Smaller watches

[Louis Balfour]

I am a bit of a fan of smaller watches and have wondered for some time whether the trend for big ones would pass.

It seems that some manufacturers are introducing more modestly sized pieces in their lineup.

https://www-ft-com.ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk/content/cb5cd...

With this in mind, I tried on this 35mm Patek Nautilus earlier and, whilst I am not SURE about the design, I think the size was fine.

What are other people’s thoughts on sub-38mm watches?

[RichB]

Delighted to see it, I have a JLC that's 36mm and my everyday watch is an Omega at 39mm. Anything over that looks daft on my wrist. Looking back, the fashion for huge watches appears to have coincided with footballers being paid mega-bucks

[vixen1700]

I have a Longines Heritage Conquest and my dad's old 1970 square Tissot, both are 36mm which is the smallest I'd go, can't imagine anything smaller.

I also wouldn't want to wear anything bigger than 41mm.

[Mark V GTD]

I had a long search to find the smallest Longines Hydro Conquest which was 39mmm from memory.

[McMoose]

Louis Balfour said:

What are other people’s thoughts on sub-38mm watches?

40mm or slightly under is preferable for me.

Edited by McMoose on Wednesday 6th September 20:20

[redrabbit]

vixen1700 said:

I have a Longines Heritage Conquest and my dad's old 1970 square Tissot, both are 36mm which is the smallest I'd go, can't imagine anything smaller.

I also wouldn't want to wear anything bigger than 41mm.

Pics please, especially the Tissot!

[Salted_Peanut]

Manufacturers seem to be increasing choice: we have more size options, big and small alike.

I prefer larger watches, but I’m happy for others to have the choice of smaller sized options.

Small watches can be harder to read at a glance, depending on your eyesight.

[redrabbit]

32mm!

[rallye101]

I had the Christopher Ward magazine land on my doorstep last week, it had an amazing looking green dial on the front cover but at 36mm it wouldn't suit my gorilla wrists.....please make it in a 40/42....I'd be all over it like a banana

[rallye101]

Please make it bigger!

[r159]

redrabbit said:

32mm!

Classic example of dial to case ratio. I’d challenge anyone to have guessed the size of that correctly.

[Louis Balfour]

rallye101 said:

Please make it bigger!

Try the 36. Unless you are massive it may look great.

[Dolf Stoppard]

rallye101 said:

I had the Christopher Ward magazine land on my doorstep last week, it had an amazing looking green dial on the front cover but at 36mm it wouldn't suit my gorilla wrists.....please make it in a 40/42....I'd be all over it like a banana

They do make The Twelve in a 40mm case. But not with the green dial though.

[rallye101]

Louis Balfour said:

Try the 36. Unless you are massive it may look great.

Here's the first watch I bought for my 18th that I'm saving for my son and have tucked away for 15+years, just tried it on,it's 38mm and looks a bit silly.....

[Louis Balfour]

rallye101 said:

Louis Balfour said:

Try the 36. Unless you are massive it may look great.

Here's the first watch I bought for my 18th that I'm saving for my son and have tucked away for 15+years, just tried it on,it's 38mm and looks a bit silly.....

It really doesn’t. Only if you’ve been wearing a dinner plate sized one recently.

[the-norseman]

I have my dads 36mm Datejust and I wish it was 38 or 41mm to be honest.

[gregs656]

Louis Balfour said:

It really doesn’t. Only if you’ve been wearing a dinner plate sized one recently.

It looks pretty small, 2mm smaller would look very small. Something that is all dial would look totally different though.

I don't really get the 'dinner plate' thing. Watches are all about proportions and some designs just work better smaller or larger, and some people just suit smaller or larger watches.

The diameter of a watch doesn't tell you very much about how it wears in my experience.

[RichB]

rallye101 said:

Louis Balfour said:

Try the 36. Unless you are massive it may look great.

Here's the first watch I bought for my 18th that I'm saving for my son and have tucked away for 15+years, just tried it on,it's 38mm and looks a bit silly.....

Looks absolutely fine... IMO big watches look silly

[RichB]

My 1990s JLC Master Control is 34mm and I think it looks fine. (nice watch, crap photo)

[Louis Balfour]

RichB said:

My 1990s JLC Master Control is 34mm and I think it looks fine. (nice watch, crap photo)

Looks great.

I have a 37mm Master Control and it's classy IMHO.