Reply With QuoteWatching porn usually does it for me! :-)
I started off the WUS Affordables forum. The general feeling there was that the standard for a watch was a 42mm diver. 40mm was smallish, acceptable for a dress watch, if someone was weird enough to want one of those and under 40mm was plain mystifying.
The watch I wear half the time is 42mm, and my wrist is a flat 6.5". Nobody ever says to me, that looks too big. (And it isn't, because the lug to lug is sensible and the lugs curve down nicely.) Similarly, plenty of other people have things like 42mm Sinn divers etc and nobody ever comments on their being oversized.
Sometimes though there are outbreaks of fretful anxiety here, worrying about Watch A being 39mm, and Watch B being 42mm, and I can't work out what it is that brings these on.
One guess: those who prefer smaller watches know which handful of brands are serving their tastes, and are unhappy whenever those brands broaden their offering, perhaps nervous that in time the smaller sizes might get dropped?
But I think I'm missing something.
Is it to do with how well known the brand is? My Nivrel is obscure, so people don't have a sense of what one of them typically look like?
Watching porn usually does it for me! :-)
The only time I get size anxiety is when I strap on my CWC G10, it looks ridiculously small.
I think size of new watches is governed by fashion. Since one tends to care less about trends as one gets older, one should have a decreaing anxiety to "fit in". A sign of maturity is being able to wear the watch you like as you please.
There are a lot of factors, but for me it's mostly just a matter of wrist size, and anything over 40mm tends to look like it's wearing me. It's also a matter of finding the right balance, something that doesn't look huge from close up but doesn't look tiny from far away either.
That sweet spot is harder to achieve the further your wrist size is from the median, and that drastically cuts the choice of models. This in turn leads to some frustration with brands who jumped on the 42mm bandwagon a few years back. Presumably others have the opposite problem and find most watches too small.
Older sized Rolex sports watches are bang on for me, substantial but not daft for a watch with a tool bezel, but the new ones are completely out of the question. Meanwhile on my skinny wrists the 39mm models like the Oyster Perpetual and new Explorer have a slightly cartoonish, oversized feel that seems to say, 'Look at my expensive watch!', which puts me off. Annoying as presumably they are just right for most people, though there are plenty of alternatives obviously.
I didn't realise the performers wore watches! ;-)Originally Posted by alanm_3
I guess need to be added to the Watches in the Movies thread ;)
I have 6.75" flat wrists and can wear up to 42-43mm divers (depending on lug length), but dress watches are a 38mm max for me.
I have skinny flat wrists as well - I could get away with a 42mm depending on the design but really 36mm to 40mm is the sweet-spot for me. For example - I'd never swap my mid-sized SMP for a full-sized one.
Steve 'Ben Dover' Perry is clearly a watch guy. I've seen him wearing all sorts of Rolex during his career. He is currently rocking a white faced Ceramic Daytona in his latest videos.
my black strap on is a touch small for me and my GF thinks the same (Dark Side of the Moon). The strap is very narrow. I prefer the slightly larger watch with a nice broad strap. 8" is a good measurement for me.
This for me..........
I have deleted my own post in the interests of decorum and propriety.
Last edited by Evanssprky; 31st July 2017 at 14:25. Reason: Decided I was maybe out of bounds.
I have 6.75 wrists and 36 - 38 mm cases seem just right. I have a couple of 34mm watches that used to seem fine to me but, now feel a little too small. My Seamaster always felt a little too big at 41mm but I suppose it was okay for a dive watch. I don't really get why someone wears a dive watch if they aren't going diving. IMHO watches with large cases on small wrists look ridiculous. I always wonder if the person has a problem with their eyesight!
Sent from my SM-J320FN using TZ-UK mobile app
I think that size is simply a matter of preference.
Yes, to a degree governed by 'fashion trends'.
I have gravitated towards more substantial watches since I got into the hobby around 20 years ago.
It was not a fashion then and if it was it has lasted for a long time.
So putting it down to fashion is a bit naive.
