Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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styling by chris stone Wound up Leading watch brands answer the caLL for women's mechanicaL timepieces that are both pretty and powerfuL. by roberta naas photography by jeff crawford Boom! Did you hear it? That was the sound of the skyrocketing market for women's mechanical timepieces. Among Swiss watchmakers, women now account for 35 percent of sales, and they're finding form and function equally seductive. Many top brands are responding with ladies' time- pieces with mechanical movements. In self-winding or automatic mechanical watches, the motion of the wearer's wrist literally powers the watch. In a manual- winding watch, the crown needs to be turned by hand to power the timepiece. Both types offer the wearer the assurance that hundreds of tiny components are working harmoniously inside that half-dollar-size case to keep time perfectly—making her watch pretty both outside and in. For more watch features and expanded coverage, go to bostoncommon-magazine.com/watches. BC clockwise from top: The Baume & Mercier Promesse Automatic watch ($3,490) is crafted in steel with a mother-of-pearl dial. Shreve, Crump & Low, 39 Newbury St., 617-267- 9100; baume-et-mercier.com This TAG Heuer Carrera ($5,400) is a 36mm steel watch housing the brand's Calibre 5 automatic movement. It has diamond accents and a mother-of-pearl dial. Sidney Thomas, The Shops at Prudential Center, 617-262-0935; tagheuer.com From Omega, this Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M watch ($6,000) features the brand's proprietary Omega 8500 caliber. This self- winding, COSC-certified chronometer is antimagnetic and water-resistant to 500 meters, and it offers the date as well as a transparent caseback. Tourneau, Copley Place, 617-267- 8463; omegawatches.com This Hamilton Ladies Viewmatic Skeleton watch ($1,195) houses the H-20 S movement, which can be viewed through the caseback. The stainless steel watch is available with a stainless steel bracelet or a white leather strap. Joseph Gann Jewelers, 387 Washington St., 4th Fl., 617-426-4932; hamiltonwatch.com accessories, clockwise from left: Devereaux vanity tray, Ralph Lauren ($295). 93 Newbury St., 617-424-1124; ralphlaurenhome.com. Gardenia Rattan eau de parfum, Aerin ($110). Neiman Marcus, Copley Place, 617-536-3660; neimanmarcus.com. Fifi slip, Agent Provocateur ($240). 123 Newbury St., 617-267-0229; agentprovocateur.com. Minaudière, Aerin ($700). Saks Fifth Avenue, The Shops at Prudential Center, 617-262-8500; saks.com. 18k white-gold L'Heure Du Diamant earrings, Chopard (price on request). Saks Fifth Avenue, see above; chopard.com 52 bostoncommon-magazine.com STYLE Time Honored