Equality? Thankfully, it has happened – from office to home, the sexes enjoy equal rights and share the same aspirations and expectations. And that is how it should be.

There is just one area, though, where the odds are heavily stacked against one sex – the male sex. And that is fashion. Just consider the limited wardrobe choice that men have when compared to women. Give a man a pair of trousers and a shirt and he’s set up for the day – long or short-sleeved shirts, trousers and shorts, are just a minor variance. But then, give a woman a wardrobe bursting at the seams with dresses, accessories, and enough shoes for a marching army, and that ugly complaint of not having anything to wear raises its head.

Just consider how men’s catwalk shows are over in five minutes, while those dedicated to female fashion go on and on – in fact, switch on the telly and there’s one parading right now.

Any attempts to address this imbalance have been, at best, futile. There was the five-minute uproar back in the mid-1990s when David Beckham was photographed in a Jean-Paul Gaultier version of a sarong. We thought that men, at last, would have a choice rather than having to spend their life in trousers and shorts. Two decades later, and men still have just one option for covering their legs. As for male make-up, well, that was also over in five minutes. Man bags? True. Yet they don’t carry the same weight that handbags do.

There was just one exception though – watches. Given that a watch is the only accessory that most men wear regularly, they made it their own and turned it into a male status symbol – an expensive watch on a man’s wrist gives him class and power. And anything related to watches became inherently masculine. Even watch collecting was a largely male pursuit – enter an auction house and all you would see were men competing for the biggest, most valuable watch.

But that trend is changing. In recent years, women have started nursing a greater interest in watches. For women, status symbols mean a Tiffany bracelet, an Hermes scarf, a pair of Manolo Blahniks or Jimmy Choos, and a Brora cashmere cardigan. That still holds true. However, those coveted wardrobe items have now been joined by watches. In fact, the LGI Network, which offers retail measurement services, says that last year, watch collecting by women saw a worldwide increase of 35 per cent.

Women are now as interested in wearing watches as men – and when they don’t find one to their liking, they just wear a man’s watch – actress Jennifer Aniston and top model Kate Moss were both snapped sporting a man’s watch on their wrist.

And that hurts. It’s like with boyfriend-inspired fashion. Women might have a wardrobe that required an investment the size of a small African nation’s GDP, but they still covet the male wardrobe and make it their own.

Seeing that there is a demand, watchmakers have started paying more attention to their female watch collections. And it’s not just high street watchmakers either. Even top brands and fine watchmakers are creating watches that, while timelessly elegant, are fashionable and bridge the gap between jewellery and keeping accurate time. Patek Philippe, Van Cleef & Arpels and Rolex, just to name a few, have all introduced sophisticated mechanical styles for women.

And there’s variety. Well, that was to be expected, since women and variety flock together like the proverbial birds. Have you ever met a woman who is happy with just one handbag? If you have, then she was a very rare exemplar of an endangered species. Variety is translated into a selection of elegant and sporty watches for women. Watches for women are not just pretty to look at – they are as well made and functional as those for men. It’s a happy marriage between fashion and functionality. You have your bracelet-inspired designs and watches with sparkling embellishments, but also solid watches and those intended for daily wearing (not that a woman will be happy with wearing the same watch every day).

Is it a happy situation? Well, men might be a bit jealous, seeing that on one hand they can’t wear skirts, but on the other, women are putting on what once was a largely male accessory. But then, time is universal and everyone has the right to keep it on their wrist in a beautiful way.