inspiration, I’ll cut to the chase. Here are some of the best large watch faces for women currently dominating the market.

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Calibre 403

There are no prizes for guessing why this Oris watch automatically passes the “feminine” test. Its sumptuous terracotta dial verges on pink territory, adding a zingy splash of color to the wrist.

Fundamentally, the Oris Big Crown Pointer watch is a pilot’s watch. Many models from the collection feature crisp Arabic numerals around the hour track and Oris’s stylish jet turbine-inspired fluted bezel, adding an extra touch of aviation detail.

Yet, the recent batch of Big Crown Pointer Date watches released by Oris post 2021 look different. They feature polished bezels, straight pencil-style hands (that replace the traditional-looking syringe hands that the series was once synonymous with), and convey an overall aesthetic that is more aligned with the everyday dress watch.

If you’re a lady looking for a timepiece to wear with smart attire, but one that gently carries some subtle touches of nostalgia, this 40mm Oris Big Crown Pointer Date, with its in-house Calibre 403, packs a whole load of “big watch” character into its design, and secures to the wrist with a practical H-link bracelet for a snug fit.

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante Verzasca

Yes, this is a large watch for a female wrist (40mm), and it does feature a unique Verzasca Green dial, which is sure to turn some heads. However, the real star of the show is the Tonda PF’s Split GMT complication, which Parmigiani Fleurier utilizes to display two time zones simultaneously.

Two superimposed hands sit against this textured teal-like dial in different metallic finishes. One is rhodium-plated in gold and displays the local time, while the other is rose gold and displays home time.

But how does it work, you ask? Well, if you look over to the 8 o’clock location on the case, you’ll see a pusher that moves both the local and home time forward in one-hour increments.

The rose gold hand, however, remains in position until you activate it with the 3 o’clock pusher, where it will spring back or “fly back” to the home time hand when you need it to.

The clever complication allows you to align the hands when you don’t need to track a second time zone. All in all, it’s a GMT watch, but only when you want it to be. Now, let’s discuss the captivating Grain d’orge dial guilloche dial pattern….

Full of depth, the textured dial adds a rich and creamy layer to an already well-layered cake. A mesmerising display of light comes into play at certain angles, allowing this large dial to reinvent itself depending on where and how you wear the watch.

This large women’s watch features a brushed and polished steel bracelet and is powered by the Caliber PF051, which provides a 48-hour power reserve once fully wound.

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Tourbillon Concept                    

If you’re a fan of a concept watch, the Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Pop is worth some consideration. It goes without saying that the brand’s choice of colour will appeal to both genders with an attractive green and pink palette spanning a diameter of 40mm.

The Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Pop is one of those watches that’s going to garner lots of attention wherever you wear it, purely for the fact that it looks like nothing else on the market.

The simplicity of its minimalist dial, in shades of “Burmese jade and pink opal,” achieves both futuristic and retro vibes simultaneously, with just the central hour and minute hands pulling the time together.

The flying tourbillon, exposed through the dial’s surface, also showcases some of Moser & Cie’s finest work and will appeal to female horophiles who have a genuine appreciation for top-tier engineering.  

MeisterSinger Kaenos Sunburst Ice Blue

The Meistersinger KS914 Kaenos Sunburst Ice Blue watch features a sandwich dial, comprising an upper layer with cut-out Arabic numerals and hour markers, revealing a bottom luminous layer that pierces through the upper surface to display the time at night.

The German watchmaker is renowned for making watches that tell the time using a single hand. And although the concept sounds confusing, Meistersinger watches like this actually promote a more relaxed approach to timekeeping.

This watch wears larger than it suggests on paper, and if you ask me, it’s all due to the unconventional dial layout.

Elements are more spaced out across this dial, and with only one hand to tell the time, this 40mm steel model, featuring a captivating blue dial, takes Meistersinger watches in a whole new, elegant, and sporty direction. 

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Purple Enamel

Another Moser & Cie watch, this time the Endeavour Concept on a hypnotic purple dial. The watch is equipped with a purple central seconds hand that seamlessly blends into the texture of its enamel dial, leaving only the hour and minute hands to take center stage.

The watch unites the ancestral art of enamelling, which (if you know anything about coloured enamel dials) is no mean feat. The margins between a perfect dial and a complete fail are unforgivingly thin, and when watches cost this much to manufacture, there is no room for error.

With a 40mm stainless steel case and a matching purple leather strap to echo the intense colour of the dial, this is a large watch by women’s standards but one that leans more into technical depth than an ornamental style, with the automatic Calibre HMC 201 comprising a double hairspring for improved efficiency and accuracy.

