What is considered to be a small wrist?

[Gaijin]

I sometimes read here members saying "Oh I can't wear this Rolex or that Rolex because I have a small wrist. Or I can only wear that Rolex (usually the 36 mm DJ ) because I have a small wrist.

So what constitutes a small wrist. I am a pretty big guy and my new DJ does seem pretty small on my wrist.

What are you thinking?

[FiguredMaple]

My wrist is only 6.25" and I wouldn't buy a watch smaller than 40mm. I am really enjoying my DJ II and it is 41mm. If you can see a bit of band above and below the face, then it's not too big for your wrist.

[OysterDavid]

I've got myself a 6.5" wrist and consider that to be 'small' for purposes of wearing 'larger' watches. For me, the critical measurement is the length of the lugs, as I've tried on various watch brands that have 40mm widths and smaller lug lengths and they look just fine, but once those lugs start to hang over the edge of my wrist, giving what I will call a 'flyback' look to the bracelet, it doesn't look appealing to me.

This is a very personal question as we all see ourselves differently than other people see us. There are many on these watch forums with wrist sizes that mimic mine (or smaller) who proudly wear 42mm watches (or larger) and post pictures. When I see the look, it seems oversized and silly and appears to be a salad plate on a twig, but that's my opinion, and ultimately, who cares what I think about other's?

In my father's generation, a watch size of 32-35mm was the norm that was worn by a lot of manly men who could hardly be called girlie and it was just fine. I'm not advocating a return to that WWII era for watch sizing, but my personal decision is to stay with what looks good to me and generally that limits my choices to 34 to 40mm. In the world of watches, that gives me a lot of latitude to indulge my passion.

[Vincent65]

Originally Posted by OysterDavid

I've got myself a 6.5" wrist and consider that to be 'small' for purposes of wearing 'larger' watches. For me, the critical measurement is the length of the lugs, as I've tried on various watch brands that have 40mm widths and smaller lug lengths and they look just fine, but once those lugs start to hang over the edge of my wrist, giving what I will call a 'flyback' look to the bracelet, it doesn't look appealing to me.

This is a very personal question as we all see ourselves differently than other people see us. There are many on these watch forums with wrist sizes that mimic mine (or smaller) who proudly wear 42mm watches (or larger) and post pictures. When I see the look, it seems oversized and silly and appears to be a salad plate on a twig, but that's my opinion, and ultimately, who cares what I think about other's?

In my father's generation, a watch size of 32-35mm was the norm that was worn by a lot of manly men who could hardly be called girlie and it was just fine. I'm not advocating a return to that WWII era for watch sizing, but my personal decision is to stay with what looks good to me and generally that limits my choices to 34 to 40mm. In the world of watches, that gives me a lot of latitude to indulge my passion.

[Memphis]

I don't think people understand sizing. The lug to lug is what makes the watch look huge or tiny. I have 45mm watches that look the same as a 40mm sub. The lugs shouldn't overhang. But, to each his own.

[BCNJ]

Wear what makes you happy. who cares what anyone else thinks. I have a friend who wears a tiny vintage men's yellow gold cartier tank on a strap that his late father gave him, and it looks great

[Frogman4me]

I would say 6.5 and less would be considered "small wrist".

[scarab007]

If you can connect a dollar bill around your wrist, that would be small. Dollar bill is 6 inch exactly.

[Kingair]

This is a small wrist . . . my wife's . . . ;-)

HAGOne

[DiamondJack]

Originally Posted by OysterDavid

I've got myself a 6.5" wrist and consider that to be 'small' for purposes of wearing 'larger' watches. For me, the critical measurement is the length of the lugs, as I've tried on various watch brands that have 40mm widths and smaller lug lengths and they look just fine, but once those lugs start to hang over the edge of my wrist, giving what I will call a 'flyback' look to the bracelet, it doesn't look appealing to me.

This is a very personal question as we all see ourselves differently than other people see us. There are many on these watch forums with wrist sizes that mimic mine (or smaller) who proudly wear 42mm watches (or larger) and post pictures. When I see the look, it seems oversized and silly and appears to be a salad plate on a twig, but that's my opinion, and ultimately, who cares what I think about other's?

In my father's generation, a watch size of 32-35mm was the norm that was worn by a lot of manly men who could hardly be called girlie and it was just fine. I'm not advocating a return to that WWII era for watch sizing, but my personal decision is to stay with what looks good to me and generally that limits my choices to 34 to 40mm. In the world of watches, that gives me a lot of latitude to indulge my passion.

This pretty much says it all.....

And ultimately who cares...... it just a mix of personal choice and changing fashion trends as they evolve. Who'd have ever thought we'd see these "monster dials" on people's wrists and people thinking they're cool and trendy......

I personally wouldn't wear anything bigger than 40 mm but my view of what looks good will be based on my own life experiences and will be different to everyone elses.... as will theirs.

There's clearly enough demand out there for manufacturers to invest in design and production line machinery to make these larger sized watches so who's to say it's wrong.

But I think if you were to poll people, most would adhere to the lug width rule of thumb (as mentioned above) when choosing a watch's maximum size.

[MalcolmSquare]

Anything around or under 6.5 inches is probably considered small. Having said that, I think OysterDavid nailed it. I'd also note that fashions change, and timeless styles, by definition, never look dated. So if I'm going to drop thousands of dollars on a watch, I want to make sure that it will still look good five, ten, and twenty years from now. Of course, determining what constitutes "timeless style" is a topic for another day and another thread.

[Kyu]

I think all rolex looks nice on whatever wrist size.

For example, there was a Man here with a women's size 34m ? Rolex
and it looked fine on him.
I saw a guy here (no offense) with a tiny wrist, I thought it was a womans wrist, and he was sporting a 41m and looked great on him !