It is not a matter of anxiety either inspite of the fact that those who prefer smaller watches get anxious at the mention of anything above 40mm.
It has nothing to do with the brand or perceived value.
The trend has not changed other than the fact that brands have started realizing that there are people who prefer smaller watches that need to be catered to too.
If one cares to step outside TZ-UK, one can see that brands like Enebi,Kavemtann and VDB continue to flourish amongst
Enthusiasts.
It is true that as one gets older, reasonable sizes become more attractive.
At the end of the day, it is a matter of preference and luckily there are enough choices at both ends of spectrum.
What is not uniformly there is a respect for others preferences and instead what we have is insecurities about and defensiveness regarding their own choices.
"Fnar Fnar"
Jackets on SC
6.5inch wrist. 42mm is my limit.
I used to go an about it a bit on here. Looking back I cant quite figure out why. Probably caught up in herd mentality to a degree.
Truth is I'm rather embarrassed about my posts making reference to 'comedy wrist clocks' and clowns etc.
I don't mind a big watch, I've been wearing a Autozilla the last week ( holiday watch ) and that's a biggy, anything less than 40mm initially feels small but I soon get used to it, as above, the only exception is the G10, always feels too small and so rarely wear it. What I do have a slight issue with is height, I loved the Enebbi Fondale but it was a very tall watch, same with my Certina Ph Ds2 1000m, very tall for its width, especially as I like it on a NATO that adds extra height.
Cheers..
Jase
I agree - height is often the key factor.
My previous antipathy towards 42mm watches was based on the ones I had tried being far too bulky and unbalanced due to this.
The CWC RN Diver quartz and Speedmaster changed my mind.
As mentioned previously its about not getting hung up on specific sizes, trying things and simply going with what feels good.
Like others have said, I don't want to have a watch look like it is wearing me. Whether anyone else cares is up to them.
I'm more bothered about lug-to-lug than case size. 50mm is an absolute max for my 6.6-6.75 wrist, so I'd be personally fine wearing a DSOTM but a 39mm Nomos would look silly because the lugs would overhang.
The other thing I look for (rather than case size) is how the lugs curve and how much the case-back protrudes. So a modern 40mm ceramic Sub is right at my limit of wearability at 40mm because the lugs barely curve and there's a big caseback. However my 42mm Aerospace Avantage wears much smaller (on my wrist) because the lugs curve down, are sculpted at the base, and there's no caseback.
We could do with more of this from others.
Bravo, Ian.
The reason is simple, if you read watch fora you will become nerdy over detail.
Just read the garbage WIS's argue over and get all stroppy with each other whilst a normal person could not give a damn.
Joe Blogs walks into a Jeweller and buys what looks good to him, it may be small, medium or large, he simply does not give a damn. If you spend just a few minutes looking at watches on wrists in the streets, you will see every size known to man. If size worries you, you have become a nerd and that is the plain truth.
My largest watch is 40mm and my smallest is 34mm and I wear all over in equal measure. The day I start worrying about watch size is the day I will pop down to a branch of B&Q, buy a chainsaw, slice the top of my head off and remove my brain.
Last edited by Mick P; 31st July 2017 at 15:02.
I do like all the wrist clock and clown comments though!
But yes, agreed - admitting when we have changed our views is also good, and shows how the hobby matures and our tastes change.
It's just a matter of time...
Preference, to a degree, but also wardrobe and wrist size. Here is a picture of a 40mm watch. Is it a small watch? Not on my 6.75" wrist it isn't! It probably looks roughly similar to a 44mm watch on your wrist RAJEN from what you've posted. I wouldn't say I get 'anxious' at the mention of anything over 40mm, just that it probably won't fit!
And while we're at it (this thread needs more pictures after all), here is a 41mm watch. Just about managing but a little more and I'll run out of wrist! The diving bezel helps, but something dressy in that size isn't going to work for me.
And here's a 36mm watch. Small? If you say so!
I not sure 'anxiety' has much to do with it, as with a pair of trousers, you just need something that fits, and may feel uncomfortable if you're wearing something that doesn't.
