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Guys with smaller wrists (6"-6.5") - What is your cut off size?

199K views 159 replies 126 participants last post by  naganaga  
#1 · (Edited)
So I thought this thread would be useful to us guys with smaller wrists.
I know there's no rule, and I have seen thin guys with massive size watches anyway, but out of curiosity, what is your cut off?
Now I do get that it depends on the lugs, how bulky the watch is, etc. But what is the biggest size you currently own? Or see yourself ever owning?

Personally I plan on buying the Rolex Submariner no date.
A little on the big side with the lugs, and a 40MM Dial, but I think I can work with it. I love the watch too much to let it stop me.

How about you?

 
#9 ·
So I thought this thread would be useful to us guys with smaller wrists.
I know there's no rule, and I have seen thin guys with massive size watches anyway, but out of curiosity, what is your cut off?
Now I do get that it depends on the lugs, how bulky the watch is, etc. But what is the biggest size you currently own? Or see yourself ever owning?

Personally I plan on buying the Rolex Submariner no date.
A little on the big side with the lugs, and a 40MM Dial, but I think I can work with it. I love the watch too much to let it stop me.

How about you?

View attachment 3125970
16610? Their lug is not that long at all, in face the spring bar is so close to the case a lot of thicker nato/leather band will not fit into the sub's case.

You will be fine with the Sub, it's more like a 39.5 than a real 40, the bezel is actually wider than the case.(Which makes the bezel much more tactile and useful)

My wrist is just below 7" and it fits fine, the supercase on the otherhand wears bigger/bulkier.
 
#12 · (Edited)
To the OP: I really don't think it is about wrist size, but rather about wrist shape. Mine are thin (6.6 inches) but rather flat. I wear a Seiko BFK (50mm L2L, 42mm+ diameter) with no problem. My seiko SKA511 on the other hand is slightly too big for me L2L 52mm and diameter 45mm (off the top of my head those last two measurements). Good luck,
 
#14 ·
Agreed. The watch plays it's part too. My 41.5mm (?) Mako looks ok on my 6 inch wrist because of the bezel but any watch beyond 38mm without a bezel just won't work.
 
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#22 ·
A little six-incher here, and my wrists too.

I think / hope I get away with the 42mm Speedy Pro, but as others have mentioned it doesn't wear that large.
Geez, thought I'm at 6.25", but I'm actually just under 6". Disappointing. Now back to my wrists. :-d Good joke. Just joking, was talking about my wrist.

The watch below has ~46mm width, ~45mm bracelet-to-bracelet internally, and ~54m lug-to-lug externally. It fits not bad internally because it has curved lugs. So curved lugs help for small wrist.

The sizing is a bit loose because my hand goes numb if it's too tight.

As for how it looks, it probably looks too big for many, but as long as I like it okay, that's what counts?



 
#15 ·
My largest at the moment is a 42 mm Steinhart, which wears a little smaller due to being a diver. I see my maximum being 50 mm lug to lug, the diameter of the dial doesn't really matter much to me as long as it doesn't cover my whole wrist. I have flat wrists too, so that helps.
 
#16 ·
I like to keep the maximum lug to lug length at 46mm or less. The case diameter doesn't matter so much, but usually that means 40mm or less depending on lug design. The Seiko Monster for example at 42mm was ok with its short lugs.
 
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#23 ·
I've got a 6.5" wrist and have set my upper limit by lug-to-lug 50mm. This is the width of my wrist and IMO lugs that over-hang just don't look right. I started off with midsize seiko diver SKX013 at 38mm wide and 45mm lug-to-lug.



But once I found it's bigger brother the SKX007 at 42mm wide and 47mm lug-to-lug the Midsize diver seemed small, so I sold it.



I thought the 007 was my maximum but then I tried a Seiko 6105-8110 which, quite frankly is huge but has no real lugs at 48mm lug-to-lug. Actually it is a little big but I still like it.



Lastly I tried on (my hopefully next purchase) a Tudor Black Bay which at 41mm wide but 50mm lug-to-lug looked way too big on my wrist with it's bracelet but looks right on leather.

 

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#27 · (Edited)
No size measurement, but putting the watch on, getting the bracelet sized and then making sure that the lugs & bracelet flow around the wrist on both sides, with neither the bracelet falling down sharply or coming off too flat from the case. It's important to me that the watch looks at home on the wrist.

With my small wrists, I never even considered a watch over 42mm, but due to a relatively flat wrist, no watch that size was ever problematic.

After several 42mm watches and a 40mm watch, I would now say that my ideal case diameter is somewhere between 36 and 39mm. 34 really looks too small, and >40mm looks to prominent to be considered 'part of me'. A couple years ago, exaggerated wrist presence would probably have been a bonus ;) now I don't want to 'mind the watch' all day.

I also like a light watch more than a heavy watch, ruling out a lot of precious metals.



I am not quite sure how to deal with watches that have small bezels (therefore larger dials) like the JLC MUT Moon, it just looks too large, even though it is not.
 
#29 ·
My wrists are 6.5 inch.

Smallest watch I have is my Dad's 33mm 1960's Wyler Incaflex. I've gotten used to slightly larger sizes, especially where vintage watches are concerned. Therefore, most, if not all, of my vintages are 34mm-36mm in diameter. They're all dress watches.
The largest I'll go is 42mm, but then it has to be a sports watch. A 42mm Omega planet Ocean looks okay on my wrist, but I think a 41.5mm Omega AquaTerra doesn't.

I recently got a vintage Submariner 5513 and it sits very nicely;

Image


I have tried on the current SubmarinerC, but I'm not a fan. It may be 40mm in diameter, but it did feel larger to me.

However, I do have a 44mm Hamilton Khaki Officer's Mechanical, for those days when I want to wear something big and ridiculous.

Image

(Picture taken from my review, hence the staged aspect of it.)

These days, the sweet spot for me is say, 35-38mm for dress pieces and 40-42mm for dive watches or chronographs. However, if I ever got a vintage-style pilot's watch, I'd probably go 44mm, to go closer to the WWII sizing. Although, I do like a plain 44mm Panerai Luminor Marina, but I'm not sure if I'd ever get one.

Lug shape does play a part in how well a watch will fit on a small wrist. However, all the watches that I've tended to like seem to have straight lugs.
 
#32 ·
My divers are 42 mm, but my preference sits at the 38 mm for the rest of my pieces. The point of lug to lug dimension being the key factor is right on target. My wrist is likely a tad over 6", but at least my sister-in-law has already laid claim to some of my watches when I kick the bucket. She's been eyeing my watches a little too intensely lately, so I may have to start sleeping with one eye open.

It's nice to know that there is a fraternity of other small wristed members...I no longer feel so alone. Regardless, it still really limits the selection of watches I'd like to be able to wear. :)