Glashutte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phases

The Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase is another watch that provides a fascinating insight into a finely crafted and finished movement.

This watch supports the notion that women don’t need fancy gemstones and decadent diamond decoration to appreciate a well-made wristwatch.

The Glashütte Original Senator Excellence watch features a large date window in the unusual location of 4 o’clock, dressed against a deep blue background to match the blued feuille hands and, of course, a beautifully decorated moon phase indicator at 11 o’clock.

I love the watch’s informal layout. Glashütte Original abides by no rules to make this watch work, yet it somehow does. The dial still feels balanced, despite being housed within a vast 40mm diameter.

The use of a copper-frosted dial hints at femininity in a very unofficial way. This watch features an innovative bayonet mount, which secures the movement into position, affixing it to the case as a means of shock resistance.

Additionally, the copper-frosted dial is inspired by the Ore Mountains, which were mined for their mineral resources. The Panorama date, of course, is no stranger to a Glashütte Original watch.

If you like a watch with traditional elements, you’d be hard-pressed to find one with more subtle nods to its maker’s heritage, and for a similar price, than the Senator Excellence. 

DOXA SUB 250T GMT Divingstar

Big into dive watches? You don’t have to exhaust the market looking for one small enough and discreet enough to pass as a “lady’s diver”. You have the entire range of men’s dive watches to explore.

The truth is, dive watches are meant to look big and chunky, so you can really go to town with an oversized watch here.

The DOXA Sub 250T GMT Divingstar pays homage to the brand’s legendary role in crafting professional watches for divers. The brand is associated with ocean conservation, having been the choice of watch for underwater adventurer Jacques Cousteau during the 1960s.

If you know anything about DOXA, you’ll be familiar with its signature orange diver dial. However, over recent years, DOXA has expanded its colour options and now features models in Caribbean, Aquamarine, White Pearl, and Sea Emerald, to name just a few examples.

This model, presented in a “Divingstar” yellow, is going to get you noticed. Its sporty, supple yellow rubber band is perfect for sports as well as swimming and water sports. What’s more, DOXA watches even come on a beads-of-rice stainless steel bracelet for those who prefer the look of the vintage dive watch.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatic Pink

Just to prove that feminine shades can also take the form of rugged and ready sports watches, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is dedicated to women.

It’s still a broad companion, measuring 38mm in diameter, but combines an athletic profile and large, chunky luminescent dial appliques with a touch of pink.

This stainless steel model is water resistant to 300 meters and features no diamonds. It’s ready for action. A sapphire unidirectional rotating bezel will allow you to track elapsed time underwater without any difficulty, while the white mother-of-pearl dial features pink indexes that have been treated with Super-LumiNova for exceptional legibility underwater.

Fitted with all the features needed in any dive watch, including the sapphire crystal glass, a screw-down crown, and a rugged three-link stainless steel bracelet, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watch will take you from the beach to a mountain hike without you even needing to think about it.

The watch is powered by one of Blancpain’s in-house automatic movements – the Calibre 1153, which will keep accurate time for 100 hours without relying on the movement of your wrist.

Finally, although this watch looks as though ot weighs a substantial amount on the wrist, Blancpain experts have chosen a lightweight titanium case for this Fifty Fathoms design, making it even more ideal for runs, hikes, swims, and general day-to-day wear throughout the week.

Omega Aqua Terra 150M Turquoise

If there is one brand that masters the art of catering to both male and female audiences with its universally appealing designs, it’s Omega.

In particular, the brand’s Seamaster range is not only one of the world’s largest dive watch collections by any single brand, but it’s also a treasure trove of unisex designs that resonate with women who choose quality craftsmanship over everything else.

The Aqua Terra 150M watch, as its name suggests, is a 150-meter water-resistant model, but doesn’t necessarily feel like a bold tool watch. If you don’t like the generic bulky look of a dive watch, something like this Aqua Terra 150M could be just the ticket.

It features this stunning teal dial colour with the familiar shard-like hour markers and faceted hands delivering legibility in every environment. The dial boasts a black gradient effect around the edge and features a clear trapezoid date window at 6 o’clock.

This is certainly a large watch face for a female wrist, measuring 41 mm in diameter. Still, thanks to its symmetrical case and integrated metal bracelet, it wears surprisingly small on the wrist. One advantage of any Omega watch is its promise of reliability.