There's a bit of leeway, where fashion and personal preference operate, obviously. I think we've also learned to look at watches in different ways in different decades. I see the bracelet as part of the watch, as I think people used to, and the watches were designed with that in mind. Now many seem to expect the dial to fill the wrist.
I also think that in previous decades people have judged the size a watch from the distance they read it, and relative to the width of the wrist. Now we're a bit more image conscious and want it to look right from further away, as viewed by someone else, and judge the size relative to the hand, the arm, the cuff - and from further away it will look very different and much smaller. I've come to look for watches that pass both tests.
I've got two watches. I've got no idea what size they are (nor my wrist) and as long as I can get my shirt cuffs over them that's my only size related requirement. I certainly don't get anxious about it.
Last edited by bonzo697; 31st July 2017 at 15:11.
Certainly wrist size plays into preference.
Wardrobe for me not so much.
Not too hung up about pairing up a watch style with particular clothes or occasions or
Unduly concerned about the interaction between the cuff and the watch.
All sizes are ok as long as the wearer likes it.
Wrist clock,clown watches and dinner plates-I associate these words with people looking to bait or trolls.
What the hell is size anxiety? Should I be worried that 32" trousers are too small and 38" too big? If it helps, I have 7 1/2" wrists and the sweet spot for me is 40mm. I have one current watch and lots of old ones, ranging in size from about 30mm (Marine Chronometer) to 42mm (automatic Autavias and an Exp2). I would happily wear a 36mm DJ or Carrera but wouldn't go smaller or bigger than 42mm. Apart from that everything is fair game. I suppose though when all but one of your watches are vintage, there's no real worry that a brand you like is going to start making watches bigger or smaller.
I did try on a DSSD the other day and wondered who the hell wears one for fun. Surely you'd have to have all your shirt sleeves altered if you tried to wear one to work?
"A man of little significance"
Re: I did try on a DSSD the other day and wondered who the hell wears one for fun. Surely you'd have to have all your shirt sleeves altered if you tried to wear one to work?
I do as many others. As much as one wears a watch for fun.
Also quite a few don't wear a full sleeve shirt for work.
And the page that states a watch has to slip under a cuff must have been missing from my Manual of Watch Wearing rules.
When I picked those words I was thinking of those threads when a consensus of concern of something being oversized is reached.
To pick the first that came to mind as an example: Nomos, who have always offered many options at 35mm and 36mm have just announced a range at 39mm.
A prevailing theme of the thread about it was that this was too much: "I feel at 39mm some of these models will look a little too large on average sized wrists." "Shame Nomos saw fit to go all daft sized on us" "The dials look nice but why couldnt they do them at 35mm" "saucer".
The Nomos range is still going to be dominated by watches that are smaller than average, so why was that complaint dwelled on? What's the problem with Nomos catering to an additional section of the market? Etc.
Surely the explorer 2 is 42mm?Preference, to a degree, but also wardrobe and wrist size. Here is a picture of a 40mm watch. Is it a small watch? Not on my 6.75" wrist it isn't! It probably looks roughly similar to a 44mm watch on your wrist RAJEN from what you've posted. I wouldn't say I get 'anxious' at the mention of anything over 40mm, just that it probably won't fit!
.
That's a 16570, the older 40mm model.
In this particular case, I think it's because the Nomos in question is all dial and no bezel, so will wear large. Smaller Nomos have also worn large due to the long lugs, though that won't be the case with that one hopefully. You're just hearing the disappointment of people who would have liked that watch, but know perfectly well it will be too large for them. For others it will be fine.
I think by describing it as 'size anxiety' you have made it sound like a psychiatric disorder, or a delusion that's all in the mind, where it's simply the case that some watches are simply too big or small for about half the potential owners. Then you will hear a few moans, and it would have been good to have a range of sizes. That Nomos is a good example of that. Beautiful dial, looking forward to trying it, but I very much doubt it will work for me personally over 38mm - and 'personally' is all you can say in the end.
Last edited by Itsguy; 31st July 2017 at 16:36.
