There's no doubt that the design and scale of the numerals and components in your watch face can appear smaller or larger. These sometimes subtle differences in a watch face can make or break the proportionality of your watch game.
Keep in mind, a classic field watch watch faces with a solid, dark background and white numbers are going to give your watch a streamlined look and tend to look slimmer. More flashy watches with multiple colors, bright metal finishes, large luminous hands, and a considerable crown will add to your watch’s visual size.
- Considered small. Small to medium diameter cases around 34mm - 38mm.
- Considered average. 39mm, 40mm, and 42mm range will fit best.
- Considered Large. Cases between 44-46mm, or even 47mm, will give the wearer a more proportional look.
Let’s start out with some basic wrist measurement guidelines and conversions.
Wrist and Strap Sizing Guide in Millimeters
6.0 - 6.5” wrist or 150 - 164mm = 120/70mm
6.6 - 7.0” wrist or 165 - 178mm = 125/75mm
7.1 - 7.5” wrist or 179 - 190mm = 130/80mm
7.6 - 8.0” wrist or 191 - 203mm = 135/80mm
8.1 - 8.5” wrist or 204 - 216mm = 140/85mm
8.6 - 9.0” wrist or 217 - 229mm = 145/90mm
Whether investing in a new watch or your first watch for your collection, these measurements will come in handy for purchasing an additional band or retrofitting a band you may already have to a new watch case. We measure everything in inches these days, but the standardization for watches is in millimeters.
The thickness of your watch case does play a role in the overall size of your watch.
Standard case thickness in the industry:
6mm – 8mm as thin
8mm – 12mm as average, and
14mm – 18mm as thick
But what if I inherited a watch that may be disproportionate to my wrist, but I want to wear it for it’s vintage style and sentimental value? This is where your watch band style makes all the difference.
The style and materials of your watch band play a part in your watch’s overall look and feel. It is the cherry on top and the final step to outfitting your watch. Comfort, presentation, necessity, and style go into making this choice superbly balanced.
A wider band may make a smaller watch face look disproportionate just as a smaller band may cause a watch to seem too large on the wrist. Finding the right balance between band and face will give that perfect wow factor and clean look.
Whether leather, metal, fabric, or silicone/rubber, the watch band’s choice is quintessential for balancing the look and feel of your watch. We’ll break down the different types of watch bands and what to consider below:
Leather - Italian leather or domestic leather, faux leather
Metal - Gold, Rose Gold, Silver, usually chain-linked and hearty.
Fabric - Woven, two-tone, or robust designs.
Silicone/Rubber - Endless color choices, sweat-resistant, low price point.
Leather
A leather band will automatically make your wristband seem slimmer due to its contouring and hugging nature. Leather bands are probably the least intrusive or boastful bands.
> Shop Leather Watches
Metal
Metal bands give a more substantial weight and feel to a timepiece because the metal itself is sturdy and flashy. Metal bands will not typically be worn as tightly on the wrist as a leather or silicone band. So if you have a watch with a massive case, a metal bracelet could be the perfect band to help balance the look on your wrist.
> Shop Metal Watches
Fabric
Fabric bands are versatile due to their limitless designs, but similarly to leather bands, they can be slimming. Choosing between a solid or printed fabric material can visually alter the size of your band and should be taken into account. If your watch case is in the 44-46mm range, choosing a bright and bold or intricate patterned fabric band can make the watch appear more balanced. It will draw a great deal of attention, so be prepared to be asked for the time by strangers who are curious about your flashy watch throughout your daily grind.
> Shop Fabric Strap Watches
Silicone/Rubber
Typically made for Athleisure wear, silicone, and rubber watch bands are water and sweat resistant and come in endless variations of colors and combinations. Silicone is not the best to pair with luxury watches due to their slim nature, but they compliment dive watches and field watches perfectly for those water and sweat resistant capabilities, like our best selling Seatrek watch with its gorgeous vintage inspired green dial. It’s rated for 300 meter water resistance and paired with our sleek quick release black rubber strap making it the ultimate in style and capability.
