How big does a 42mm El Primero wear?

GeorgeBailey2 · Oct 28, 2016

kurtj29
Here is the picture with perspective lines drawn in, the green line represents what is probably the true perspective distortion of the wide angle lens since the El Primero is 2mm bigger than the sub.

Careful...I think you are dangerously close to bringing math into this.

JimInOz · Oct 28, 2016

I thought this thread was going off track, but I'm glad to see some engineers have managed to pull it back to sanity.

I like the coloured lines 👍.

arcadelt · Oct 28, 2016

kurtj29
View attachment 298915
We know the Sub is at most 40mm and the El Primero is 42mm. I took the picture above, drew a line from edge to edge on the sub, and then copied to the El Primero. That is distortion for you. The El Primero should be bigger but in this distorted picture the El Primero looks to be the entire crown length smaller. The red lines are the exact same length. So in this picture the sub looks much bigger compared to the El Primero which is just false.

Now I would love to see that photo taken with the two watches in opposite positions. I know it would still be persepctively wrong, but it would allow me to bracket the results.

STANDY · Oct 28, 2016

GeorgeBailey2
Careful...I think you are dangerously close to bringing math into this.

Then you would have to bring the dynamics of wrist size in as 42mm watches look different on every wrist size 😗

But if they are your Speedmasters in your avatar they wear the same as them. ☕

Nobel Prize · Oct 28, 2016

arcadelt
Really? I'm not a photographer of any note, but wouldn't that mean his wrist would be distorted too, and in the photo it looks normal to me?

No, because it is a perspective issue not a lens distortion. The closer you are to the objects the larger the relative distance between the objects is.... Conversely with a telephoto lens on landscapes and portraits the background objects are brought forward appearing larger or closer.

If you look at the "what are you wearing today " thread you will notice how any times the watches look very large compared to wrists. A few have mastered how to take wrist shots without this effect.

Think on your daily picture taking how many times you take a picture with a short lens (16- 35 or 50) of someone standing in front of a landscape or building thinking "what an awesome background" only to be disappointed at his small the buildings or mountains appear.

Or if you had a long lens or telephoto how on the same portrait you miss the background completely because it becomes a wall.

The two easy solutions are:

1- take the pic from a distance and then crop it to your liking
2- stand in front of a mirror and take the pics on the mirror. ( This effectively doubles the distance of the shot)

Nobel Prize · Oct 28, 2016

Or to make a point, which of these watches fits my wrist better?

And now I add these so.yiu see how it compares with a 5512 on leather, a 16710 and a 14060M all are 40mm and less bulky than the modern ceramic BLBN

ulackfocus · Oct 28, 2016

I'll add my usual pair of pictures to show how the fisheye effect of macro can make a watch in a close-up wrist shot look MUCH bigger than it really is:

The closer the subject is to the lens, the larger it seems compared to things in the background, even if they're just behind the subject.

gostang9 · Oct 28, 2016

This has quickly become one of my favourite threads on OF. I don't have the El Primero but can maybe contribute something related to visual differences based on how a shot is taken.

I'm a terrible photographer with only an iPhone 6S, but I took some different shots to see how much this affects 4 of my watches that are quite similar in overall size (but look different due to varying aesthetic details). I used black pillows and background to eliminate any visual impact from anything other than the watches themselves. Each shot was taken from approximately 20" (0.5m) away so maybe farther than what @Nobel Prize mentions as the problematic 'close-up' range.

In real life, my Explorer II appears to 'wear larger' to me, even though dimensionally it is not very different from the other 3.

Compare watch size - with perspective shots.jpg

I think the bezel colour and width, dial size relative to overall size, height off your wrist, and relationship of watch width to wrist size all have an impact on how big/small a watch appears.

FWIW, a table listing different dimensions of 4 watches in the pictures (all in 'mm')

arcadelt · Oct 28, 2016

Nobel Prize
Or to make a point, which of these watches fits my wrist better?

WOW, I see your point.

speedy57 · Oct 28, 2016

my wrist is about 7 1/8"

speedy57 · Oct 28, 2016

FYI: By the way, mine is the 42mm version and my friend has the 38mm version and I obsessed over which one to get. I wore them both and LOVED both, this is such a great watch in BOTH sizes. BOTH look right on me and I'm an average guy at 5'8" med build. Finally, I found a deal on the 42mm so I went that way, no regrets! I wear it more than my Daytona, think about that!

kurtj29 · Oct 29, 2016

speedy57
FYI: By the way, mine is the 42mm version and my friend has the 38mm version and I obsessed over which one to get. I wore them both and LOVED both, this is such a great watch in BOTH sizes. BOTH look right on me and I'm an average guy at 5'8" med build. Finally, I found a deal on the 42mm so I went that way, no regrets! I wear it more than my Daytona, think about that!

Zenith, really small company that offers it's premier chronograph in both 38mm and 42mm sizes, just like the Rolex Daytona - oh wait....

elchicomalo · Oct 29, 2016

6.5ish wrist

38mm

Flingit1200s · Oct 30, 2016

Nobel Prize
Or to make a point, which of these watches fits my wrist better?

And now I add these so.yiu see how it compares with a 5512 on leather, a 16710 and a 14060M all are 40mm and less bulky than the modern ceramic BLBN

@Nobel Prize this is extremely helpful! I live in the middle of nowhere (Kansas) with virtually no options for trying a watch on before I buy.......thank you sir.

Flingit1200s · Oct 30, 2016

U ulackfocus
I'll add my usual pair of pictures to show how the fisheye effect of macro can make a watch in a close-up wrist shot look MUCH bigger than it really is:

The closer the subject is to the lens, the larger it seems compared to things in the background, even if they're just behind the subject.

I think our barbers went to the same school...........😁

How big does a 42mm El Primero wear?

GeorgeBailey2

JimInOz

arcadelt

STANDY

Nobel Prize

Nobel Prize

ulackfocus

gostang9

arcadelt

speedy57

speedy57

kurtj29

elchicomalo

Flingit1200s

Flingit1200s

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