It's all in the eye of the beholder and what's trending. I have an 8.1in wrist and my first watch was a 36mmDJ. When I got it, that was a standard diameter. Nobody ever said anything about it looking too small. Then the big watch fad started and people would say my 36mm watch looked small. Now I think we're backing away from enormous watches and it looks pretty normal. I think the rest of my collection is mostly 39-40mm with one 42mm diameter, and I'd really not feel comfortable with anything larger. And the thing I noticed is that when you hold them up to each other, you can barely tell the difference between 36 and 39mm. Sometimes I think my 36mm DJ looks larger than my 40mm Mark XVIII. Not sure why. In short, I wouldn't worry too much about the size. Buy and wear what you like.

 

It's all in the eye of the beholder and what's trending. I have an 8.1in wrist and my first watch was a 36mmDJ. When I got it, that was a standard diameter. Nobody ever said anything about it looking too small. Then the big watch fad started and people would say my 36mm watch looked small. Now I think we're backing away from enormous watches and it looks pretty normal. I think the rest of my collection is mostly 39-40mm with one 42mm diameter, and I'd really not feel comfortable with anything larger. And the thing I noticed is that when you hold them up to each other, you can barely tell the difference between 36 and 39mm. Sometimes I think my 36mm DJ looks larger than my 40mm Mark XVIII. Not sure why. In short, I wouldn't worry too much about the size. Buy and wear what you like.

Depending on which reference you have of the datejust, it might not look like a 36mm watch because when measured from 10-4 o clock over the case it's actually 38mm

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I think you're focusing too much on case diameter and ignoring other factors that play a role that's equally important if not more important in how a watch wears/looks on wrist (lug to lug, thickness and dial diameter).

Have you tried on a Portugieser Chrono or a 42mm Chronomaster to see how they look? Both have large dials.



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I think you're focusing too much on case diameter and ignoring other factors that play a role that's equally important if not more important in how a watch wears/looks on wrist (lug to lug, thickness and dial diameter).

Have you tried on a Portugieser Chrono or a 42mm Chronomaster to see how they look? Both have large dials.

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I have recently appreciated how much lug to lug matters. Too small and the watch looks much more odd than a large watch does. Too large, and it looks just as goofy.

 

That's the other thing, it seems like everyone measures their watches differently. Even when they state whether the measurement includes the crown (or not), it's still unclear what they actually measured. Some include the bezel, some don't, some measure the overall case and others only measure the dial. Some use the L2L measurement as the overall, others use the horizontal and yet others use some diagonal permutation.

This is actually part of the reason I'm asking the question I am. I mean, I've seen watches which state they are 42 mm and they're as big as others which state they're 47.7 mm. When I measure them myself with my dial gauge caliper, I too can come up with about 10 different measurements for the same case. Heck, I've even seen manufacturers like Seiko state two different case sizes for the exact same model of watch (just one is a different color).

So, I'm also wondering if my perception of size is somehow off.

 

I can't say with certainty what anyone else thinks but myself. But for me, I've literally never seen a person wear a watch and think "that's too small" whereas the opposite is definitely true, with guys wearing these gargantuan pieces that just look silly. IMO 36mm-40mm is the perfect size range and looks good on basically everyone.

But unfortunately I think some men are very, very concerned about not being seen wearing something they associate with women, which creates a concern about not wearing smaller watches.

 

You make some great points. However, if you saw a 40 mm watch on my wrist you would likely laugh. I've seen one, and it looks like a kid's watch. Seriously. I could see if I was maybe very slender, but I'm not; my wrist is big, just like the rest of me. 42 mm, seriously, is as low as I can go.

I also very much agree that a watch can be too big, way too big in some cases. And this looks equally as bad (except on women, which for some odd reason I find kind of attractive. Don't know why though).

 

No matter how big your wrist, the size of the wristwatch really shouldn't matter all that much (after all, it's just a watch), especially one given to you from your wife. My wrist is smaller of course, but I enjoy a range of nearly 10mm difference between my smallest watch, and my largest watch--all good to me.

 

...especially one given to you from your wife.

I know! And that crushes me, it really does! Hence my OP.

 

8"+ wrist here. I just bought this Vostok "Zissou" thinking it was 42mm case and 22mm lug. Amazon lied. It is 40(w/out crown) and 18mm lug. Took a tick to get over it, but now I enjoy wearing it

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Can you post photos?