> Shop Rubber Strap Watches
Sources:
https://medium.com/@luxurybazaar/does-size-really-matter-the-bigger-the-wrist-the-bigger-the-watch-278ebeec4a83
https://www.watchgecko.com/what-is-the-lug-width-and-how-do-i-measure-it/
https://www.thetrendspotter.net/how-to-choose-a-watch-for-your-wrist-size/#:~:text=Remember%2C%20when%20it%20comes%20to,appear%20best%20on%20thick%20wrists
A watch can be a great way to show off a part of your personality as your watch preference is personal to you.
You don’t need to forfeit wearing a watch if you are concerned about your smaller wrist size as you can definitely still wear your favourite style of watch. This is why we have put together some tips on the best way to wear a watch for your wrist size. Keep reading to learn how to wear a watch with skinny wrists.
Your watch is there not only for telling the time - it also enhances your outfit. It has the ability to complete your look and tie everything together. Just like any item of clothing or accessory you wear, it has to fit you well and ultimately suit your wrist and fit your style well. If it doesn’t fit you correctly, it will be out of proportion to the rest of your look.
If you are reading this and wondering if having a small wrist applies to you, then it is said that any wrist under 6.5” is considered a small wrist size for men and the recommended case diameter of watches for this size of the wrist would be between 34mm - 38mm.
Then a 7” to 7.5” is considered an average wrist size and that means that around a 39mm - 42mm case range would be the best fit for this wrist size. Then again, a large wrist size is considered 8inches or larger - which if this was the case, the focus would be making sure you would not choose a watch that is too small.
Luckily the average watch head size is around 40mm, which isn’t far off the recommended diameter size for those with smaller wrists. This means that there will be plenty of choices out there for watch designs and styles, and you will not have to forfeit on choice because of wrist size.
Large-faced watches have been on trend for a while and very small watch designs are a thing of the past. With the perfect size watch for smaller wrists being near to the average diameter of watch face across all watches out there today. There is little room for you to make the wrong decision, and there will be a watch out there for you.
It's all about proportions and getting the ratio of your wrist to your watch face correct. If you are seeking advice because you believe you can not wear a watch due to having a small wrist, then look no further because we are here to tell you you definitely can.
It’s an outdated misconception that you can only wear certain watch sizes for a smaller wrist. This is simply not true, as a watch actually distracts people and their eyes away from the wrist. More attention is focused on the watch itself, the features, and the details throughout. This means the thickness of your wrist will be less noticed and so a big watch isn’t off-limits for those with a more slender wrist bone.
A good tip to follow if you are unsure what models to go for is to go for a piece that is visually more detailed and with an overall busier look. This will take the focus from the size of the wrist and better focus any attention onto the device instead.The diameter of the watch head is usually what people are talking about when they mention the size of a watch.
This should be taken into consideration when it comes to smaller-sized wrists, as the size of this actually does matter. Whilst big watch faces are not off-limits if you choose a style that is overly bulky, it might look a little odd on a smaller wrist.
The lugs should also be taken into consideration as each lug on the watch head can add to the overall largeness and if too big can stick out over the wrist which should be avoided as this is not a watch that fits correctly.
Another thing you can do to control the overall look of your watch on your wrist is to choose a band that suits your tastes whilst suiting your hands and wrists too. Stainless steel is a popular material choice on metal bracelets although usually favoured by men with larger wrists.
They are also very popular with women's watches too. This means that being popular with women's watches, they must suit smaller wrists size - so it can be a safe option to choose. Then leather straps are also good for any size wrist and on any gender too. Then rubber, fabric and nylon straps are for more casual watches, and are often found on smart and sports watches.
So it turns out that having small wrists doesn't hinder the choice of watches - as long as you don’t go overboard with the size of your watch and everything is in proportion, you will find the right watch size for you.
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