Yes...size DOES matter

As if this topic hasn't been asked or debated a thousand times before...

I'll make it brief:

Yes... watch size does matter.

Have you ever seen someone else wearing a watch and thought: "oh dear, i hope mine don't look that big on me"... well I have, and over the last year i have seriously down graded my watch sizes. Not because of what someone else ever said to me, but because I saw with open eyes how watches looked on others.

Admittedly I'm no line backer nor can i intimidate an onlooker with my size... I'm a standard 5'9" with a slim build. The largest watch I wear, NOT with any regularity, is a 50mm Subaquanoma ( i like it because it's the tool divewatch in my collection) but my daily wearers are 40mm, 44mm & 45mm. If i wear anything larger it's a day of me showing off the watch more than anything.

Do the test... and yes i know we all spot watches every sec of the day because we are not well, but I mean do the test. Don't just look at the watch and be dazzled (as is the case most times) but look at the person as a whole (read the "big picture") and see how the watch works on the person.

I look forward to some stories and some debate...

I've bought/sold many, many watches which are just too big for me. 42mm is probably about as big as I should go with my 7" wrists. However, I have, love, and wear a PAM 111. At 44mm, it is probably too big for me (the lugs don't overhang my wrist or anything like that) but I'm pretty sure it looks almost ridiculous when I wear it. I do love the watch. However, I've seriously been considering trading for a smaller, 40mm PAM.

44-46mm is my size of choice...

My latest G-shock is 50mm but still wears nicely...



The 46mm SOH...

This thread is in no way meant to sway anyone either which way, if you like big watches and wear big watches it doesn't matter what anybody thinks. The only important thing is that you are happy with what you wear, hence the reason for my post. In my case i started to not like the way larger sized watches looked on me (given that 44mm & 45mm watches are considered over sized as is). Also to take into consideration is some watches MUST be worn large or even x-large... i.e. if a 47mm PAM looks like a 40mm watch on you, trust me it looks funny and you loose the effect it's meant to have.

btw Alan: those two look phenomenal on you mate! I envy your wrist size... lol

i started out wearing 42mm and went up to 50mm.one day i was looking at my 50mm watch on the wrist and said to my self this thing is just to big!!! im not a little guy im 6" 235 lbs so i can wear the biggins, but they just dont look right to me. i just sold my 49mm oris because of the same reason, i think the 47mm sm seconds will follow. 42mm to 44mm will be all i wear for now on, they look great on and are the most compfortable to me.

This is always a great topic to discuss Guy ! ..When I first started looking at watches, and
getting into the hobby it seemed like alot of the nicest, and most unique watches were kind
of large. Basically anything 44mm and above just looked cool to me. Even today many watches
in all of the styles from sporty to classy, diver to aviator always seem to look so nice, and
are usually pretty big ! ..I would kind of be disappointed if a watch was below 44mm that
I liked. However, one day I realized..hey..my wrist really isn't that big ! ..Maybe I
shouldn't ignore the 42mm and below watches because they actually work just fine for me.
So even though I still look at all types and sizes of watches I kind of realized that smaller
watches work well for me too, and that some of the larger watches, were maybe ..well,
too large. ..Plus later on down the road my wrists will probably get even smaller, so
the smaller sizes such as 43mm and below will honestly be the best fit for me I guess !

I like 40-43mm for new current production models...anything bigger just feels too big. I also have many vintages in the 35mm-37mm range I like to wear as well. I have an 8.5 inch wrist... and have one 47mm I wear once in a while, but it's really to big.....

TAZMAN64 wrote:

i started out wearing 42mm and went up to 50mm.one day i was looking at my 50mm watch on the wrist and said to my self this thing is just to big!!! im not a little guy im 6" 235 lbs so i can wear the biggins, but they just dont look right to me. i just sold my 49mm oris because of the same reason, i think the 47mm sm seconds will follow. 42mm to 44mm will be all i wear for now on, they look great on and are the most compfortable to me.

Steve, hear what you are saying regarding the 47mm Oris/ For me it wasn't the diameter because I feel it actually played smaller. It was the thickness that stood out. A 44mm can look really out of place on a wrist when it is 16mm or more in thickness. On the other hand a 40mm that is 10mm thick and has no bezel can look like it is much larger. In general, for me 40mm-44mm is sweet but, larger or smaller can work depending on the design.

You guys know me - i can carry a 52mm Leviathan, no problemo.
But have to admit I'm pretty self conscious about it nowadays.

A Venom is also 52, but I rarely if ever wear it - due to height, just too big lookin.
It's mainly a novelty watch to me now - very likely to let it go.
The largest I wear regularly is 50mm. ZMX-03, SANIII, RD, etc.

My sweet spot is 44-47 - my most recent high-end stuff is in that range.
But prefer the 44 not be just round. A cushion Panny 44 is perfect.
But a MM will have to do.

you have to get a watch that fits your size wrist.
I give me a 40 - 48mm range and could go smaller but don't plan on going bigger again unless I get an Omega Railmaster

5'9" here with 7.5" wrist.
42mm is as large as I want to go.
I have a couple of larger ones, but I very seldom wear them.
I'd like a Railmaster next, 41mm or 39mm.

I only feel comfortable wearing watches up to 44mm, and that is only a sports/dive watch. Most of my collection is between 40 and 43, with one at 44 and nothing over...but I have girly wrists (7.25)

I'd give anything if only my, well, you-know-what was as big around as my wrist — 8 1/2+ inches — and you for sure know where I'd be wearing my watches at that point.

Alas, only my wrists lay claims to such girth...so for now, I wear 'em there, usually around 44-48mm. I do have some larger watches, and do wear 'em on occasion, but even on big guys they can sometimes look out of place. My Zodiac Oceanaire, for example, is a real favorite, and it's 45mm and looks about perfect.

Of course, I also thought I'd never "go small," but I bought a Maurice Lacroix Pontos Rectangulaire which is only about 36mm side-to-side, but it is 43mm or so north-to-south...and I absolutely love the watch. Apparently, class has no size constraints.

I think a lot of it depends on wrist size. My wrist is right around 8 inches, which is probably slightly larger than average. I have worn watches as large as 47mm, but feel that 40-44mm is the right size for me. Saw a guy wearing a Bolt the other day and that thing looked absolutely huge on him, (now that is an awkward sentence.) If people want a large watch that is their thing and I am certainly not qualified to judge them. Watch size is just another of the countless observations we make of others everyday. And sometimes we project our own limitations upon them too.

merichar wrote:

Watch size is just another of the countless observations we make of others everyday. And sometimes we project our own limitations upon them too.

I would agree with you — to a point. But I was taught a long time ago that there really is no second chance at a first impression...and no matter what an individual's personal likes and dislikes, some things really do need to be thought-out...

At that "other" site, for example, you oftentimes will see someone asking whether watch A is too big for his/her wrist. Well, for starters, if you've asked the question you already know the answer. Unfortunately, too many over there are too quick to jump on the "do whatever makes you happy" train. Fact is, people do judge you by the way you talk, act...and dress, to a certain extent. For example, green might be your favorite color, and you really like pink as well...but only a fool would wear them together "just because I like it."

Of course, at that other site, I also think one reason so many people jump on the bandwagon is because they believe in strength in numbers.....i.e., "This humongous watch doesn't look stupid on my wrist, because so many others also wear the same thing."

One other thought: what works for the ladies doesn't always work for the men. Women have always worn oversize bangles; a watch is just an extension of this. On a woman, it can be construed as a fashion statement; on a guy, well, it can look just plain dumb.