Is this watch too small for me?

[Terminus]

I have tiny hands and wrists and am considering buying a women's watch (a different one, slightly larger). Had this one laying around so decided to try it on. Is it too small?

 

[MaE]

As a vintage watches person myself, I think there are only a few watches (some really tiny 20-25mm in diameter ladies dress watches for example) that are actually too small for a man to wear. Just remember that the trend for big and thick watches is quite recent and in the golden era (late 1950s to roughly the 1980s, before the so called quartz crisis), a man’s watch (excepted for some military/diving timepieces) usually were around 33-36mm in diameter, which was considered to be a nice and classic size.

In the end, it always is about you: do you like the watch when it is on your wrist? Do you feel it’s too small or not?

Edit: on your picture, I’d be more worried about the diamonds on the dial than the size of the watch, but that’s personal taste/preferences

 

[Terminus]

As a vintage watches person myself, I think there are only a few watches (some really tiny 20-25mm in diameter ladies dress watches for example) that are actually too small for a man to wear. Just remember that the trend for big and thick watches is quite recent and in the golden era (late 1950s to roughly the 1980s, before the so called quartz crisis), a man’s watch (excepted for some military/diving timepieces) usually were around 33-36mm in diameter, which was considered to be a nice and classic size.

In the end, it always is about you: do you like the watch when it is on your wrist? Do you feel it’s too small or not?

Edit: on your picture, I’d be more worried about the diamonds on the dial than the size of the watch, but that’s personal taste/preferences

Thank you for taking the time to reply. This is actually my grandmother's watch and I just wanted to check the size. Noticed the diamonds too and I'm not going to wear it. I might get this one for starters:

 

[TexasToast]

I think its too small but then again I like Casio G-Shocks and they are usually 50mm on the small size. I also like divers like Seiko and they can be huge. I think a good rule of thumb is that the watchface should sit dead center of your wrist with no exposure on either side.

 

[Hellbent]

I think the size is great. Personally I would not wear anything above 36 mm. 34 mm is ideal for me. There are lots of wonderful vintage watches, like omega, available for not that much money.

 

[Terminus]

I think its too small but then again I like Casio G-Shocks and they are usually 50mm on the small size. I also like divers like Seiko and they can be huge. I think a good rule of thumb is that the watchface should sit dead center of your wrist with no exposure on either side.

Hey, thanks for the response. I get what you're saying and I have a watch that sits dead center, but the problem is that because of the way my wrist is I have to tighten the watch to the last hole and it still doesn't even touch my wrist:

 

[maxalex]

I have relatively small wrists and don’t like giant watches. Normally I wear a 1969 Rolex Air King which is 32mm. Even that feels too chunky with French cuffs, so I have other vintage dress watches that are properly thin.

 

[Terminus]

I think the size is great. Personally I would not wear anything above 36 mm. 34 mm is ideal for me. There are lots of wonderful vintage watches, like omega, available for not that much money.

Thanks for the response. The one in the first picture is actually 30mm. I intend to get a 32mm one. Unfortunately it is pretty difficult to acquire a decent watch where I live so I guess I'll have to opt for a Casio or some other low-end brand.

 

[TexasToast]

Hey, thanks for the response. I get what you're saying and I have a watch that sits dead center, but the problem is that because of the way my wrist is I have to tighten the watch to the last hole and it still doesn't even touch my wrist:

You need to find a a watch that is designed differently so that it sits flat which Casio makes a ton of. Just check out their website if you havent recently.

 

[TheIronDandy]

I think it depends on the type of watch you're planning to wear, and your style in general.

I have a 6,75" wrist and prefer watches around 36-39mm (and I greatly regret passing up a Patek Calatrava at 35mm), and as I'm 6'4" those watches tend to look rather small. But that works perfectly with my style, which is pretty classic - those smaller watches look great with tailored clothes, where as I think my 42mm GP Laureato looks too large for the style of clothes I usually wear.

If I were to dress in a more contemporary style, the smaller watches may look out of place, and I would probably wear something a bit larger. So consider how the size of the watch will work with your wardrobe, if you care about those things.

Finally, look at all proportions of a watch. Size is important, but a 32mm watch that's 10mm thick can get strange proportions. That becomes even more important if you wear the watch on a metal bracelet - thick metal bracelets on watches with a smaller face can be a rather particular look.

But all that said, most people won't actually look at your watch, so wear something you like, that fits comfortably and that you think is "you". You will be the person who looks at it the most!

 

[MaE]

You need to find a a watch that is designed differently so that it sits flat which Casio makes a ton of. Just check out their website if you havent recently.

I don’t know why you give such advice since you don’t know what you’re talking about. The problem here is not the watch, but the strap that seems to be too long. The OP just needs to buy another smaller strap and the watch will properly fit…

 

[Terminus]

I don’t know why you give such advice since you don’t know what you’re talking about. The problem here is not the watch, but the strap that seems to be too long. The OP just needs to buy another smaller strap and the watch will properly fit…

I don't think they make them shorter than that! ?
And it turns out the one I'm wearing is actually 28mm in diameter (32mm including lugs).

 

[bobby jonathan]

Do not, buy that watch! I'm sorry, but it's not suiting your wrist . It looks like a , coreset.

bobby jonathan

 

[MaE]

I don't think they make them shorter than that! ?
And it turns out the one I'm wearing is actually 28mm in diameter (32mm including lugs).

That’s why there are tons and tons of merchants/sellers producing aftermarket watch straps in different sizes, lug widths, colors, leathers, …

 

[DonRaphael]

That size is looking great on your wrist. The only thing that matters is how you feel. But one thing to take into consideration when discussing wrist and watch size is the shape of the wrist. If my wrist is 6,75" and flat, a 30mm watch might look smaller on it than on another person's 6,75" wrist which might be thick. Keep that in mind when taking advise based on wrist circumference.

Another thing to consider is the dial. If a dial is clean and not busy, it'll give the impression that it's larger, hence the overall look of the watch will look larger. Yet another thing to consider is the size of the dial. A 32mm watch with a small dial and large bezel/ring will look smaller than a watch with the opposite proportions.

With that being said, my wrist is 6,75" and I wear watches between 30-36mm but ideally I wouldn't wear anything over 34mm. Vintage sized watches are usually within those measurements.