How To Wear A Large Watch

Watch sizes, like many other aspects of fashion, fluctuate throughout the years.

What’s considered elegant and tasteful one day can be deemed dainty and effeminate the next. Similarly, what was once considered laughably large can seem fashionable and masculine now.

For someone who writes about clothes on the internet, I don’t consider myself into watches.

I like how they look, sure. I wear one every single day. I think they are much more useful, reliable, and attractive than smart watches. I peruse watch websites now and then. I also have a basic knowledge of the big players in the industry.

But I don’t care about things like finishing. I don’t care what the movement looks like. I have no clue what the different reference numbers mean. I think buying a watch for the “patina” is stupid.

I just think that watches are nice-looking and practical, like a hat, or a pair of boots.

At the moment, I only own three watches. They are…

a 38mm, black-dial, quartz, Timex field watch on a steel mesh bracelet…

a 42mm, silver-dial, automatic, Bulova with a steel case on a black leather strap..

and a 45mm, black-dial, automatic, Bulova with a gold-tone case on a brown leather strap.

Of these three watches, my favorite is the 42mm Bulova. That watch was a gift from my wife about ten years ago. I wore it on our wedding day. I wear it multiple times a week.

The watch I wear the most often, however, is the 38mm Timex. I wear this watch most days, and even while I’m sleeping (so I can check the time in the middle of the night without having to turn over and put on my glasses).

The reason I wear the Timex more than the other two is because of its size. At 38mm it’s pretty much a perfect diameter for me. I am six-feet-tall and about 190 pounds and between 36mm and 42mm is my sweet spot when it comes to watches.

That’s true for most men.

So, if you own a watch that’s larger than that, as I do with my gold-tone, 45mm Bulova, how do you wear it without it looking like a pie-plate on your wrist?

#1 – Wear a sleeve.

You’d be surprised how even a large watch can melt away into the background (in a good way) when you are wearing a long sleeve shirt and a jacket or sweater. Even though the watch will peak out underneath your cuff, it won’t look or feel nearly as large as it does when your whole forearm is exposed.

I experienced this the other day with my 45mm Bulova. Usually, I don’t wear it around the house much since it feels so much larger than my 38mm Timex. But when I had an OCBD and blazer on, I wore the watch the whole day without even really noticing it was there. It just didn’t command the kind of visual attention it normally does if I were wearing it with a short sleeve shirt.

The only issue with this is if your shirt cuffs are snug. Most of mine are pretty relaxed (since my shirts are all OTR) and can handle a larger watch underneath them.

#2 – Choose a watch with a dark dial.

Watches with light dials appear larger on the wrist than watches with dark-colored dials. So, if you are aiming to wear a larger watch, I recommend wearing one with a dark dial to counteract the wider diameter.

My 45mm Bulova has a black dial, so it doesn’t look nearly as large as it would if it had a white or silver dial. Similarly, my 38mm Timex practically disappears on my wrist given the one-two of smaller size and dark dial.

#3 – Work out.

A larger watch looks proportionate on a larger wrist. If you work out, you’ll not only grow your arms, but you’ll also have the confidence to pull off a large watch.

While all exercise is beneficial, if you’re specifically looking for larger forearms, stick with exercises that test your grip strength. Deadlifts, pull-ups, and farmer’s carries are all excellent choices. Rock-climbing, jiu-jitsu, and wood-splitting are also great for building grip strength.

#4 – Wrist size isn’t as important as wrist shape.

I don’t have particularly large wrist circumference so I am always a little surprised when I put on my 45mm Bulova and it looks ok.

This is because of the shape of my wrist, not the size.

My wrists aren’t totally round like a cylinder, but they are pretty wide and flat. That means that a watch with a wide diameter sits comfortably on the top of my wrist without the lugs dangling off into space. If my wrists were the same circumference, just more… tubular, I guess… then a big watch wouldn’t look as good on me.

So, make sure you take, not only your wrist size, but shape into consideration when you are looking for which watch to wear.

#5 – Look at the lug-to-lug measurement.

The lugs are the four pointy things sticking out of the watch case (two on the top, two on the bottom) that hold the strap or bracelet to the watch itself. The lug-to-lug measurement is the distance between the end of the lug on the top and the end of the corresponding lug on the bottom.

A watch with a small case diameter can feel quite large if the lugs are long. Thankfully, a large watch can be much more comfortable than expected if the lugs are short.

#6 – Don’t worry about it.

That’s right! Don’t worry about it!

If you’re worried about how your large watch will look, just remember that in a couple years, everyone on the internet will be talking about how large watches are awesome, just like how they are talking about smaller watches now.

The fashion pendulum will swing back eventually. So while there is definitely a sweet spot for everyone when it comes to watch size, it’s important to remember that not everything will be perfect.

Go ahead and wear whatever watch makes you feel happy. If you’re feeling a little self-conscious, just follow the tips above and you’ll be alright.