Female Watch Collectors You Should Be Following
These women are bringing their enthusiasm and expertise to the male-dominated watch industry.
Watches used to be the most functional accessory one can own. However, now that a quick peek at your phone's home screen can give you the time, watches aren't so much about the function as they are about the look. Luxury watches are key investment pieces that elevate both everyday and red carpet looks, but within the fashion community, the watch world can often be a bit of a boy's club.
Perhaps it's the abundance of women's jewelry options (or the lack of men's jewelry), but society has labeled watches as male-coded. Men pass watches down to their sons while women bequeath jewelry to their daughters. Male celebrities are often spotted at awards shows sporting luxury timepieces while their female counterparts are credited with wearing gem-encrusted necklaces, rings, bracelets, and the like.
Despite this gender style gap, there are women creating space in the male-dominated watch industry. Over the past few months, there's been a growing interest in watch collecting on social media, allowing female watch collectors to share their knowledge on watches with a newfound audience. With LVMH Watch Week behind us and April's Watches and Wonders convention on the horizon, L'OFFICIEL is spotlighting some female watch enthusiasts and collectors worth seeing on your feed.
Jessica "J.J." Owens
After collecting watches with her father, Jessica Owens (@jessicajjo) became an avid lover of vintage watches, and now shares her passion through social media. On Instagram, Owens shows followers her daily life with special attention to the mesmerizing watches she wears, featuring brands such as Cartier, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe.
The watch fanatic is also the founder of her very own blog, Daily Grail (@dailygrail). The website encourages all people—no matter their level of expertise— to join the watch world, highlighting celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Emma Chamberlain.
Vivi Shanks
Vivi Shanks, also known as Vivi Watches (@vivi.watches) on Instagram, is a Swiss watch influencer based in New York. Known for her partnership with the Swiss brand IWC Schaffhausen, she's seen wearing her watches across the US—from the F1 Grand Prix in Miami to a helicopter overlooking Manhattan, she's inviting us along on her watch lover journey.
Cara Barrett
Mother, influencer, and watch enthusiast, Cara Barrett (@its.cara.time) is also the founder of the kids watch brand Parchie. Cara shares her daily life on Instagram, and of course many pictures of her luxurious go-to watches—from avant-garde jewelry designer Nadine Ghosn to classic Chanel pieces—she brings together a variety of aesthetics.
In June 2023, Cara collaborated with the watch company Timex on a blue stainless steel watch, meant to be a "watch for everyone" while mixing vintage and modern aesthetics. Cara has over 36K followers and has been featured in the New York Times as "a new face in children's watches."
Misha
With over 200K followers, Misha Daud (@watch_fashionista on IG) shows her audience the glamorous side of the watch world. After receiving a Cartier Panthère as a teenager, she fell in love with the idea of wearing watches as jewelry. Misha is also an entrepreneur, and her favorite brands include Cartier, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe.
In a 2021 interview with Marie Claire, the watch fashionista said, "Watches should bring people joy."
Giorgia Mondani
Italian luxury watch expert and advisor Giorgia Mondani (@giorgiamondani) is a fan of unique and creative designs. Mondani is also a member of the GPHG organization (Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève), known for being "the Oscars" of watchmaking.
Brynn Wallner
Millennial Brynn Wallner founded the account Dimepiece on IG back in the summer of 2020. In a 2021 interview, Wallner told Hodinkee, "I noticed that women were rarely included in the narrative... I know women wear watches. I know women are interested in watches. But where's the inspiration? Where's the resource?"
Now, Dimepiece has almost 50K followers on Instagram and has been featured in countless publications, including Harper's Bazaar, W Magazine, Business of Fashion, Vogue, and The New York Times.
Karissa
Known on Instagram as @watchandwoman, Karissa is a 27-year-old watch lover and collector. She's known for her partnership with Hercalley, a brand that sells handmade watch rolls.
In a post from August 2023, she explained, "My journey on Instagram started as a place where I could post pictures of my watches and just nerd out with other collectors…now it’s evolved to so much more than that."