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It’s largely a matter of perception but having said that you’ve got to feel “right” in your watch. Perhaps a Tuna of large fleiger will meet your needs.

 

It's largely a matter of perception but having said that you've got to feel "right" in your watch. Perhaps a Tuna of large fleiger will meet your needs.

Oh, I have a number of larger watches, including Tuna's and some of the larger Citizens, and to me those look like they "fit" properly, proportion wise. What I'm trying to get a better appreciation for is not feeling so self conscious that a smaller watch looks inappropriately small.

I have this image in my head which I just can't shake. I used to have this college professor of medium build, an older fellow. He was a very bright guy and I looked up to him. But every time I would see this guy my eyes were immediately drawn to his watch. It was this excessively tiny Timex-like watch on one of those old Spiedel spring bands. The band was stretched to fit around his wrist and hold this tiny watch. He wore that thing religiously every day, and every day I just wanted to put a larger watch on his wrist so it wouldn't drive me crazy anymore. I never said anything to him about it (obviously), but I really hoped that one day he would show up with a larger watch on. I can even remember thinking to myself that he must have actually preferred a very small watch, but I couldn't understand why. That was nearly forty years ago, and I still remember it.

 

It's all personal preference and how you perceive things. Personally I think a large guy can pull off wearing a small watch, but it doesn't work as well in reverse (e.g. I couldn't wear a 47mm Invicta with my 6.5" wrist).

 

I do think you should keep making sure your watch is not too small.
In my opinion, this forum messes up peoples idea of how big or small a watch should be.
Its important not to ask people with little wrists about big watches.
To a point, it seems that there is a bit of big watch jealousy for those who have little wrists.
I would not wear a watch at all if it was small.

 

To a point, it seems that there is a bit of big watch jealousy for those who have little wrists.

I think people need to chill with stuff like this. Small watches look silly on the wrong wrist, big watches look silly on the wrong wrist. I can guarantee almost no one is jealous of anyone's watch size or wrist size.

OP, I think a picture would be helpful, but the real crux of the question is whether the sentimentality of the watch being a gift from your wife makes it worth keeping/wearing even if it feels and fits a tad small. Given that it's only 1mm under your typical range I would think it would be, but honestly I think lug to lug is a much more important measurement when it comes to fit than diameter so it's hard to say without knowing how it matches up with your usual lug to lug range.

 

7.5inch wrist, and I like 41 to 43mm for preference. I can understand someone with a larger wrist than that not wanting to go below 43mm.

 

It's hard for a watch to be too small, but easy to be too big. I wouldn't be too concerned about the smaller end of what you can wear as it's mostly a matter of getting used to how something looks.

 

I find this entire idea of "limits" to be just slightly ridiculous. Find a watch you like, try it on, and see if it feels and looks "right" to you. If it does, you're golden. If it doesn't, return it and try again. Also, I find that smaller watches are easier to pull off with loose bracelets/straps. Sounds ridiculous, but as evidence, I submit the photo of Gandolfini above. That bracelet is oversized and way loose by traditional standards, but because the case isn't centered directly over his wrist, the watch doesn't look at all "undersized."

 

My father is in a similar situation. He has about 8,25" wrist and he won't look at anything below 45mm. And it has to be quartz. He's turning 60 next year, so I think I'll get him a Marathon JSAR. At least I know he likes the design.

My 2c: It comes down to personal preference. Yes, proportions are important, but even they are subjective. Me and my 7,5" wrist started looking at watches about 4 months ago and was 100% sure I'd get the Seiko SNK805 (the green dial). Now I think of it as a dwarf and have my eye on the Bulova Lunar Pilot (45mm, lug-to-lug 52mm) and the Lüm-Tec B49 24H (43mm, lug-to-lug 51,5mm). My suggestion for you (OP): Try a bit smaller watches with a relatively large lug-to-lug distance. They tend to wear a bit bigger.

 

I have a pretty large wrist (8.5"), and I feel like I have to be really careful not getting a watch case which is too small. I'm wondering how much of this is just in my head versus real. Many here on WUS have a wide variety of preferred case sizes based on their personal taste, and what I'm trying to understand is what people see when they see a watch on someone's wrist.