I don't really fuss over watch size.
So long as the lugs aren't overhanging all is well.
I only really notice size when switching between the the likes of a dssd and 1675. The gmt feels instantly small and flimsy and vice versa the dssd feels like a brick. Takes a couple of hours to get used to the switch and whichever one is being worn feels normal and correct.
I have a 7.5 inch wrist but wear bracelets loose ish at around 8 inches.
Ive always worn between 36 and 48mm.
The larger size being 50s pams and the smallest being datejusts so nothing really outrageous.
I think the anxiety element lies with the fact that a size related slur is always going to hit a mark somewhere because of the sheer range present on a forum. Of course people are going to respond when blanket declarations are made, about clown watches or effeminate watches.
Ok, I understand.
I don't have an answer. It's interesting how sizes change though. My interest in watches starts in the mid-1960s, with the 39mm Speedy Ed White and 39mm Autavia. By 1970 both the Speedy and Autavia were 42mm but within five years Omega sizes were all over the place as new technology came in and diving watches changed shape. The Marine Chronometer and Montreal are both from 1976 but have wildly different cases. Five years later and it's all about to go wrong for the big dive and chronograph watches as digital and quartz watches go mainstream and Swatch comes along. I bought a TAG 200 in about 1994, it's tiny on my wrist now. I really did think we'd hit peak watch size in the last few years with the likes of Panerais and the DSSD but first the 42mm Exp2 and now the 43mm SD seems to suggest otherwise.
Funnily enough while I'd love a 'McQueen' Exp2 I don't like the dimensions of the more recent 40mm one but love the 42mm Exp2. I look at the larger SDs though and think they're not that size for practicality, they are no longer primarily dive watches, it's as if Rolex has admitted they're just fashion trinkets now (my thinking being if a 40mm Sub or SD wasn't big enough it would have grown in size years ago). Would, however, I think a DSSD attractive and an acceptable size had I never seen a 40mm Sub or SD? Yes, because it doesn't wear comfortably on my wrist (even though a PloProf does).
I suppose the answer is personal taste. If the market is there though, as it is for the DSSD, 43mm SD and so on, why not. I wonder though how long it will take for Rolex to either return to the 40mm SD or introduce a new one to sit alongside the 43mm case?
As usual I'm just rambling aimlessly...
"A man of little significance"
Does this make my wrist looks big?
I tend not to bother worrying about what size a watch is? I think as long as you like the watch and it is comfortable, which is largely dependent on the lug length and not diameter, then what does it matter?
With regard to matching my watch with clothes, I never do that either My personal style is more bag of **** tied in the middle, than stylish raconteur.
I only have one watch that I can't wear but frankly it's ridiculous at 55mm not including the crown which takes it to over 60mm
I will wear anything from 34 -46mm
Thickness can be a problem but this is because I tend to take chunks out of the door frame.
My watches range from 1980s G10s up to a Voyager, with various sizes in between. The size difference is an important part of what makes changing watches in rotation every few weeks feel almost like "new watch day".
F.T.F.A.
Or maybe people like their watches to fit their wrists, in the same way that we all expect our top hats, cravats, and spats to fit correctly.
A good post. Especially the bit about some watches being too big or too small for certain people - we're all different after all.
And cheers for putting me right on the 16570 size.
Photographed on my wrist, you'd think it was 50mm.
Oh, and it turns out that Nomos is 38.5mm, so more or less just right after all - for me anyway, though that's based on the Omega Aqua Terra which has bit of crown guard included and more bezel, so this will certainly wear larger. No long lugs though. Might have to look for loose change down the back of the sofa now.
http://www.0024watchworld.com/nomos-metro-silvercut/
Last edited by Itsguy; 31st July 2017 at 18:17.
True to a degree,
but the fit is mainly the bracelet or strap. The diameter of a watch alone doesn't tell the full story as they all wear different as others have pointed out.
I think fashion has an influence on how we perceive what is acceptable but also on what we prefer (or not).
for example, a 1940s tailored suit may fit perfectly but will look wrong In most circumstances because of the wide lapel.
