5% off every watch with code LWM5. See terms

Free UK delivery · Free worldwide tracked shipping
LWMLondon Watch Market
Basket
Pre-Owned & Vintage Timepieces
Elegant and distinctive pieces for her

Vintage ladies' watches.

Ladies' vintage watches represent some of the most beautiful objects in the collector market, with fine dials, jewelled movements, and a refinement of detail rarely seen in modern production. Our collection includes Swiss dress watches, fashion-forward 1980s and 1990s pieces from houses such as Gucci and Raymond Weil, and quietly elegant everyday pieces. Every watch has been carefully vetted and is ready to wear.

623
In our collection
399
Available now
14 days
Returns window

More collections by style

See all collections in one place →

Browse a different way

What to look for in a vintage ladies' watch

The dial decides most of it. Ladies' watches were made in far greater variety than men's, and a well-preserved original dial, with its printing crisp and its finish unclouded, is what separates a piece worth keeping from one worth passing over. Redials are more common on smaller watches than people expect, partly because the surfaces are easier to reprint, so it is worth looking closely at the sharpness of the lettering and the evenness of the finish.

After the dial, look at the case and the bracelet. Gold plating wears through at the corners and on a bracelet's outer links first, which is normal on a watch several decades old and is not a fault so much as a fact. What matters is that it is described honestly rather than photographed around, which is why we shoot every watch as it actually is.

The houses worth knowing

Gucci is the deepest single seam in this collection. Its ladies' bangle and dress references from the 1980s onwards, the 1500L, the 6000L and the Twirl among them, were made in large numbers and in many finishes, which makes them both findable and genuinely varied. Raymond Weil's slim gold-plated dress watches from the same period occupy similar ground at a quieter volume.

Alongside the designer names sit the traditional Swiss houses. Omega and Tissot made ladies' dress watches throughout the mid-century with the same movements and finishing standards as their men's lines, simply in smaller cases, and Seiko's ladies' quartz pieces from the 1970s and 1980s are among the most dependable small watches ever made. Christian Dior and Dunhill turn up periodically for those after something less expected.

Wearing a smaller case today

Most vintage ladies' watches measure between roughly 18mm and 26mm across, which is small by the standards of anything sold new today. That is not a drawback so much as a different proposition: a small watch reads as jewellery rather than instrument, sits easily under a sleeve, and works on a narrow wrist in a way a modern case simply cannot.

It is also worth saying that these proportions are not the preserve of one wrist or another. Plenty of smaller vintage pieces are bought and worn by anyone who likes the scale, and our unisex collection gathers the ones whose design makes no particular claim either way.

Further reading
Buying guide · 8 min readThe best vintage Gucci watches to buyWhich vintage Gucci references are worth owning, what each typically costs, and the one condition problem that decides whether a Gucci is a good buy.History · 7 min readGucci watches: the Swiss story behind a Florentine houseGucci is a fashion house, so its watches are often dismissed as accessories. The Swiss company that actually made them for thirty years tells a different story.

Frequently asked questions

Are vintage ladies' watches reliable enough for daily wear?

Generally yes, though it depends on the movement and when it was last serviced. Quartz pieces from the 1980s onwards tend to need nothing more than a battery. Older mechanical watches run well when they have been looked after, and an occasional service keeps them that way. We test every watch before it is listed and describe how it is running.

How small is too small?

That is a matter of taste rather than a rule. Cases in this collection mostly run between 18mm and 26mm, and the listing states the size for each one. If you are unsure how a particular case will look, measure across your own wrist and compare, or ask us and we will tell you how it sits in the hand.

Can the bracelet be resized?

Usually. Most integrated bracelets and bangles can be adjusted by removing links, and we can tell you how much adjustment a specific watch allows before you buy. Where a bangle is a fixed size, we say so in the listing.

Do the watches come with a box?

Some do and some do not, and the listing says which. Where original boxes or papers survive we photograph and describe them; where they do not, the watch is despatched in our own packaging, fully insured.

Looking for something specific? We're happy to help you find it.

Get in touchAll collections