A case for 37

[Jmbarrack]

Rarely is the 37mm option for the YM discussed here on these forums. If you do a search, you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone with a lot of insightful information.

I can certainly understand that. The style for decades has been large. But I gotta say, I see a lot of people wearing watches that are just way to big for their wrist. In fact, sometimes I wonder if someone’s people like their watches because they look good or because they’re hyped everywhere you look. Also, for every 10 “is this too big?” thread I see, I see maybe two “is this too small?”. So I can’t be alone in my thinking that a lot of these watches look overpowering on the wrist. Having owned a BLNR, 11 LV sub, YM 40 and SD4K, I can tell you that they never quite ever sat right on my wrist. So much so they were always no-gos after a few weeks of wearing. No amount of adjusting of the clasps and bracelet links helped. I just didn’t like the unbalanced look on my 6.5 inch wrist. Especially with the glidelock clasps being almost as thick and wider than the watch itself.

I tried to research the 37mm YMs as the logical downsized choice but limited information is available for them outside of a few Watchbox videos. There’s not much information at all on here about them and their fit and wear.

So recently I purchased a YM 37 268655 and have been wearing it for several days now. I thought I would share some thoughts and insights for posterity if anyone is looking for information in the future on making a decision.

The word I’ll use is “balanced”. The watch wears very balanced on my 6.5 inch wrist. It sits directly centered, I see the same amount of bracelet on both sides of the watch (12/6) and the watch never seems to creep toward the 12 side. The clasp sits on the underside of the wrist comfortably and centered. Modern Rolex clasps we all know are superior to the old ones but they’re also thick, the slightly thinner tapered 18mm bracelet size on the 37mm case is just that much smaller you notice the difference.

At first glance / view / holding the YM37 in your hand - yes, without a doubt your first impression is “tiny” - let’s not mince words and skirt around that fact. Especially if you’re used to wearing 40mm 5 digit and 6 digit references. But this is quite deceiving because of 1 single design feature - the dial.

The dial size is small visually at first, the date window/Cyclops also being scaled down aids with that feeling. It’s obviously done to accommodate for the rotating bezel in the smaller case size. But I felt sort of the same way when I first picked up my 126234 DJ 36mm. It seemed small, but the difference with the DJ36 is the dial and bracelet are larger and helps with that overall perception. However, it’s all relative based on what you’re used to wearing. And looking at wrist shots side by side of the two, the YM 37 does wear larger overall - despite its initial tiny impression. This odd visual mind trick is created all by the dial and bracelet.

But after wearing the YM37 for about 2 days, your perception of the smaller size changes. It just becomes normal. Wearing the smaller size is comfortable and much less in your face than any of the new 40/41mm two-tone and ceramic steel pieces - despite it being solid rose gold. The case is also 1mm thinner than its 40mm big brother at around 10.4mm thick, and that is definitely noticeable while wearing. The rose gold blends into my skin tone really well, and in direct sunlight it almost looks white gold/steel - adding to a toned down look.

Regarding the bracelet, I had never worn an oysterflex bracelet before … It’s very comfortable and I get the hype. The combination of Gold and matte black really works and creates a very cool classic yet modern look. But there is a bit of an adjustment on the wrist/skin. You have to get used to how it feels, especially the venting flaps. They’re a little stiff at first, and the sensation on the wrist I think takes a little getting used to. A PSA here on sizing. In my research I gathered that the letters go as such:
D=4 standard oyster links plus endlink
E=5 links plus endlink
F,G,H - follow the same pattern in increasing link order …

So when I purchased I got one with a D and E because when I wore all my other modern references, I would wear 4 links at 6 o’clock and 5 at 12 o’clock and the used the middle micro-adjustment in the clasp. However, what I forgot to consider was the lug-to-lug measurement of the watch being 5mm less than the watches I was referencing. That’s about 1 link. So what I really needed was a D and an F. Not a big deal as it still fits well, however, the easylink is out and can’t be used and the clasp micro-adjustment is in the last position - so we’re at max capacity for a 6.5 inch wrist. So just a note to anyone interested - buy one side of the OF a size longer than the Charts/ your configuration suggests for this reference.

Bottom line is that personally I am just not a fan of large watches and the large watch look. It’s not my vibe/style/whatever you want say. What I do like is balance, and that’s exactly what I feel this watch gives me. It’s a balance between dress and sport. It’s a balance of modern style and classic size. And most importantly, it’s balanced on my smaller wrist - it just looks right.

Lots of photos attached so you see the idea here. I’ll also attach other references to see the difference in size. Hoping this is a helpful reference to anyone who is considering 37/40mm references with a smaller wrist.

Lastly, I’m glad your wife likes hers too. We both have something in common.
























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