Why have Watches Gotten Bigger? Complete Guide
If you look at watches today and back in the day, there’s a clear trend that wristwatches are getting bigger and bigger. In the 1950s, men wore watch sizes that would be considered ladies’ watches today. And some of the sizes that men wear today were unthinkable back in the day. If you, as a man, would have worn a 45 or even 50mm watch in the 1950s, people would likely laugh or asked what you were are up to.
It’s interesting how our perception of what is “nice” and what is not can change so dramatically over time. But the best comparison when we talk about watch sizes would be to talk about fashion. After all, watches are fashion accessories today.
What are watches about?
The purpose of the wristwatch has changed over the decades. During the 1900s, wristwatches were almost exclusively worn as tools to keep track of time. Bear in mind that this was during a time that smartphones didn’t exist and people’s ability to know the time in other ways, such as on computers, in cars, etc. were very limited or frankly didn’t exist.
But as other means of telling the time have come around, primarily in the form of the smartphone, the wristwatch’s crucial role as a tool to tell the time has lost its importance.
Back in the day, essentially the only way to tell the time was to wear a wristwatch. But this is not the case today. To a large extent, the wristwatch’s role as a means of telling the time is not very important. Most people have their smartphone with them at all times which gives perfect and accurate time anytime and anywhere.
But despite this, a lot of people continue to wear wristwatches. And why is that so?
Well, the answer is that the role, of the wristwatch, has changed over the decades. What was previously a crucial tool to know the time has more and more turned into a fashion accessory.
The wristwatch’s role in our life has therefore changed and went from a tool to tell the time to a fashion accessory. Whilst the function of a watch remains – and is practical to have – we now regard wristwatches mostly as stylish accessories.
This also explains why luxury watches have grown in popularity. The entry-level, cheap watches that most people wore have decreased in popularity because watches have turned into fashion accessories and to some extent status symbols.
With all of this said, it’s easy to understand why more and more attention is being put on the aesthetic side of wristwatches than before. And this also includes the size of wristwatches. This brings us to the next point.
Fashion trends come and go – the same goes for watch sizes
As we have concluded, wristwatches are today primarily fashion accessories and status symbols above a means of telling the time. As such, wristwatches should be regarded from a fashion point of view when we discuss watch sizes – which is an important component of their overall design.
If we compare the sizes of wristwatches from 60 or so years ago with those today, you’ll notice a huge difference. For example, the ideal size for men was somewhere between 33 and 36mm in diameter. Today, the ideal watch size for men is considered to be somewhere between 39 and 44mm.
So why is it that the size ideal of watches has changed so much?
Well, if we look at it from a fashion perspective, it becomes much easier to understand. Fashion trends tend to go in cycles. In other words, fashion trends that go out of style tend to return after a few years or maybe even a few decades. But one thing is usually certain and that is that the trend will sometime return.
Some fashion styles that were popular many decades ago and were considered ugly just a few years ago have now returned and become wildly popular. Some of the fashion trends that have returned include boot-cut jeans, skinny jeans, and wide-shoulder jackets for women, just to mention a few. It’s interesting because if we look back at some of the fashion trends from just a few years ago, we may wonder how in the world people could wear something so awful. Yet still, these trends may return in a couple of years or decades again and then be perceived as the most stylish thing out there.
And the same thing can be said about watches.
What is a big watch?
It can be good to define what a big watch is to get a better understanding of what we are talking about.
But the real answer to this question is that there is no fixed answer. As already discussed earlier, watch sizes are like fashion trends that evolve and change over time. For example, if you would have asked a man in the 1940s what a large watch was, he would likely say any watch over 36mm in diameter.
On the contrary, if you ask a man what a large watch is, today, he would likely say anything above 45mm in diameter. In other words, our perceptions of fashion, style, and what is nice and what is not change over time.
Most people today would however likely say that anything that is 45mm and above is a large watch. Some would set the bar slightly lower and some would set it higher.
The watch trend has moved toward larger watches
If we look at watch sizes with the same eyes as we view fashion trends, then we can say that watch size trends will come and go. And if we look at how people’s preference for watch sizes has changed over the years, decade over peace, we can indeed see that things have changed quite a lot in regards to how we view watch sizes.
If we look historically, the trend has indeed moved towards larger watches. Today, women wear 40mm men’s watches and absolutely love them. 60 years ago, not even men wore 40mm watches.
And to think a man that would wear a 50mm watch would just be considered insane.
When it comes to men’s watch sizes today, most men would choose a size between 36mm and 45mm. Then of course, there will always be those who wear both larger and smaller watches today. The ”sweet spot” of men’s watches – the sizes that most men wear are between 40 and 44mm.
However, the fact of the matter is that the size ideal for men’s watches has actually decreased in the last couple of years.
The peak of watch sizes was in the early 2000s
The early 2000s and late 1990s cannot be said to be the best years of watch designs. If you look back at some of the designs that came during this time, it’s safe to say that some of them were not very beautiful. This also relates to their sizes.
During the early 2000s in particular, the watch size trend was at its peak. It became very fashionable to wear large watches and so that’s the direction that many watch brands moved towards. It became very common for men to wear 44 up to sometimes 55 mm watches that were huge, eye-catching, and many times gaudy – at least by today’s standards.
If we look back at this era, many of us would agree that many of the watches that followed these size trends are too big, too bold, and perhaps tacky.
But since then, the watch world has actually moved in the other direction – towards small watches. The fashion trend at the time – meaning large watches – has actually started to die out and the trend we’re seeing now is that many watch brands are moving in the other direction and making smaller watches. This just goes to prove that watch sizes – just like fashion trends – go in cycles.
