What’s the perfect diameter?

[rolexfanforlife]

39

[Rebel]

Originally Posted by Brew

Love 36; 39 is perfect; 40 is 1 too many.

Me too.

[subtona]

So much for the big watch craze.

Though I do appreciate a panerai 44-45mm as they are.

[2x4]

36 or 41mm feels the most comfortable to me. I hate 40’s. I have a GMT and its not near as comfortable as my DG41. The 43? Sk-Dweller is comfortable for me as well.

[DGB]

38 - 40,
With 39 as the sweet spot, like the 15202 or the CB from FP Journe.


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[Ny325]

For my 7 1/2 wrist.

36mm for formal events.
40mm for sport/casual.

Nothing over 40mm for me.

[DoraTheExplorerII]

It really depends on the watch design. I have to actually put it on the wrist and see for myself with a mirror instead of scrutinizing numbers on paper.

[ap1]

38-42

[winst]

39mm is my sweet spot - so I have an Explorer 214270 MK2 and BB58 Navy Blue at that size.

[Theothergreg]

I am lucky because I have a flat wrist that can accommodate up to 47 pretty easily, but I prefer between 39 and 42. Most of mine are around 40.

[d11n]

38-40 for me

[gajag]

Contrary to conventional wisdom, I prefer a smaller diameter (36-37mm) on a bracelet and a larger diameter (40-41mm) on a strap. A big bracelet watch doesn’t sit right on my wrist.

[Trustmeimanengineer]

I have a 7.6 inch round wrist.

For me, 39-44mm is wearable, and 40-42mm being ideal size.

However, lug to lug, and the way watch sits DO make a night and differnece. For me Hamilton khaki mechnical at 38mm looked small on paper, but the lug to lug made it wearable! Likewise, the 43.5mm Planet ocean found to be wearable, due to lug to lug being short than 44mm panerais. I also have a 40mm longines that wears like a 42mm, due to the lug protrusion and height as well.

[GolfJunkie]

39-42 for me. Although I do have a 44.25 Speedmaster that wears well on my wrist.

[shafran]

My smallest watch is my dato perpetual. It says 41mm, but feels smaller. My largest is my journe sport which is 44mm, but not too thick. So 41-44 but can't wear thicker than 14.5.

[Megalobyte]

What’s the perfect shoe size?

[Kcore]

To start, I don’t like the word “perfect.” I think it was a word created to make us bonkers, striving for that perfect this or that.

OK, word rant over. With regard to watch size-diameter, for me it’s totally a matter of what my personal comfort and self confidence is. I’m not interested in trends or what anyone thinks. It’s solely what I enjoy.

I have 7.25” wrists. I am also a vintage, 1940s-1970 watch collector with a sizable collection. Most are in the 25mm-28mm dia. range. I wear each regularly, weather dependent. I also have a collection of modern watches ranging 36mm-44mm.

To me, each and everyone is “perfect “ size. OMG, I used that word :)

[stormshadow]

7.5" wrist here; I like to wear anything from 40-42mm, but I have worn larger.

I wouldn't go below 40mm for my wrist.

[Malum]

Prefer 42-45

[stockjock1975]

As others have said, it’s very dependent on wrist size of the wearer. Personally, 38.5mm is ideal!

[kaiserphoenix]

I like 38.5 ~ 40mm. But thickness is also another consideration and the lug to lug distance for me has to be below 49mm.

[Kliminator]

38-40

[Krash]

48 mm lug to lug.
40 to 42 mm case size.
Submariner and Speedmaster of course.
7.25” wrist size.

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[Guinness58]

As others have said depends on multiple factors:

• Wrist diameter
• Watch style - dress, sport, vintage, etc.
• Watch dimensions - lug to lug, etc.
• Personal taste and/or trends

No right answer, can change over time. For me with a 7.25” wrist I wear watches from 36 to 44 mm. Sweet spot is 40 mm.

[GradyPhilpott]

34mm-43mm, depending on the watch.

[DVR]

The perfect diameter for me is 32mm, but not for the watch but for the dial!
The total watch size is determined from there and is of secondary importance.

I read time on the dial. Not the case. And I have learned that 32mm makes the reading much easier to my older eyes.

So a diver will be around 43-44. Less than 43 wont be possible if a 32 dial is a requirement.

A dress with a thin bezel can be 38-39 I suppose.

[Guinness58]

Originally Posted by DVR

The perfect diameter for me is 32mm, but not for the watch but for the dial!
The total watch size is determined from there and is of secondary importance.

I read time on the dial. Not the case. And I have learned that 32mm makes the reading much easier to my older eyes.

So a diver will be around 43-44. Less than 43 wont be possible if a 32 dial is a requirement.

A dress with a thin bezel can be 38-39 I suppose.

Great point. As I get older I trend to larger, simpler dials with contrast so I can read the time.

[Justindo]

As others have stated, it really depends on wrist size. Lug to lug, bezel thickness, and what the watch dial looks like plays just as big of a role as the case dimension, in my opinion. For my 6.7" wrist, I prefer watches to be 36-42mm. I'm probably most happy with 38mm for dress and 40mm for sport but it depends mostly on the factors I listed above.

[RollieKid]

Just watched this video this morning on a similar topic:
The Ideal Watch Size: A Curious Case of Misperception and Missed Opportunity, by Mark Cho

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sNRt9LBx5lo

[DoraTheExplorerII]

Originally Posted by DVR

The perfect diameter for me is 32mm, but not for the watch but for the dial!
The total watch size is determined from there and is of secondary importance.

I read time on the dial. Not the case. And I have learned that 32mm makes the reading much easier to my older eyes.

So a diver will be around 43-44. Less than 43 wont be possible if a 32 dial is a requirement.

A dress with a thin bezel can be 38-39 I suppose.

A great point I’ve never thought of before.