The brand commits to kitting its watches out with METAS-certified movements that feature the Co-Axial escapement, which Omega acquired the rights to in the 1990s. Since then, every Omega watch has been able to promise superior accuracy of the very highest kind.

Hublot Big Bang Unico Mint Green Ceramic

If oversized and unconventional is your thing, Hublot watches are worth checking out. These watches are inherently masculine, and women who seek them out are naturally drawn to timepieces that are more than just an accessory.

Hublot watches, such as the Big Bang Unico, evoke confidence and power, conveying a sense of contemporary luxury. This model is packaged in mint green ceramic, offering a unisex design that showcases the inner workings of the watch through the dial side.

A small seconds sub-dial is situated at 3 o’clock in the same mint green, while the smooth ceramic bezel features the signature H-shaped screws that all Big Bang watches are recognised for.

This sporty chronograph features Arabic numeral hour markers that glow with luminous material at night, as well as a mint green minute scale on the flange and luminous-treated central hands.

Under the hood is the in-house UNICO movement. It’s a flyback chronograph function, meaning that the stopwatch features of this watch are much easier to activate than in a standard chronograph.

While the 2 o’clock pusher begins a stopwatch timing in the traditional way, the 4 o’clock pusher can stop a timing, reset the hands back to base, and begin a new timing with one fell swoop.

The movement also features a column wheel mechanism, providing an overall smoother mechanical performance and a power reserve of 72 hours once fully wound.

Bremont Terra Nova 38 Turquoise

This would be no Exquisite Timepieces guide without mention of one of our proudest collaborative efforts to date. Henley-on-Thames watchmaker Bremont and we here at Exquisite Timepieces teamed up to create a Terra Nova watch a couple of months ago, resulting in this 38mm field watch with a striking turquoise dial.

Since the Terra Nova arrived, marking a significant overhaul of the Bremont catalogue as we knew it, its distinctive 904L steel barrel-shaped case and oversized crown have been whispered on the lips of hardcore female fans eager to expand their collection with an attractive proposition built for the slender proportions of their wrist.

The Bremont Terra Nova 38 Turquoise is our answer to the woman’s field watch. Its striking green-blue dial is a revitalising and refreshing colour to sport over the summer months.

It features Super-LumiNova-treated Arabic numerals and pencil-shaped hands, which enhance legibility and clarity. This is a no-date watch, powered by a beautifully engineered automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve.

Though not exactly a lady’s size, the watch has the slim profile and tapered lugs needed to make it more wearable on the female wrist. Limited to just 100 pieces worldwide, it’s a unique collector’s item that truly distils the essence of the ruggedly elegant women’s field watch.

Flip the watch over, and you’ll find an engraved caseback depicting a map of the world. This decorative element perfectly captures the bold and adventurous spirit of Bremont and our proud, ongoing partnership with the British brand.

Nomos Glashütte Tangomat GMT

Don’t get me wrong, there are more aptly sized Nomos watches for women’s wrists. Take the 36mm Club Campus, for example, which comes in an array of crazy beautiful dial colours.

But we’re talking watches with large faces, and if there is one brand that masters the art of a vast, spacious dial, it’s Nomos with its broad range of Bauhaus-inspired watches.

The Nomos Tangomat is a minimalist design that promotes timekeeping in a very straightforward fashion. Everything about these watches is clean and pure, underscored by a distinct German flair.

This model just so happens to be a GMT, making it an even more practical companion than the standard time-only model and proving itself useful to frequent travelers.

The 24 time zones are presented in airport codes through an aperture at 9 o’clock, while the hour features on the opposite side of the dial, achieving great balance.

The Tangomat takes on a clear and angular form on the wrist, stripping things back to basics and achieving additional presence through its slightly taller profile.

Overall, the Tangomat promotes clarity, making it the perfect companion for a day in the office or when travelling on business. It comes fitted on a comfortable Horween Shell Cordovan black strap for a subtle injection of masculinity.  

Doing Away with the Narrative

Look around. Women all over the world are embracing the large watch face. There has been a seismic shift over the last few years from fashion-forward thinking to larger, bolder, more robust watches that not only look good but also deliver on a practical level.

More women are wearing larger watches because they no longer feel the need to conform to a particular social standard. It’s a compelling reflection of where society is today.

Women are choosing watches based on their personal preferences and what works best for their lifestyle. No longer are genders being defined by the historical and traditional notions of what was once the social norm.

Women like to wear large-face watches because they look good and serve a practical purpose. With more options to choose from than ever before, now is the perfect time to embrace the trend and roll with it.