Rolex, for example, took a step back in terms of size with its Day-Date model. The Day-Date II was 41mm in diameter but was replaced by the Day-Date 40 in 2016. Not only that, the model was revised and reworked to look less bulky and more sleek and refined. This is just one of many examples where watch brands took a step back and moved towards a more traditional design language. And Rolex is definitely not alone in this. Most watch brands have moved in this direction too.
In more recent years, the most successful models have actually been models that have been launched in smaller sizes. For example, Tudor originally made the Black Bay in 41mm but launched the Black Bay 58 in 2018 with a diameter of 39mm. The Black Bay went on to become the single most successful model from Tudor.
In 2022, Tudor launched a 39mm version of its Pelagos which is 42mm and it became a huge success. This goes to show that the market is really longing for smaller watches – in particular when it comes to vintage-inspired watches (as they stay more true to the original). And as more watch brands release smaller watches that prove to be successes, then naturally more watch brands will see the response from the market and follow. This is why, in the coming years, we believe that the watch market will move towards smaller watches- the opposite of what the watch market has done in the last 20 years – which is in the opposite direction of larger watches.
Watches have gotten bigger – but are no longer getting bigger
The trend towards larger watches really accelerated in the early 2000s and peaked around 2010 somewhere. But since then, watches have not really continued to increase in size – generally speaking – and today, they’re actually decreasing in size. Watches are still huge compared to the early days of wristwatches but everything needs to be seen in the proper light. It’s important to bear in mind that watches at the time were not worn as fashion accessories. They were worn as tools.
As watches have moved towards fashion accessories, it’s only natural that their designs – including size – will also change.
Why have watches gotten bigger?
So far, we’ve only discussed the background and parallel to fashion when it comes to watch sizes and the increase of them. But why is it that watches have gotten so much bigger since they first came around?
Well, the biggest and most central answer to this question has to do with fashion trends. This would be like asking, why did baggy/loosely-fit clothes come into fashion some twenty years ago?
When fashion trends come around, most people tend to hop on. This also has to do with the fact that we start liking what we are exposed to and if we get exposed to commercials and people wearing large watches, then that is what most people will associate with ”stylish”.
The second explanation has to do with the fact that the purpose of the wristwatch has changed. Back in the day, the wristwatch was a tool first and a fashion accessory second.
Today, the wristwatch is, for most people, a fashion accessory first, and a tool second. Because of this, it’s natural that the size of wristwatches increases to make them more pronounced and become more noticeable on the wrist.
Thirdly, apart from being fashion accessories, wristwatches have more and more turned into status symbols over the decades. And what is the whole purpose of status symbols? To show them off, of course. And to make sure everyone sees them. And an important part of making sure people see the watch you are wearing is of course to make it larger. By making the watch larger, it is turned into a more pronounced, eye-catching status symbol that everyone will notice. And if that is the reason you are wearing a watch, then a large size will do exactly what it is you want it to do.
Bigger watch size: a status symbol to show off
As we discussed earlier, the wristwatch has turned more and more into a status symbol as the need for a wristwatch to tell the time has decreased. In other words, we don’t actually need to wear a wristwatch, but we want to.
During the late 1990s is when the idea of a watch as a status symbol really took off (although it had existed ever since the invention of the wristwatch to some extent).
The reason was that the watch industry was recovering from the quartz crisis which dramatically affected the Swiss watch industry. But during this time, mechanical watches started to increase in popularity again, partially thanks to a reworked strategy by the Swiss watch industry. They were no longer promoted as utility items, but rather luxury objects.
This boosted the idea of the wristwatch as a luxury object, and with showing off comes larger sizes. This trend led to the idea that the important thing was not about the watch telling the time. It was about portraying it as a luxury item and making sure everyone saw that you wore a mechanical watch.
And what better way to ensure that people see your watch than to increase the size?
There is never a right and wrong when it comes to watch sizes
The real answer to this question is that there is no right or wrong. If you wear a watch for your own sake, meaning that you wear what you enjoy – not what you think will impress other people (which is what we think you should do, but we’re not judging), then there is no right or wrong in the size you wear.
If you want to wear a 55mm watch and that is what you love, be our guest. If you prefer small, classic, and vintage-inspired timepieces with a diameter of 34mm, then that is fine too!
The most important thing when choosing a wristwatch is that you love it.
On the contrary, if you wear a watch solely as a status symbol, then it would make sense to opt for a larger watch that makes sure everyone sees it.
The bottom line is that you should choose whichever size you prefer, regardless of trends and size ideals.
At the same time, there are some general watch rules today that can help you find a watch size that sits well on your wrist. A general rule of thumb is that the end of the lugs do not protrude on each side of your wrist. In general, this is considered to be a simple way to ensure that you’re not wearing a watch that most people will consider awkward or too big for your wrist. But at the end of the day, if you don’t care about what other people think, just wear whatever you like the most.
Watch sizes are decreasing
The trend of watch sizes has moved towards larger and larger sizes. But as discussed briefly above, the trend now is actually moving in the opposite direction. More and more watch companies are starting to look back at the history and make watches that remain more true to the original. Today, vintage reissues and vintage-inspired watches have gotten extremely popular and there seems to be a huge interest from the general market for these types of watches. Of course, this doesn’t just go for style and design but also size.
It’s safe to say that the trend today is that watch brands in general are taking a step back and ignoring the huge and gaudy sizes and instead focusing on traditional, classic watch sizes. This is a trend that we think will continue in the coming decades. We will likely never go back to the 33mm men’s watch sizes, but the sweet spot size for men will likely land between 36 and 40mm and it will leave people questions about how people could go around with 50mm+ watches on their wrists. But only time will tell…
