Reply With Quotewhile it is true that the average size of watches has gone up, there are still tons of watches
Available in smaller sizes. I am not sure what is your cutoff for small versus large.
Hi folks,
These days I'm in Milan, for business reasons (no, nothing to do with the Fashion Week, I'm certainly no model and, alas, no photographer). Having some time off, I went to the old part of the city, and started an intensive window shopping session (and more then a few visits to the local ADs). Not that I have I the needed finances right now for a new-new acquisition, but still, one might pretend.
So anyway, after looking at several hundreds of watches displayed in all their splendor, I came to the conclusion that by far and large, the vast majority of them are over-sized, over-blinged and over-marketed. Not much of a scientific break-through for most of you I suppose, but it really hit me how rare it is of modern watches to be simple, discreet, refined. Of course, there are some exceptions (A Lange & Sohne are breathtakingly finished), but if you are looking for the modern equivalent of say, an IWC Mark XV, there will be very few choices. It's as if (almost) the entire world of horology has fallen for the penis enlargement scam e-mails.
Rant over, do please feel free to share whether you think I'm exaggerating or I might have a point after all.
Cheers,
Christian
while it is true that the average size of watches has gone up, there are still tons of watches
Available in smaller sizes. I am not sure what is your cutoff for small versus large.
Last edited by RAJEN; 25th February 2016 at 01:30.
I agree with you, I would say that my cut off is 40.
Depends on the style of watch. If you are looking for a traditionally sized (e.g. 34mm) dress watch there is little to no choice new. If you want a 40mm dress watch now is the perfect time to be looking.
Have to agree, my cut off was 40 but now 42 (depending on lug design and bracelet/strap design)
The most understated watch I have is my EXP-39, so classy and 'under the radar' that it oddly attracts the most attention from friends. They don't bat an eyelid at my PAM or PO or Sub-Date, it's the EXP-39 I get asked about the most.
Wierd??
As a watch lover I'm constantly amazed at how few current watches I'd actually wear. Of course size is an issue, with slim wrists 40mm is the absolute upper limit, and 38mm or so a more wearable limit, which rules out most of them. Some I enjoy looking at but wouldn't actually wear because I'm neither The Mad Hatter nor Wilky Wonka, the intended customers for a lot of current designs. And then of course there are plenty of more 'normal' designs, from so-so brands, but who wants normal and so-so?
Perhaps it's harder to come up with original new designs that are nonetheless subtle and sophisticated, and still interesting. Perhaps it's all been done already in another decade. Or perhaps it was always like this - in the end 70s Genta style sports watches such as the Royal Oak, which I really admire, became popular partly because the were so bloody huge, for the time at least - the were called 'jumbo' for a reason. Maybe we'll never be able to avoid the paradox of liking expensive luxury watches, and then wanting them not to be too showy.
I think size preferences change between generations. I personally consider a 36mm watch way too small even for a dress watch. I think it looks too much like a woman's watch.
My strict range is between 39mm and 43mm and I am in my mid 30s.
And you don't think that has anything to do with your wrist size, rather than your age?Originally Posted by Layin_Cable
I understand that and in fact that is rather obvious.
However lets take an average size wrist for argument's sake; I still believe there is a correlation between age and preferred watch size.
Possibly so - but my point is that it means very little that you prefer 39-43mm and are in your mid 30s, without also considering your wrist size.
That's the perception being created thesedays........36mm is considered too small and no-one would wish to be mistaken for a woman, would they?
Having read this I've now got a real dilemma; how can I continue to be seen out in watches that are a mere 34mm? There's me thinking I'm a somewhat cool middle-aged dude with my nice vintage watches but in reality everyone thinks I look effeminate because I'm wearing a girls watch.......please help me guys, buy my vintage watches off me and give them to your wives/girlfriends/both.
Just on my way out, think I'll rock over to Leeds and buy something huge and expensive. Doesn't matter what it is provided the lugs overlap my wrists.........better to look trendy (and a knob) than effeminate.
Thanks for posting this , it's helped me immensely.
Paul
I wear watches sizing from 35 to 43mm (not including the G-Shocks, but that's a completely different game). And my 'rant' isnt' just about the diameter, which is only one of the key aspects. It's also about the thickness of the case, the shape of the lugs, the end-to-end dimensions, the polished vs brushed surfaces, the texture of the dials, the position of the date... the banality of most mechanisms. All these and a few others create a typical 'gestalt' of modern watches yours trully just isn't happy with.
