Watch Size Guide: How to Get the Right Size on Your Wrist

Having a watch that perfectly straps on the wrist is definitely essential. Therefore, being informed with a watch size guide is vital before buying a watch, especially if you buy it online. Not only that the perfect size gives optimal comfortability but also how it ideally fits on the wrist.

“How do I choose a watch size?” is probably the most frequently asked question, especially for newcomers. I know that finding the perfect size is difficult, particularly if you are uninformed about these things (case diameter, lug-to-lug size, and strap). Too small or too big will never look fine as you need a piece that is perfectly fitted on your wrist — that will feel odd, right?

Therefore, in order to help you get through the watch size issues, this article will explain a basic and fundamental guide on how to get the right watch size on your wrist. Without further ado, let’s get into this watch size guide.

Table of Contents

Case Diameter

The most obvious and noticeable dimension to measure in buying a timepiece is definitely the case diameter. In this case, there is a constructed standard of men’s and women’s sizes. Men’s watches usually measure 38mm to 46mm while women’s mostly range smaller at around 26mm to 34mm.

Yet, it doesn’t mean that men can’t wear the smaller size or women can’t choose the larger diameter. You can choose anything that perfectly straps on your wrist. You can take a look at the following picture to consider which one is good enough.

watch size guide - Source: Neatopia — Case diameter guide – Source: Neatopia

It might be difficult to notice the different sizes on paper but once it is strapped on your wrist, the difference will look significant. Therefore, measure your wrist size then find the recommended diameter size. It’s crucial to find the right size as you don’t want to look like carrying weight on your wrist, right?

Case Thickness

Besides the diameter size, thickness is one of the main considerations before buying a timepiece. Yet, people tend to only think of the diameter to get the perfect grip on the wrist while thickness also plays a major role. A watch thickness is a measurement from the top center of the watch crystal to the middle of the caseback.

A thin watch is a good example of how thickness affects the overall size of the watch. It makes a slimmer and dressier profile. Yet, bulky profiles are mostly due to the number of complications a watch has. Therefore, a thick case will mostly consist of many mechanical elements to work.

The Shape of Case

A 45mm watch with a round case might look the same size as a 40mm rectangular watch case or even smaller. This is how significant a watch shape is. Due to the geometry design, a rectangle case has more square footage on the dial, resulting in the impression that both watches have the same size.

In addition to that, the size of the bezel also affects how the watch will wear. A thicker bezel with a small dial will create an illusion of a smaller size compared to others with a thin bezel. In fact, other design elements on the dial, such as hour markers, lugs, crowns, and watch hands can affect the size of a watch is perceived.

Things that Affect the Subjective Watch Size

The aforementioned factors are mainly the vital elements that affect the way we perceive a watch’s size. Yet, there are still many other things that could change your perception of watch sizes that will be mentioned below:

Lug-to-Lug Distance

A mere detail that often slips off, a lug-to-lug distance makes a great difference in the overall watch size. The existence of a watch lug matters whether the watch would be too big or small on the wrist — some also prefer a lugless watch. There are different types of lugs that each of them can give different perceptions.

For example, Rado Captain Cook Automatic Grey Ref. R32505019 measured 42mm in diameter and 49mm lug-to-lug measurement, yet the watch can sit beautifully on a small wrist and wear slightly slimmer than its case diameter suggests. The reason lies in its relatively short lug-to-lug design which means that it maintains a good occupation on the wrist.

Lugs Shape

Something else about watch lugs is the shape that gives quite a much effect on how a timepiece looks. Some of them are curved while others are curved – some watches even opt for a lugless design.

People with smaller wrists are better off with curved lugs as the design ideally will wrap your wrist better. However, if you still want flat lugs, make sure that the lugs will not stick out of your wrist width.

Final Thought

Reaching the end of this watch size guide, it’s a bomb fact that buying a timepiece is indeed easier said than done. It’s mostly difficult to decide among many options no matter how many guides you read. Yet, reading will always be a better way to find a good one and we hope that this guide will help you find the perfect one.

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