[Solo118]

I have a 6.25" wrist. Is it small, I would say yes. However I would feel fully comfortable wearing any Men's Rolex model that has been produced. I can not say that about any other brand as they now rely on putting out wathes that are 44mm and up.

[Eulogy]

My wrist is approximately 7.5". I think my 36mm DD looks just as appropriate as does my 40mm Sub.

Both seem to be classic/standard and have stood the test of time.

Can the same be said of the monsters out now? I guess only time will tell.

Wide and Skinny Lapels come and go. But the classic width never goes out of style

[Watch Professor]

Diameter is not the only factor. Wrist shape also matters. If you have a small wrist (6 1/2") or under, but it is relatively flat, then you can wear a watch up to 42mm, depending on the length of the lugs.

[mmmk604]

Originally Posted by FiguredMaple

My wrist is only 6.25" and I wouldn't buy a watch smaller than 40mm. I am really enjoying my DJ II and it is 41mm. If you can see a bit of band above and below the face, then it's not too big for your wrist.

Damn, I've got a 6.5" wrist and I feel that the DJII is way too big for me

I'm 5'7", lean build, if that changes anything.

[JBR27]

I have a 6.5" wrist, fairly flat, and I've found over the years that the limiting factors for me are case height and lug-to-lug (tip to tip) measurement. 12 mm and 48 mm are my maximums. If I can keep a watch under those dimensions, then any diameter works for me.

For instance, I have an IWC at 38 mm case diameter with lugs that are very long on a strap. I think my GMT IIc at 40 mm on bracelet looks much better.

Bracelet always seems to look better than strap -- it helps to conceal the true size of the watch and give the whole ensemble a one-piece appearance.

[Brushpup]

I thought I was small at 6.75. I feel sometimes like 40 is too big looking on me. Ive asked and everyone says no. I've seen plenty of way bigger ghys wearing 36 and their watches look perfectly sized IMO. It is not too small as many perceive.

[floater156]

My wrist is 7.25 and I prefer 39-41mm, 42mm is pushing it for me.

[Cru Jones]

.25 here, .25 there. Who knows? So many other factors, like the shape of the wrist, height and build, shape of the watch, personal style, etc....

[Baco Noir]

I have a 7.5" wrist and wear watches from 38 - 45 mm. Small is a frame of mind. Wear what you like.

[brkanand]

If you have to remove two or more links to wear a Rolex comfortably, then you have a small wrist. Jokes apart, mine is small and I remove two links!

[handsfull]

>6.5-6.25 is small IMO.

Mine is 7.5-ish and I don't buy anything over 42mm. Long lug lengths (like the DSSD) are also too big for me. Nothing looks sillier than a male with a pie plate on their wrist, regardless of their wrist size OR stature.

[WARVET]

For me 42 mm is the perfect size on my 7.5" wrist. 40mm is the smallest I will wear.The 46mm Breitlings are way too big looking and look like a clowns watch unless you have an 8" wrist

[How]

God blessed me with skinny 6.5" wrists, and skiny ankles. However without being ungrateful for what God has given me, I do envy anyone with thicker wrists and ankles! :)

However I guess you should also take into account the overall proportion of your entire arm. Through a lot of gym bodybuilding, I have relatively big forearms and biceps, which makes my wrists look out of proportion a bit.

And sometimes I like to wear big watches like my 45.5mm Planet Ocean (on rubber strap), which "beefs up" my wrist to give the illusion that my wrist is bigger than it actually is, so my whole arm doesn't look out of proportion. I need this to balance my whole arm back up. Moreover, the lugs don't overhang beyond my wrist so I think it's great for me!

I wouldn't go anything smaller than 40mm though. I don't mind 42-43mm for dressier watches, and of course for sport watches, the 45mm PO and my SubC.

Nevertheless here is a shot with my 40mm SubC to give an idea of proportions :



But it's party due to the fact that I like having the 'action man' look that I like big sporty watches like the 45mm PO. For you suave gentlemen out there of course a more sleek, smaller watch would fit the bill. Hence I sport my SubC for more formal and business occasions :)

[AmbSteve]

I would say anything below a 7 inch wrist is small.

[caryyee]

My wrist is 6.75".

A 36mm DD fits great on me, but a DDII looks too big. A DJII still looks a bit too big, but not as much as the DDII. The Daytona and Sub / GMT look great on my wrist though.

AP ROO's, and most Panerai's wear too large for me.

I'd say as a general guide, 40 mm is the max size on my wrist that looks proportionally aesthetically pleasing to my eyes.

[TheMaxMilano]

My wrist is about 7.90 and I don't wear watches smaller than 42mm the only exception is for my Daytona!!!

[DJJon]

I completely agree that the shape of the wrist is as much of a key to what looks 'right' as is the pure measurement. Some wrists are flatter across the top and can support a larger/longer watch, others are more like a round tube so they measure large but need a smaller watch.

The lug-to-lug length, in combination with the bracelet / strap , determines more than just the measured circumference.

Finally the watch height matters a lot. I can't wear a DSSD because it is just too dang tall, and looks silly on my 6.75" wrists. Meanwhile I often wear a 46 mm 'pie plate' because while large in diameter and long at 54 mm lug-to-lug it actually sits nicely and is only 14 mm tall.

Finally - funny how we tend to use Metric for diameter and lug-to-lug (mm) and English for the wrist circumference (inches).

[speedo]

very personal however i do smile a bit when i see skinny wrists with huge pams or roos. i have never measured my wrists but my largest watch, the omega is the biggest size i would ever wear. anything above that just looks silly.