Btw of the diameter, right now I'm wearing my IWC Mark XV, the black, classic pilot version. If there's anybody who will tell me that it's not manly enough because it's only 38mm wide... well, I'd buy that man a beer and tell him kindly why he's absolutely wrong.
Anyhow, it does not mean that I don't enjoy say a modern Breitling (at least some of them). But if I'd look for a 37-38 mm watch, with a refined, thin case, a simple but not simplistic presence, an interestingly textured dial (linen?), and, God forbid, a hand-wound mechanism, I'd probably have to pay a huge amount of money because it seems you'll only find these in the stratosphere of horology.
Very, very well put. Your vintage GP illustrates perfectly what I'd like to see in a modern watch.
Personally I wouldn't change what i wear due to one individual's opinion on a watch forum.
Knock yourself out though.
True.
Well I've a 7" wrist, 6' 3" tall with size 11 shoes.
Hope that helps. ;)
So for someone who's a 6.5" wrist, is 5'11" tall with size 8 shoes, how far am I permitted to scale down 39-43mm? 3mm reduction seem fair? 36-40mm? In which case, are my 36mm watches men's watches or women's watches? And how does my age fit into this?
You are 'permitted' to scale down as much as you like.
It's only an opinion remember, everyone has one.
That's where the re-issues come into their own. Giving an opportunity to buy new the styles of yesteryear.
I've a 7,5 wrist, I'm 6' 4" tall and I wear size 11 shoes. And I weigh 21 stones. Let's not measure other things too, there's a risk to find an inverse relationship to the preferred size of watches :D
TZ-UK wrist size and height scatter plot (n=59):
I do tend to agree and im a bit traditional myself. Usually wear a 38mm Zenith. 40mm maybe even 42mm is getting a bit big for a daily wear watch
I do and have worn much bigger wrist instruments for other purposes i.e. diving/climbing but would not wear a huge bling watch that holds up my shirt cuffs
its just "fashion" I guess, and some like to show off their expensive large status symbol ;)
Plenty of big watches, still seems to be plenty of 38-40mm ones about though - perhaps just the bigger ones for sale in the windows of ADs in Milan specifically - you put in the window what will sell locally.
A stroll along Bond St; Breguet Blancpain, Chopard, JLC, Rolex, VC, PP - they all have plenty in that range.
My suspicion is that my 36-40mm watches wear much the same in proportion to my wrist and height as your 39-43mm watches do on you. A 36mm watch may look like a 'women's watch' on you, but I can assure you it doesn't on me. It's a bit like saying 32" jeans are girls trousers, and will tend to wind people up a bit for obvious reasons! Unfortunately smaller watches do tend to get referred to as 'women's watches' quite often on this forum, but I suppose larger ones get referred to as clown watches so it cuts both ways. It all depends on wrist size though in the end.
But back to the OP, agreed it's not just about size, it's the style that's as much an issue. Sometimes I wonder how this decade will be remembered. There's a lot of amazing design about in general, but the trend towards the more flamboyant mechanical watches might start to seem a strange feature of our age. For many of us the watches of other decades seem more appealing than our own.
Last edited by Itsguy; 25th February 2016 at 15:43.
I also generally aggree with OPs post. Watches are mostly way too expensive due to not increased quality but increased marketing budgets. Recently went to an AP event and they pretty much didnt have any watches on display. Only loud music, loads of hot women, drinks, and flowing food with some DJ from NY. Nothing to do with watches anymore and much more about "lifestyle" aspirations which is dissapointing. I wish companies stuck to making good watches.
That's because they're wrist jewellery, in the main, now. The time-keeping/telling function is often secondary to the bling.
______
Jim.
Exactly the same size as me and I'm a bit younger than you but my ideal watch size is around 35mm but for a diver or chronograph I don't mind up to 40mm (occasionally more but not usually)
Most divers I like are 38mm. I have a 38mm Hamilton intra-matic and I never wear it - I think because it looks slightly too big for that style to my eyes
Very good analogy. And a lot of fat men will probably say that :)
Surprised at the number of men claiming to have size 11 feet. I thought TZ-UK only went up to about a 9...
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
Sorted that for you, Paul.
That sounds absolutely horrendous, especially all the free food, drinks and hot women. Out of kindness I'll volunteer to go in your place next time.
Your answer is A.Lange & Sohne (and a few others).
They thoughtfully fit a ladies watch inside the case of a huge man sized watch on some models, so you get the best of both worlds
More seriously, isn't this post about 2 years too late? Isn't the movement to smaller watches again?
