International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8 in many countries around the world. Originally called “International Working Women’s Day”, it is a day when women are acknowledged for their achievements without regard to national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political differences.

It got us thinking about women in the field of horology, which sadly, are a rare breed. Historically the industry has been over-dominated by men. Even today, with many brands claiming that women’s watches account for 30-50% of sales, only about 5% percent of all watchmakers are women.

Nonetheless, there are knowledgeable, qualified women sparking interest and bringing creativity to the art. Here are four we think you should know about:

Elizabeth Doerr | Germany

Elizabeth Doerr (@doerrelizabeth) is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Quill & Pad, an online watch and watchmaking magazine featuring high-quality articles, reviews, and videos on horology. For over two decades Ms. Doerr worked as a print media journalist and editor for Heel Verlag in Germany. When the publishing company took on the Armbanduhren, a Wristwatch Annual, Doerr reported to Baselworld, and visited watch factories across Germany and Switzerland. Her interest and experience in the field of watchmaking journalism are brought to life in her books and blog. | quillandpad.com

Carole Forestier-Kasapi | France

Carole Forestier-Kasapi (@carole_forestierkasapi) has been Director of Movement Creation at Cartier since 2005. Born in Paris, France into a family of watchmakers, she was naturally absorbed in the industry. Not only did she learn from her father, but Forestier-Kasapi’s own questioning spirit led her to explorations and discovery in the art of horology. After attending La Chaux-de-Fonds watchmaking school in Switzerland, Forestier-Kasapi stayed in the country to work with renowned manufacturers. In 2009, she joined Cartier where she continues to bring innovative design in luxury timepieces to a whole new level. | LinkedIn

Roberta Naas | USA

Roberta Naas (@robertanaas) is an American watch journalist who is considered the first female editor in the United States watch market. Roberta has been writing about the timepiece industry since the early 1980’s and has developed, co-created, and contributed to thousands of articles and publications on the subject. As a proven expert, Naas has six books on watches and the history of timekeeping. Currently, she keeps up with the latest luxury goods, industry news and reviews on her blog: A Timely Perspective | atimelyperspective.com

Rebecca Struthers | England

Rebecca Struthers (@rebstruthers) is a Doctoral Researcher of Antiquarian Horology. Rebecca’s experiences in a predominantly masculine industry have added to her determination to become the most relevant expert in her field. She has relied upon her interest and expertise in historical timepieces to become creator/owner of Struthers London, a watchmaking studio where vintage and antique restoration as well as award-winning design and research is the specialty. | Struthers London (Old site: https://www.struthers-london.co.uk)

KeepTheTime is proud to share an industry with these wonderful women. If you know of anyone that should be added to this list, please feel free to leave a comment below. To learn more about International Women’s Day click here. We also recommend checking out Eve’s Watch for more stories about women in watches.