While fashion and style preferences can dictate a lot about one's taste, it is generally a good idea to ensure that a watch's lugs do not extend past the edges of your wrist. In other words, no matter how large a watch is, it looks best when all of it is actually on your wrist. While some watches can get away with it, for the most part a timepiece will look best when all of it is actually on your wrist – and not sticking out. With that said, given how vastly watch case shapes can vary, the only true test of how a watch will fit is by actually wearing it.
One aspect you might not think to consider when choosing watch sizes is the dial. While, of course, the elements of a dial don't change the diameter they can give that appearance. The more subdials, hands, and indices a watch has, the bigger it will feel.
Conversely, more minimalist watches feel smaller simply because their faces are less busy. Again personal taste comes into play here, but usually, a busier dial looks better on a larger wrist and smaller wrists are better suited to watches with fewer features. Finding the right fit with a fine timepiece goes well beyond watch band sizes or even overall watch sizes. It's more complicated and subjective than that, but finding watch sizes are important.
Fastening a watch to your wrist today seems so uncomplicated, it's innate. And over the last 100 years, straps have quickly evolved to include diverse metal and material types — becoming as symbolic as the watches themselves. Rolex's Oyster bracelets and clasps are perhaps the most iconic, though there are many others. Determining which strap works best with a watch is, again, largely subjective to the wearer and also defined by its "intended" use.
Some measurement and understanding of strap type, however, is essential to getting it right. On the other hand, choosing the kind of strap or band and the material used should be based on your preferences. Metal bracelets may come in a mesh or a link form and are mostly preferred by men with larger wrists. At the same time, metal bands are still popular for women's watches although most prefer the leather straps. Fabric or nylon straps are commonly used for sports watches though these kinds of straps can also be seen on casual watches. Bracelets also play an important role in the right watch size.
In addition to the length – on average 165 to 180 mm for ladies' watches and 184 to 197 mm for men's watches – the width of the bracelet is also decisive. A general rule for the right width of a watch bracelet says that the width of the strap should measure half of the case diameter. The most common bridge width is about 20 mm, but can range from 18 mm to 24 mm. Some ladies' and vintage watches have even narrower bracelets. If visibility is important to you and you would like your watch to be more striking, you can of course choose a model with an even wider strap. Once you know your wrist size, it's time to pick the right fit for your wrist.
Longvadon offers an easy Apple Watch band sizing guide on every product page. Always double-check your measurements before going to the next step. Just like everything else, the strap or bracelet fitted to your Rolex can have a significant impact on its overall perceived size. Both the style of the strap or bracelet, along with other factors such as its width and the amount of taper it has can drastically alter the way that the watch wears on your wrist. Typically, the wider the strap, the larger it will feel on your wrist, but a steep taper can often offset a wide measurement at the lugs, simply because the width at the clasp is smaller. When choosing a band, it's useful to measure your wrist as a first step.
If you have a cloth tape measure on hand, you can wrap it around your wrist to get your band size. How the watch should fit on your wrist is again, subjective. You don't want your watch sized so big that it slides up and down when worn. It'll look ill-fitting and be largely uncomfortable to wear across occasions. Too tight and you'll be left with an imprint on your wrist — an easy, tell-tale sign you need better sizing.
On this one, go with what feels good; once properly sized, your timepiece should look as if it was made for you specifically. If you're looking to replace your strap, you'll first need to know your strap size. To do so requires nothing more than measuring between lugs, in millimeters.
Measure the watch, not the band, as bands — especially leather or inexpensively made nylon — shrink with wear. If it's a simple replacement or upgrade to an existing strap, some will have the sizing indicated somewhere on the band. Metal strap measurements start the same way , but most will come with standard links that any seller or jeweler can easily adjust. And, as mentioned above, we are supporting equality and breaking down all the biases and stereotypes.
Every single one of LARSEN & ERIKSEN's watches are unisex and all the available collections and sizes are designed for everyone. We suggest following your intuition and preferences, ideally popping by our store in Copenhagen to feel the watch by trying it on and estimating if it fits well on your wrist. If you buy the watch online, measuring your wrist might be helpful, thus concluding which size you should go for.
When buying our watches online, we also offer free shipping and return, so you can actually order a watch, try it on, and return it if it's not the right size. Once you get outside the realm of Rolex bracelets, straps can have an even larger impact on the overall wearing experience of your watch. A classic two-piece leather strap typically results in a watch wearing rather small (hence why it is the go-to option for dress watches with their elegant designs).
However, something like a NATO strap will often cause a watch to wear larger due to the extra bulk of the fabric and the way it causes the watch to stand up further off your wrist. There are a lot of factors that people consider when buying a watch - the dial, the hands, the type of bracelet, the style of the bezel. However, one thing that often tends to be an afterthought is the size of the watch itself, and this is arguably one of the most important things to consider when shopping for a Rolex watch. Measure your wrist size by wrapping a tape measure or piece of string around it. Mark where the two ends meet and then lay the thread out flat on a ruler to determine the distance between them.
You will need to add this to the total watch band length. Watch band or watch strap size is determined by the width of the band end that attaches to the watch. Watches come in many different sizes, therefore the width of the watch strap can vary as well.
To determine the appropriate watch band size for your watch, measure it's lug width . Diameter, case thickness, straps, and lug width are the main elements that factor into properly sizing a watch. This includes the bezel (the ring surrounding the watch's face). Some bezels are quite thin, while others — Submariners or Omega's Planet Ocean series, for example — are noticeably thicker. When it comes to diameters, most men's watches range from 36mm to 43mm. History, however, has tended to favor smaller profiles; the look is refined, though small when held up against today's designs.
