Here, I discuss how to select the proper watch size for your wrist.
After explaining how to measure your wrist size, I’ll go over a few alternative approaches to picking the right size watch for you.
Does Watch Size Even Matter?
Is watch size even relevant, to begin with?
Yes, just as it’s important to wear clothing that fits your body, it’s important to wear a watch that fits your wrist.
Does this imply that, no matter how much you love a watch, you can’t wear one that is fairly big or small?
No, you should wear the watch that you love.
The size doesn’t really matter, but if you want to get the ideal watch for your wrist, this article will be helpful.
Let’s quickly introduce the watches that I’ll be mentioning in this article.
All of these watches are by German watchmakers NOMOS.
The Tangente 35 mm is the first watch on the list, followed by the Metro Date Power Reserve 37 mm, Metro Neomatik 39 mm, and Orian Neomatik Date 41 mm.
In order to cover the complete range of sizes, I’ll use these watches as examples.
Most Common Mistake
Guys frequently make the mistake of wearing watches that are too large for their wrists when it comes to wearing watches.
Over the past ten years, watch sizes have substantially expanded, and most modern watches are now overly large.
They are big for no reason, much like big automobiles with small engines. Most of these watches are battery-powered, they’re quartz fashion watches. There are no intricate internal workings, nor does the watch feature a lovely mechanical movement.
They are hence big merely for the sake of being big.
Size Matters
Men used to carry about pocket watches before the wristwatch was created, and their size was what made these little mechanical gadgets so wonderful. The clock was finally portable.
Oversized large watches are still fashionable for men at the moment. At one point, it was cool to have an unnecessary large watch, and recently the trend has started to swing back in the opposite direction.
Similar to how men have been conditioned to think that loose clothes is better than form-fitting, guys have been taught that larger is better and that larger watches are better for men while smaller watches are more feminine.
This is absurd. Everyone, regardless of gender, should simply wear what fits them, just as with clothing.
However, if you do have a narrow wrist, I think you should try to avoid wearing watches that are too big. If you’re a bigger guy and want to wear a smaller watch, that’s absolutely OK; it won’t look too horrible.
How to Measure Wrist Size For Watch
How do you figure the size of your wrist?
This is the first step in finding a suitable watch and the good news is, it’s very easy.
Simply wrap a soft measuring tape, also known as a tailor’s tape, around your wrist at its widest point, which is right around the bone.
And, that’s it, that’s your wrist size.
If you don’t have a soft measuring tape, you may also use a piece of string or even a piece of paper that you cut into a strip, wrap around your wrist, mark with a pen, then lay out flat and measure with a ruler or measuring tape.
So, once you know your wrist size, than you’ll have an understanding of which watches are gonna work best for you.
Watch Size guide Wrist Male
Here is an approximate guideline for your reference:
- Small: wrist size under 6 inches, watches 34 mm – 37 mm.
- Medium: wrist size 6.5 inches, watches 38 mm – 41 mm.
- Large: wrist size over 7 inches, watches 42 mm – 45 mm.
Take everything with a grain of salt since, once more, none of this is set in stone.
Dimensions
Let’s discuss the actual sizes of watches.
Two dimensions need to be considered. Case diameter is the first, and lug to lug is the second.
The most important measurement is the case diameter, which is typically listed. The case diameter is what is meant when you see a watch with a 35 mm designation.
The distance between the bottom and top of the lugs, which is known as the lug to lug measurement, should also be taken into consideration.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that this is not the same as lug width, which defines how broad the strap is.
The majority of the time, watches with big cases will have greater lug to lug distances, although some manufacturers, namely NOMOS, are infamous for having longer lug distances on smaller watches.
For instance, the Metro Date Power Reserve 37 mm watch has a lug to lug distance that is rather large. That is something to bear in mind, particularly if your wrist is smaller.
It’s important to conduct a simple visual assessment for that reason. You should try on a watch before buying it, especially if you’re going to spend a lot of money on it. Also, you should be honest with yourself about how it looks on your wrist.
What you should watch out for with the lug to lug is that the lugs shouldn’t protrude past your wrist. According to conventional belief, the lugs shouldn’t extend past your wrist.
And once more, while this is a sound advice, it’s okay if you ignore it. For instance, I have a 38 mm watch that, while theoretically too big for my wrist and having a very long lug to lug measurement, I still wear because I like it.
Final Thoughts
Having stated that, I believe the ideal range for guys is between 38 and 40 mm. A 38 mm or 40 mm watch will look great on the majority of guys with average-sized wrists, regardless of the distance between the lugs or any other measurement.
For instance, the Metro Neomatik 39 mm version will look fine on just about anyone. If I had to choose from the NOMOS lineup as a guy with more slim wrists, I would unquestionably choose the 35 mm or the 37 mm.
However, always keep in watch that you should wear a watch that makes you happy, that you enjoy wearing, and that encourages you to check your wrist more frequently throughout the course of the day.
