I think the ubiquitous use of phone cameras for wrist shots has led to a permanent parallax error where everyone thinks watches wear larger than they actually do. That and amongst other pretentious gatekeeping in the community, there is a vocal “size police” always ready to determine what’s an appropriate size for your wrist. So I’m going to write a love note to larger watches as my horological rebellion today.
For reference, I have wrists at 18 cm/7 inches, so not particularly large. And yes, I would personally agree that watches that are too large for a wrist can look a little silly; I do peronally follow the rule that lugs overhanging the visible edge of your wrists is that limit (though I still think anyone should wear what they like…who cares what someone else thinks). And I own and enjoy watches across the spectrum, from 36 mm to 44mm. So I’m not anti small watch. In fact, you should enjoy both because fads will swing back and forth.
Here’s my list of why large watches are the shit, and would love to hear others reasons as well:
- In the current market, more modestly sized watches are the dominant fad. So you can reap larger discounts buying against the stream in preparation for when 2010 rolls around again.
- Visibility and ease of telling time - granted design can help or muck this up, but apples to apples, large watches are generally easier to quickly tell the time. I can’t imagine a better watch as I wade into my reading glasses era than something like the IWC Big Pilot
- Crown and other pushes generally larger and easier to manipulate. Also a plus as you cross into middle age and beyond!
- You can generally get into high end complications for less money than super small and/or slim movements with the same complications.
- The James Bond in the novels probably had to use a 36mm Rolex as an impromptu knuckle duster. But why would you choose that when today you can buy a 44mm Rolex made out of gold to punch someone in the face with?
- Some watches are supposed to be large as part of their use case. Dive watches and pilots watches are supposed to be about legibility, and people really were smaller 50-75 years ago. 38mm back then probably was like rocking a 44mm Panerai today.
- 99.9% of people that you run into either won’t notice your watch, or if they do, will think that it’s too large (unless you’re rocking a 55mm Invicta or something similar). Most of them are wearing those blocks of an Apple Watch.
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