But after all of that measuring, you still may decide that your perfect timepiece conforms to none of these watch size guidelines! Put a big statement watch on a dainty wrist or adorn a massive wrist with something small and subtle. Your watch is your declaration of personal style and you may wish to tell the world you don't care about size. Technically speaking, all Rolex watches are unisex watches. That being said, there are certain case sizes and collections of Rolex watches that offer more unisex options than others.
When we talk about the "height" of a watch, we are talking about how thick it is, or how tall it will stand up on your wrist. Just like clothes, it is important that your watch fits you correctly. This doesn't just mean that the strap or bracelet needs to fit around your wrist; the actual size of the watch itself can have a significant impact on the overall wearing experience.
Although personal preference will always be paramount, finding the right size watch for your wrist will go a long way towards guaranteeing a happy ownership experience. Some people look good on a larger watch because they have a big wrist and that watch won't work for a small wrist group. If you have a 7 inch wrist, you should go with a 36mm-42mm diameter watch. But, if your wrist circumference is more than 7.5 inches, then a 40mm or more timepiece would be perfect. There is no universal 'one size fits all' solution when it comes to pairing straps with watches. If you own an extra large sports watch, you'll require a replacement strap with different measurements to, say, a vintage wristwatch with a far smaller case.
A common adage amongst watch enthusiasts is that new straps can reinvigorate a timepiece's appearance and make it a more flexible accessory. The act of changing your straps is also an aesthetic statement that reflects individual style. But before the excitement of perusing NATO, Perlon or Milanese watch straps can begin, you'll need to establish your watch strap size – and that's where our guide enters the equation.
Measuring your wrist might help to estimate the right case diameter. Roughly, if your wrist is about 15 cm , that would be considered average and the proportional case diameter would be around 38 mm – if you are going for a classic look, that is. Look at our size guide below to see the correlation between your wrist size and the proportional case diameter. We kindly ask you to ignore those social "norms" or bias which divide the sizes by gender. A big watch is not necessarily meant for a masculine, big male hand. Just like the smaller watches are not necessarily designed for women only.
As mentioned above, your preferences of size and design are completely up to you. Watch case diameter as the most obvious parameter of size usually ranges from 35 – 45 mm. If we break it down to stereotypical categories, then anything under 38 mm (1.50 inches) diameter would be put into boxes such as "jewelry/elegant category" and "women's size watch".
Are Apple Watches One Size Fits All Watches above 46 mm are "oversized" and are mostly created for "flashy and very bold" outfits. Generally, watch case diameter is small to medium when it's 38 mm – 42 mm and large cases are the ones with 44 mm - 46 mm. However, all LARSEN & ERIKSEN watches range from mm and are unisex designs for both men and women. Watch lugs are the metal extensions where the watch case attaches to the bracelet or strap. These lugs are not factored into the case diameter's measurements.
That said, when measuring your wrist for which size diameter you prefer, leave breathing room for the lugs which will slightly elongate the height of watch. You do not want a watch where the lugs extend out over your wrist as it is uncomfortable to wear. However, both the Rolex Date and Oyster Perpetual lines offer options with 34mm cases and these versatile models work well on most male wrists. Dive watches are specifically designed for use while deep underwater. Consequently, visibility is key in the design of a dive watch, and most will have slightly larger case sizes relative to dress watches or casual models.
Additionally, the type of watch can also have a significant impact on how thick it can be. Typically, dress watches wear better if they are thin and can easily slip under a shirt cuff. Conversely, a professional dive watch can actually benefit from being slightly thicker due to a taller bezel design offering more room to grip on the side of the bezel. However, your wrist size and shape are always going to be the greatest determining factors in terms of how thick of a watch you can comfortably wear. When finding the right size Rolex for your wrist, there are many important measurements and proportions to consider other than the actual case size of the watch itself. Two watches with identical case diameters can wear significantly different should they have different thickness or lug-to-lug measurements.
Watch bracelets are often the most beautiful way to wear a watch, but depending on the bracelet it can be difficult to find one with a perfect fit. More and more high-quality bracelets today offer the ability to "micro-adjust" them in millimeter steps for comfort, but bracelets are still the most risky means of getting a perfect fit. Watch straps offer more size options and given that many are slightly flexible or elastic it is easy to get a snug fit.
Watches should never be loose or sliding around while being worn. Flexible and water resistant, even some high-end animal skin straps use rubber as a liner. Smaller Apple Watch models are compatible with bands sized one to nine, and larger Apple Watch models are compatible with bands sized four to 12, with specifics on those measurements below.
Getting the right fit for a band that does not have a clasp is tricky. For an error-free experience, this is a situation where it's best to visit an Apple Store in person to see what feels best on your wrist. Before you buy a watch, you need to look at a watch size guide because size matters.
It would not feel comfortable and look good if it is too small or too big. You also wear a ring that snuggly fits around the base of your finger without spinning or even bulging. This concept should be applied when you are choosing a watch.
If you like your watch a little loose, you are going to want to select something thinner that more easily moves up and down your wrist. Usually, watch straps are proportional to the case and about 50% of the diameter. So, a case with a diameter of, say, 40mm would fit well on a band of 20mm. This only goes so far as you don't want a band that's too skinny or the reverse. Many watch wearers like a hefty band that might be slightly outside the half proportion to the case.
And as with case diameters, large bands usually work best on large wrists and the same for thinner bands and smaller wrists. And while there are some general guidelines when it comes to watch sizes, there are grey areas and personal aspects to consider. A one size watch may be great for one person and totally wrong for another even if the wrist and hand proportions of the wearers are nearly identical.