So, for example, I feel like anything smaller than a 43 mm case size on my wrist looks too small, almost like I'm wearing someone else's watch. My wife bought me a really nice Tag for our anniversary, and it's 42 mm. When I wear it, it seems very small on my wrist, and I just can't seem to get past this. It's almost to the point that I don't like to wear the watch because of it. At the same time, I see lots of posts here on WUS from people who state they have larger wrists and actually prefer small case sizes (so I'm trying to understand this a little better).

To me, proportion is important; things need to look like they fit properly and are properly proportioned to the person wearing whatever it is. I work in design and engineering, so we think about things like this (perhaps too much). I look at everything this way (cars, watches, interior spaces, furnishings, etc., etc.) I feel like anything smaller than about a 46 mm case size on a watch looks disproportionately small. And yes, I realize it all comes down to personal preference, but I'd appreciate some input / opinions on smaller case sizes.

P.S. The other challenge I have is, by setting a lower limit of 46 mm on watch case size, I effectively eliminate a huge segment of the watch market for me.

Thanks in advance!

If LeBron James looks great wearing the 40mm day-date, then you have nothing to worry about. His wrist is massive (might be bigger than 8.5 inches), but not only that, he's a big dude with massive hands. It's all in your head. Enjoy the watch that your wife bought you.

 

I measure this at almost exactly 42mm, measuring across 10 to 4.

Here's a pic...

 

Looks fine to me, a bit on the small side perhaps but not ridiculously so.

 

I have an 8" wrist, but I think big case sizes look gauche and lame. My smallest is a 38 mm with an integrated bracelet, and I think it works fine. My sweet spot is probably 41 mm +/- 1 mm

 

It's looks fine (you're the only one looking that close, take a few steps back and look at the whole package in a mirror), but to nitpick: watch size isn't the problem there, it's the specific watch & strap. Steel-black-white-black colour scheme (plus red and green!) with covered lugs, an odd design, & a very tapered bracelet would be tricky to pull off for any size wrist

 

It's a matter of personal preference. My wrist is 8.25 inches around, and I prefer 43-45mm watch cases, but I'll go as low as 42 and as large 48mm if I like the watch. I have one, 39/40mm case, that I think is too small, but it was a gift from my spouse. I rarely wear it but occasionally wheel it out. I doubt she remembers she purchased it.

Watches also wear differently, depending on how the case and lugs are shaped and configured.

Examples:

42mm cases:

46.7mm case, but it looks and wears smaller due to the way the lugs are configured:

48mm case, and 18mm thick. It's the largest one I wear.

 

IMHO, the best "limits" are what you think works best for you.....

 

@KOwatch - Interesting. That's actually the bracelet and style as it came from Tag. What kind of a bracelet would you recommend? Maybe that's the issue I'm having and didn't realize it.

ETA - Tag's corporate colors are red and green, hence the logo colors. They also make clear black ones, but not on this model.

 

People have different size wrists, different tastes and different expectations. Asking randos for their opinion can only be confusing. Wear what sings to you. You'll notice that people like different size watches regardless of their wrist size, they wear what they like. The only advice I'd give is to totally ignore people who have to decree that certain size watches are lame, or stupid, clownish or gauche; those are totally invalid opinions and are meant to just make you mentally doubt yourself, they just enjoy pizzing in other people's wheaties. Your money, your choice, your pleasure, ignore the rest

 

I have an 8” wrist and generally don’t like a watch less than 42mm on my wrist. No hard and fast rules but that’s a generalization I find is usually true. To me anything smaller looks silly.
We are wearing watches because we like to, so your own comfort level is what matters. I don’t think much about why my favorite color is my favorite color. I like it and I live life. If you like a certain size watch, like it and live life well.

 

Eh, I've never really cared about lug width or diameter in terms of making it appear too big or small on my wrist. I do generally dislike larger watches as there does come a point when it just doesn't look right because everything is too big or there's too much empty space on the dial, but I just get what I like. I think my smallest is 32mm (not counting the JLC which is technically 30mm but a tonneau) and largest now is 44.25mm.

I do find it annoying though having to always request a long or XL strap for a watch, get extra links, or get a 3rd party long strap (which is a pain in the butt itself). Once I find a good strap I usually order a couple for reserve because I might not find it again in the future.

I'm 9.5 inches.

 

I'm lost for words.

 

Its mind bending how perspective can change. Apparently my luminox is 44mm and it looks smaller than my 42mm watches.

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