38mm.
"dinky"?
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I would say 38mm is pretty dinky these days. Look at what's coming out from the major watch houses, 40mm-41mm is about average, and above 43mm is where 'large' kicks in. I'm running an Eterna Kontiki Bronze (44m) as an everyday watch at the moment, doesn't feel or look particularly big on a 20cm wrist.
It ain't 1950 any more (or, indeed, 1980). Or maybe we just have lots of little people on the forum!
... and have tiny little wrists. :)
But seriously, the 50s (and later 80s) fashion for button-sized watches looked silly on people even then, and people in general are quite a bit bigger on average than they used to be (my grandad, born 1890s, 5ft 2, my dad born in the 1930s 5 ft 7, I'm 5 ft 10 - probably all of us around the UK average for our era).
I really get it that 36mm suits some people - just like some people buy 'S' or 'M' sized shirts instead of L or XL - but instead of asking for a small size version IN ADDITION to a modern sized version, people are complaining - about 38mm? Too big? Seriously?
As for Nomos I'm actually a fan and only recently sold my 38mm Tangomat. One of the new 41mm models is surely on the cards in the not too distant.
There's quite a bit of stuff online about size distributions over a typical 21st century population, the recommendation is generally that the bulk of orders for sale these days should be L and XL. Companies often under-order these most popular sizes, that's why 'sale' stuff is usually of the smaller ones, stock remaining after the larger sizes have sold out. Surely there's a lesson there?
If that's the niche you are deciding to occupy Eddie then good luck to you. There may well be demand for small watches that you have idenfitied, that isn't really seen out there in the wider market, or isn't met there. (Or maybe there is genuinely something peculiar about the TZ-UK demographic).
I'd be astonished though if the wider watch market reflected those figures.
No-one is arguing for 47-50mm - this size has always looked just as as riduculous as 34-35mm and I've personally never owned anything over 45mm, 41-43mm being more typical. A lot depends on the lug to lug (many Seikos, for example, or the Eterna Kontiki Bronze I mentioned earlier which is quite a small looking 44mm, have a shorter lug to lug).
Likewise, 38mm to 40mm I can understand (though I doubt very much if this will be in evidence a Basel any time soon - most interesting recent releases from the big boys have been +40mm).
However, 36mm is small by any recent standard. I bought a 36mm Navigator but it just looked and felt a bit stupid on the wrist - I sold it within couple of days.
I can understand the smaller wristed feeling feeling left out of things this past decade or so - and keen to buy up microbrand stuff that fits them - but I simply can't imagine watches more generally are about to shrink back to 50s proportions.
Those figures don’t lie but can be misleading. You released a lot of 36mm variants last year and there was something of a frenzy to jump on the bandwagon (nor that it wasn’t well deserved), but how many 38-44mm models did you release? I can only think of the two baby models.
You seem to have a bit of a bee in your bonnet about all of this. A lot of people are simply stating a preference about this watch being made in 36mm instead of 38mm. The fact that you have to keep resorting to words such as, 'dinky', and that people who'd prefer 36mm must automatically have, 'tiny little wrists', suggests that you're trying to denigrate those same people as somehow inferior to yourself, simply because you have larger wrists. I see this a lot within watch groups and it's extremely tiresome.
No offence intended and I'm certainly not attempting to denigrate anyone.
For many years I've been really frustrated by the fact that so many lovely vintage pieces - for example, pretty much anything with a cal 83 inside - are only available in small sizes. The upside has been that the watch industry in general has focused on larger sizes, pretty much since the mid-late 90s, when 39mm, 40mm, 41mm (and larger) became fully established as the norm. Of course some even larger stuff is of interest too - I have owned a few 44mm Panerais in my time, for example - but I'm pretty settled for the most part around 40, 41mm. (I've never been that interested in 47mm - just a bit too cartoonish).
Latterly however I have found it really annoying that some recent releases here I would like to wear - the Navigator was an example - are once again only available in small sizes. It may be true to some extent that fashion more generally is swinging round to smaller watches - perhaps a reaction to 50mm dinner plates, which to be fair I've considered pretty silly myself - but that seems to be more evident in Eddie's recent releases than in the watch market more generally. Hence expressing that irritation specifically here in this sub-forum.
That's where we have to disagree. 36mm is small by most people's estimation these days. Quite a few brands have 36mm as a small size where the full size is larger, for example IWC have a small 36mm Mk XVIII, but the main model with the majority of options is 40mm.
Omega have done this for many years eg Speedmaster 'Reduced' - which was 38.5mm, even Rolex - pretty late to the party in the trend for larger watches - offered 39mm and 36mm Explorer. Eddie's label of 'baby' versions of some of his watches fall into this as well.
