Watch sizes are a topic that is often debated on watch forums and watch enthusiast blogs. What watch size you should wear depends on many variables. These can include the shape of your wrist, your profession, and your personal style.
The right size is important because even a stylish watch will not look good if it is a misfit.
There are some general guidelines you can use to help determine what watch size will work best for you. Treehut discusses how watch sizes vary by gender and why they have been designed differently for men versus women.
Men's Watch Sizes
Men generally have bigger wrists than women and therefore they should be wearing bigger watches. Men's wrist size is generally somewhere between 165mm to 205mm. Most watch manufacturers keep this size in mind while manufacturing watches. However, if someone has a wrist size outside this range, it is possible to have a watch custom made.
Common mistake men do when buying their first watch is choosing one that does not fit on their wrist properly. This leads them to buy an expensive replacement in future because they realise too late what bad sizing choices lead them into having a bulky timepiece hanging off their arm instead of something sleek and stylish looking like so many other fashion-conscious individuals out there. Generally, watches are an investment so it is important that people buy their perfect watch the first time around.
How big your watch appears on your wrist depends upon the size of its face and thickness of its bezel. Men's watches with a case diameter of 38-40mm look best on slender wrists, while those measuring 41-42mm suit average-sized wrists. If you have a large wrist circumference (195mm or more), then you can wear watches with cases up to 45mm in diameter without looking too bulky.
For smaller wrists, 34mm to 36mm is generally considered as the ideal watch size but it all comes down to personal taste at the end of the day so don't be afraid to experiment until you find what looks good on you! Bulky watches not only make your arm look bigger than it actually is, but they also tend to make your fingers look shorter. Men with very slim wrists should also avoid wearing large watches because it can really ruin their look. It is important that particularly in the world of watches, bigger isn’t necessarily better.
Women's Watch Sizes
Just like men, women have different wrist sizes too and therefore they need to know what size of watch would look good on them. Women's wrists are generally smaller than men's so their watches should be correspondingly smaller in diameter. A woman's ideal watch size range is between 32mm and 38mm. Watches with a case diameter of less than 32mm will look too small on bigger wrists while those measuring more than 38mm might overwhelm slimmer wrists.
Like men, women can also wear larger watches provided that the watch face is not too big for their taste and that the thickness of the bezel does not make it appear too chunky on their arm. Wristwatch cases with diameters of 40mm to 44mm usually look good on average-sized women. Women with very thin wrists should avoid wearing big watches and opt for smaller sized watches instead.
If you have a larger wrist size, don't worry! Women can still wear larger watches as long as the watch face is not too big for their taste and that the thickness of the bezel does not make it appear too chunky on their arm. Women's wrists with a circumference of 16cm to 17.99cm should choose between 40mm and 44mm casings, while those measuring 18cm to 19.49 cm can opt for case diameters ranging from 45-50 mm. Women whose wrist size falls outside these measurements should only wear oversized watches if they want to however they should try before buying, to see if it works for them.
How to Measure Watch Faces?
Watch cases are measured using callipers and are usually measured in millimetres. The diameter of the watch is what is measured. If you have a watch lying around at home, and you do not know the exact size of that watch, it might be a good idea to measure it because it will help guide you in finding the right size for yourself. One way of measuring the watch face is by using the calliper at different ends of the watch. Typically if you place the ends at 4 and 10’O Clocks, you will be able to measure it well.
Another important piece of information is the lug to lug distance of a watch. You can find the lug to lug distance of watches online. The rule of thumb here is that the lug to lug distance of a watch should ideally be smaller than the width of your wrist.
Watch Shapes and Sizes
A lot of people claim that their watches look smaller, or larger than they should. A lot of times this is because of the shape or look of the watch. The first thing to note here is the bezel. Bezels typically make watches look much smaller than they actually are. Secondly the shape of the watch. Watches come in different shapes, whereas most watches are round, sometimes watches are in a square shape as well. That also affects the perceived size of the watch since square watches often look bigger. This is usually because they have a larger area.
Conclusion
To conclude, the size of your watch should be based on your wrist size. If you have a small wrist, go for smaller watches and if you have a large wrist, go for bigger watches. Just remember to avoid bulky watches because they will make your arm look big and your fingers look short!
