Casio Pro Trek PRW 3000
Staying with Japanese Casio for a moment, there are some color versions such as those shown above of the Pro Trek PRW 3000 that I think would do well for a sporty female. Obviously, these are not for every occasion, but they are great not only for actual physical activity, they’re also perfectly appropriate for daily situations that are accompanied by sneakers, sweatshirts, or anything in the generally very casual category. They are on the larger side at 45mm wide (without the buttons) and 12mm thick, but they are light and still quite wearable for feminine wrists and offer useful features like light-charging (Casio’s Tough Solar technology), Multi-Band 6 atomic timekeeping, 100m of water resistance (I use mine for swimming), and sensors for the altimeter, barometer, and compass. The compass actually is quite useful. With a sticker price of $300, the Casio Pro Trek PRW 3000 is easy to recommend if it matches the wearer’s lifestyle and dress-style. Right now I can see pink, yellow, blue, and some significantly discounted pieces you can check out here.
Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase
Jumping from sporty to elegant, the Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase crosses the $1,000 line with a quartz movement but offers a romantic complication from a Swiss brand respected for quality and value. The diamond hour markers (eight of them) no doubt contribute to the price – but may also contribute to the gift’s reception, as I’m told that women really like diamonds. You’re going for a bit of bedazzlement with a gift like this. The Swiss quartz movement means it will be more or less hassle-free until it’s time to get the battery changed, and also keeps the watch rather thin at only 7.7mm. The Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase is only 30mm wide and water-resistant to 30m with a sapphire crystal over the dial. The dial is mother of pearl or blue sunburst with a moonphase indicator at 6 o’clock. Prices start at $1,150 on a leather strap and $1,295 on a steel bracelet. Prices go up a bit more, of course, for all gold-plated steel models or those with fully diamond-set bezels. Unsurprisingly, there are models less than $1,000 and some with precious gems that cost more, all of which you can browse over here.
Victorinox Swiss Army Maverick Mechanical Small
I’m not really aware of many other options for a sporty, dive-style Swiss automatic ladies’ watch with the specs and price of the Victorinox Swiss Army Maverick Mechanical Small. A sized-down version of the men’s 42mm Maverick (could even get a pair, if that’s your thing), the Victorinox Swiss Army Maverick Mechanical Small is only 34mm wide with 100m of water resistance, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, and even a display caseback. It may not be “professional” dive watch 300m water resistance, but it promises significant durability for daily life and a range of activities – and could be used for most recreational diving. For the right taste/personality it’s not a bad deal from an established Swiss brand for a retail price of $895 though you can find it (and similar models) browsing online here.
Apple Watch Series 3
Clearly, not every watch enthusiast is a fan of the Apple Watch. However, in creating the watch, Apple studied the traditional watch industry and really got a lot of things right that watch enthusiasts should appreciate. And it would be silly not to include it on this list, as it has a starting price of $329 for the aluminum model (going up from there with premium materials like ceramic and stuff like fancy straps from Hermès) and yet has orders of magnitude more functionality than anything else here. It also has mass appeal, a lot of customizability options with different straps to mix and match, and will be all the more appreciated as a gift from someone who knows and loves watches. The smaller 38mm (length) watch is meant for women and you can read about everything that it does – that won’t fit in this article – in our extensive Apple Watch coverage. Or if you’d rather just dive in and look at what’s out there, you can browse here.
Swarovski Watches
Finally, for some variety and bling, Swarovski crystals offer a lot of sparkle without the wallet hurt of rare gemstones and they make their own Swarovski branded watches (review linked to above). Shown above are the Swarovski Lovely Crystals, Octea Sport, both priced at $650, and the slightly pricier $700 Piazza Mesh watch. These represent a sampling of Swarovski’s quartz watch offerings for women and these are the closest to “fashion watches” on this list but, hey, at least they look better than most out there. These are actually some of the pricier Swarovski watches available, and there are a bunch more that are significantly more affordable that you can look at over here.
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