A watch in good proportion can look classy at any size - in photos. Whether it works well on the wrist depends not on the watch, but whether it fits the wrist you are wearing it on.
Like kk I can't make 36 mm 'work' on my wrist either, wish I could just can't, tried the Everest Expedition 36mm x 44 mm , it didn't look convincingly an adult watch on me...But from experience 38mm x 46.5 mm does work exceedingly well, comfortable/ easy to wear and suggestive of vintage but not dinky.
Interested to see some more pictures, especially the salmon dial.
For brands such as Rolex, Omega, Breitling etc. it's great that they can offer the same watch in varying sizes. For a small manufacturer like TF it's obviously more difficult. As the owner of ham like 7.75 in (more in the heat) wrists, most 36mm watches look like a childs watch (extra comedy value for straps or bracelets that are of a size in keeping with the diameter and are slightly tight). Some I can get away with if the design is 'just so' - usually with longer lugs but this has a very small sweet spot before it starts to look ungainly.
40mm is my personal minimum with my preference being 42-46mm and in proportion lug to lug this sadly discounts most recent TF offerings but Eddie has carved a niche at 36mm and people seem to love it so it makes sound business sense. I wish he'd do bigger watches but with him filling capacity in minutes I can't see why he would.
Very nice indeed.
It depends.
Some watches suit their dimensions, and would look daft made in another.
A 45mm Explorer.
A 36mm DSSD.
What may look fine and dandy strapped on the wrist now may look hilarious in the nursing home.
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I understand the desire for a bigger version of some of these, as in recent times I often wanted a smaller version of something for the same reasons.
One thing though kk is that 36mm watches generally suit the average wrist size very well. With nearly 8" wrists you are certainly at the top end of the normal distribution and I'm not surprised you find 36mm to look too small. Mine are around the average and even I find some 36mm to wear a bit small if they have shortish lugs, narrow lug width and thin cases. I've usually solved this by sticking a nato on as it noticeably bulks the look up.
That said, I think the 38mm of these will wear brilliantly.
Probably not for me, but it does look a great dress watch.
I'm sure it'll be a big success.
M
Amazing. really lovely. Take. My. Money!
Do/will the crystals have anti-reflective coating as they seem very reflective, but this could just be the ultra bright studio lights that caseback watches is using.......?
And am not sure I can wait till Sept/Oct, I may just implode by then!
All three are magnificent. Really. So much better to see them in video. I am not getting involved tho. If I was still working and had somewhere to show them off, I would have had to have all three. Each model has its own vibe.
My order of preference:
BLACK
CREAM
TERRACOTTA/SALMON
It will be interesting to see in what order the market rates them.
The Black and White/ Cream are a tie, the third it's a little more terracotta than I thought it might/ could be though could be my monitor. They look amazing, top job.
Love the video, gives a real sense of the feel of the watches. I think at 38mm without a thick bezel, these will wear quite big!
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I've been taking notice of the Polerouter for some time and this might solve the problem for me.
Well done, Eddie.
I haven’t watched the video yet but the watches do look lovely. I have a vintage dress watch so not for me But if I was in the market I would be torn between the back and the salmon with the black probably winning.
Never had this watch on my radar, but now that I have seen the video: gaaah, they are so pretty! And if the dial and case would not have been enough, no, there also has to be a wonderful caseback! Can't see enough of them...
Bloody marvellous. I enjoyed watching that video immensely.
I really like this watch but wish Eddie would have stuck with the 36mm and much thinner to take advantage of the thin profile of the Miyota 9039.
Just to add to the smaller/larger comments, a 30mm salmon pink would be lovely for the delightful Mrs Cornholio. I can but dream.
Well, there was talk of a return of the Lady Speedbird...
Thinking about supplying it on a BOR bracelet and adding a blue dial.
http://www.tz-uk.com/pics/prs54-1024-2.jpg
Eddie
That blue one looks fantastic, this would be my new first choice with black now second.
Thumbs up to BOR. As long as the clasp isn't a monster. And the package is still "affordable" lol.
I kinda think the black dial should be gloss, the mat is a bit "tool watch-y" but probably not a deal breaker.
Blue is good but not for me - no matter how many times I buy a blue dial (and thats a lot of times folks) they never seem to last in my collection for some reason......
Would absolutely love a slim BOR with a similar clasp as on the Everests, that really would take it up a level for me. Plenty will love the blue!
Cream dial is the winner for me, simple classic look.
The BOR really sets off the black dial for me. I'll echo solidstate above in that I would hope it stays "affordable", but it is nice to have the option of a good bracelet.
These look excellent, I think I'll be buying one. I never want to tie up too much money in a dress watch as I don't wear them often enough to justify it, but I do want something that looks "special" - looks like these will fit the bill perfectly!