Great for the Goodwood revival though
Ps interesting thread
I have 6.75" wrists that are quite square, consequently I can't wear big watches without looking like I've tied a small clock to my wrist. Slim watches between 34-40mm suit me, I don't like anything thick.
Fortunately I've little interest in modern watches, but that's partly because they've all become too damnee big for my liking Some of the 36mm Rolex models appeal to me but that's about it.
Ironically, a watch that's too big and chunky makes a skinny wrist look skinnier, it just doesn' t work. Not a look I find appealing.
Paul
Obviously everyone can wear what they want regarding size but it doesn't mean it looks right .
I wouldn't comment on an individual thread but some of the new SD43 photos look ridiculous on the wrists IMO.
I really wanted an IWC Portuguese for a couple of years but on trying it on(its 42mm) I had to be honest and say it was too big on my wrist.
Watches that are all dial wear much bigger so there are a few factors at work in this but no matter what, a Deepsea(James Cameron or not)ain't looking good on a 6 1/2 incher.(wrist that is)
Last edited by Hood; 1st August 2017 at 00:41.
Buy a watch like you'd buy a jacket - if it's too tight, too baggy leave it - if it feels and looks great to you, buynit. There's nothing more to it, other than opinions on watch forums.
Pity those of us with 8 inch plus wrists: all the talk of 39mm being "too large" gets old very quickly.
Last time I tried on a Navitimer GMT it looked like a dress watch.
I just saw a photo of someone making a 214270 - an oversized watch according to some - look like a 1002.Pity those of us with 8 inch plus wrists: all the talk of 39mm being "too large" gets old very quickly.
Last time I tried on a Navitimer GMT it looked like a dress watch.
On the subject of lugs, I think the height of the lugs holes above the case back is an important factor. I used to have one of those Chinese Rodina Tangente copies. Because it had an auto movement it was thicker than the Nomos original, and the lugholes were 4mm above the caseback. I don't what you call the opposite of hugging the wrist, but it looked more like it was being held in place with guy ropes and felt very awkward, despite being only 38mm.
+1.....yet how many times do folks with smallish wrists seek large watches and hope they can 'pull it off'! Sometimes you've just got to be honest with yourself and accept the watch is too bloody big. It's frustrating when manufacturers keep making watches bigger and bigger, there are very few new watches that I`d be happy to buy because the majority are too big. It's like wearing clothes that are too big, you end up looking like Coco the Clown if you're not careful.
Paul
There's a "what's your wrist size" poll on TRF right now with a bunch of responses. The results are normally distributed with mean 7 inches. There are just as many people with 8 inch wrists as there are 6 inches, it seems.Pity those of us with 8 inch plus wrists: all the talk of 39mm being "too large" gets old very quickly.
Last time I tried on a Navitimer GMT it looked like a dress watch.
More choices is the correct answer, not bigger or smaller watches. My wrist is under 6.5" and not overly flat. Rolex no longer makes a dive watch that fits me. That's the modern reality for small wristed guys.
Regarding fashion, I don't think anyone could honestly claim that "what fits" hasn't changed in the last decade. Many people now want a watch head that almost completely covers their wrist. Pre-ceramic rolex fits me like that, and it's suboptimal from a comfort perspective.
Lug-to-lug and watch height seem to be the biggest issues for fit and comfort...yet people focus on the case width. I've never really understood that.
Obviously wrist size is a huge factor.
My wrists are 6.75in which I imagine makes me pretty 'average'. I am leaning more and more to smaller watches (and certainly thinner).
The 40mm, 12mm thick Daytona and GMT2 as well as the similar sized 5711 Nautilus all seem a good size for me. These are probably my most comfortable watches and their thinness reduces the knocks they get. All are suitable for most occasions, work or play.
The Moonwatch looks good on pretty much any wrist. But I don't feel an urge now to wear watches bigger than the Speedy's 41mm?
I am now looking at selling my 42mm Navitimers to pick up a 38mm version.
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