M
I think its just a symptom of the whole bigger better faster more ethos of modern life.
verv. aged 85.
7 1/2" flat wrist here. I think really it's what your eyes are used to seeing on your wrist.
I have a tiny ZenEx (well, I did have until my daughter half inched it) that felt very odd on the wrist for a day or two but then great. Equally if I prise my Breitling Colt out of my wife's grip it seems positively dainty - and yet when I first got it around seventeen years ago it seemed like a massive chunk on the wrist.
My largest watch currently is 42mm, smallest (daily wearer) 40mm. Seems to be current sweet spot.
Saw a customer the other day sporting something around the 50mm mark and it looked frankly cartoonish (and he's a big bloke). Had some fun at his expense when the fire alarm went off during our meeting and asked him if it was the alarm on his watch.
I have to agree with the OP, I don't think that there's enough choice in the 37-39mm size range these days. 36mm is slightly too small for a simple 3 hander and 40mm slightly too big unless it's a dive watch (in my humble opinion, of course).
I think more releases this year have been smaller than before. Just look at the new IWC pilots .
A 36 mm rolex is still officially considered a man's watch but the bracelet at full size is a very tight squeeze to get over my hand. So they must be aiming for smaller fists than mine.
years ago, smaller and especially thinner were the goals. then the trends reversed and they will again. the average guy in the non wis street used to wear something the looked like a dress watch, now they all want divers....we forget watches are essentially fashion items and status symbols and as such the vagaries of fashion will always be moving...
46 years
6ft 4
8 inch wrist
size 12 feet
watches that range from 24mm to 46mm
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
These days there are only a handful of watches, with the exception of vintage, I genuinely lust after and they are styles, or evolutions of styles, that have been around,in some cases, decades.
Gray
But you've stated categorically that 36 mm watches look like women's watches.
A sweeping statement to say the least and that's why I saw fit to resort to sarcasm in my reply.
Not sure what 'knock yourself out' means in this context either.
Paul
The irony is large watches make a slim, average sized and sometimes even a large wrist look underdeveloped. So all that macho posturing with your oversized bauble has the exact opposite of the desired effect.
Cheers,
Gary
I am 6'5", 8,1/4 wrist, size 12 boots. Oh and pushing 60.
Now I was convinced my sub at 40mm was tiny, as most of my watches are divers 42-46mm, so what I did was bought a 37mm vintage chrono, and love it, because it virtually has no bezel, it wears very nicely. I think it's all down to design.
Ok maybe 'woman's watch' was the wrong choice of words.
I only really meant it in the context of my own wrist. I don't think I could get away with wearing such a small watch.
And 'knock yourself out' simply meant 'go for it'. Thought it was a fairly recognised phrase, clearly not.
Anyway, not looking for any kind of argument here, simply putting across a personal opinion in an open forum.
I'm loving that everyone on here is now of hulkesque proportions with biceps resembling sacks of coconutsand feet like Michael Phelps!
I've got a 6.5 inch wrist and cant take anything larger than 40mm.
One thing I can never understand is why people who prefer small watches want everyone else to do the same and can't resist making wild statements and claims about people who wear or prefer larger watches?
Insecurity, perhaps!
It is a free world.
Like smaller watches, wear small
If you prefer big, wear bigger watches
Plenty of choices in both categories.
Someone who prefers small watches is NOT feminine nor is someone wearing bigger watches trying to overcompensate for some alleged physical shortcoming
I think in years to come we will look at these big watches the way we now look at flares and mullet hair cuts.
I think it's what you're used to seeing on your wrist. Years ago I used to alternate between a Seadweller and a Pam 005. After a few weeks wearing the Pam 24/7 (in the honeymoon period just after purchase!) I wore the seadweller for an evening out with my wife and she actually asked me to put the Panerai back on 'as your Rolex looks ridiculous, like a girls watch'!! - now, I fall into the 8 inch wrist/size 11 shoes camp, but she had a point, after the Panerai it did look very odd!
I have heard that before. Almost once every week. For last five years or so.
So, I wouldn't hold my breath. But, you can still live in hope.😄
I've just traded a 41mm watch for a 36mm explorer and it's amazing how much better the 36mm "fits".
I'm 6' tall with a wrist not a lot bigger than 6" so prefer smaller watches. I've yet to be mistaken for a woman once despite this.
Perhaps you could try wearing lipstick?
Tried it, not even a skirt helped. Shaved and everything.
Might try a smaller watch.
It is nice how moderate prices are anything vintage under 36mm
*gazes contentedly at today's new arrival*
Posting Permissions
