The Best Ladies Watches for around $500
A good wristwatch has to do far more than tell the time these days. It needs to make a statement, not raise questions. It needs to complete an outfit with panache without being gaudy. Be functional without being overly technical.
It is common for ladies to mix and match what they wear, from head to toe including their watches. Those committed to fashion have a watch for every occasion - a stylish watch for a evenings, a simple but sturdy watch for everyday wear and perhaps an even more rugged watch for outdoor activities.
While no one wants to be seen in a cheap poorly made knockoff, you needn't break the bank to find something with elegant form and function. There are some fantastic choices for just around $500, and this hub will prove it.
Emporio Armani Ceramica
Among the best selling ladies watches is the Emporio Armani Ceramica watch. It is a white elegant and modern watch which has a ring of Swarovski crystals in its bezel, a mother of pearl dial and a silver labeled index.
It is water resistant and employs quartz analog movement. It is great for daily wear or for a night out with friends, and the Emporio Armani website lists it at a manageable $495.
Philip Stein Active chronograph
Although rightfully marketed as a unisex watch, the Philip Stein Active chronograph is growing in popularity among women. It has a steel case and a rubber silicon strap, with a date window and a stop function.
In addition to Swiss quartz movement, this timepiece features 'Teslar' technology, designed to help reinforce the wearer's own electromagnetic energy field against possible negative effects of external electromagnetic fields. Wearers have reported clearer focus, reduced stress and improved concentration.
With a price of $ 450, this is a great everyday watch for work or for school.
Armani Exchange
Emporio Armani
Michael Kors Ceramic Runway Chronograph
Another ceramic watch that is among the best-under-$500 is the Michael Kors ceramic runway chronograph watch. Ceramic is thought to be one of the hottest new trends in watch fashion, and this timepiece, in deep grey-black as well as silver, embodies it.
At just $495, you can have this water-resistend mildly bling-tastic chronograph, encased in silver ceramic, crystal insets and a silver dial. An elegant statement, it is also a good choice for the active and the sporty.
Movado Women’s Museum Classic
Part of the award-winning Movado line, the Movado Women’s Museum Classic watch is a beautifully designed, yet attainable timepiece for those who enjoy envious stares.
Perfect for work and elegant afterwork parties, it has a black calfskin strap, a stainless steel case and quartz movement.
The Museum Classic houses the Movado concave dot on the 12 hour mark, representing 'the sun at high noon', a modernist design choice made by artist Nathan George Horwitt in 1947.
Movado is known for design, and this classic but current piece, even at a modest $495, does not disappoint.
Burberry Gold-Plated
This gold-plated Burberry watch with stainless steel casing makes a feminine statement while maintaining an air of worldly knowingness.
It has quartz moment and is also water-resistant, in case you get swept up in an unexpected rainy romantic moment.
The timepiece displays the British Fashion house's trademark tartan pattern, diamond indices and an adjustable buckle closure.
The eyecatching two-toned look helps this watch stand out in a classy but unobtrusive way, perfectly accenting semi formal, business or formal outfits.
At $495, this watch won't drain your budget, but that's for you to know, and others to guess.
Tissot Carson Women’s Silver Automatic Classic
To commemorate the centenary of Jungfrau Railways in Switzerland, Tissot has been selected to be its official watch partner. With this,Tissot unveils its Jungfrau collection, part of which is the Tissot Carson Women’s silver automatic classic watch.
Sported by none other than Angelina Jolie in at least two of her films, this stunning watch is encrusted in stainless steel and a scratch resistant sapphire. For $475, the watch comes in a gorgeous collectible metal box.
Just under $500, the Gc Diver Chic watch is a quartz chronograph that is perfect for both casual and evening wear. It has a mother of pearl dial, a stainless steel case with sapphire crystal, and ceramic bracelet. It is also a good all-weather choice, as it is water resistant up to 100 meters.
Guess has managed to deftly combine elegance and functionality here, with a feminine but sporty design which combines "the allure of diamonds, purity of design and the functionality of a sport watch." If you missed the boat on Valentine's Day, do yourself or your favorite lady right on her birthday, Mother's Day or anytime you want to see her brimming with appreciation.
Invicta GMT Rose Gold-Tone
Part of its Subaqua collection, Invicta's Noma III GMT Rose Gold-Tone watch captures style and substance with its white leather band shimmering rose-gold accents.
It features a stainless steel unidirectional bezel with raised Arabic numeral minute markers in five-minute increments.
A luminescent white dial displays black 24-hour markers on its white inner ring, giving it a hint of understated complexity.
This watch says sophistication and functionality, with extra emphasis on feminine chic.
Bulova Women's Precisionist Diamond Steel Bracelet Watch
Billed as "the most accurate watch in the world," Bulova's Women's 96R141 Precisionist Tanglewood Diamond Steel Bracelet Watch boasts a host of eye-catching features of design, flash and functionality.
It is housed in stainless steel, handset diamonds and white mother-of-pearl. It also has an elegant continuously sweeping second hand, two-toned silver dial, calendar, and the ability to be submerged in up to 30 meters of water without losing a beat. (More and more of watches these days seem to be designed with the fashion-conscious divers in mind.)
At any rate, the enduring quality of the Bulova brand speaks for itself, and the spectacular look and feel of this piece speaks volumes.
Citizen Women's Stiletto Eco Drive Watch
Surprising as it is that more manufactureres don't offer this feature, Citizen thumbs its nose at planned obsolescence by offering a timepiece that needs no batteries. Its Women's EG3154-51D Stiletto Eco Drive Watch comes in at just about $475 but offers beauty, sleakness and a range of handy functions.
It has automatic time keeping with radio controlled frequency, Japanese quartz movement, and an antireflective-sapphire dial window. It also has a stainless steel two-tone bracelet and mother of pearl dial. It is heralded as the "thinnest light-powered watch in the world," tightroping the line between technology and fashion. Needless to say, it is also water resistant up to 33 feet.
Which of the watches above win a place on your wish list?
These are just a few great selections for ladies' watches for around $500. Most of these offer wide variations within the line on styling, casing, feature set and of course price-point.
Hopefully this list can get you started as you wade through endless atalogues, listings and store windows and try to avoid information overload. Happy shopping!