There is so much more than case diameter in choosing a watch to wear. The length of the lugs, the thickness of the case, the width of the bezel, etc etc all affect how the watch will wear. There are 34mm relatively thick watches with thin bezels that look just fine on an average sized wrist; like this one:

 

I find it interesting that many military watches from Korea back to WWI are small, in the 30mm to 34mm range. I personally don't mind wearing this size, though the 30mm pieces feel small at times.

Tom

 

Sorry to bring up the size debate once again, but I have an interesting value proposition and trying to weigh my options for a proper dress watch. I know it's been about 3 years, but what is the trend of wearing "smaller" vintage dress watches.

Which would you rather prefer and would actually wear as dress watch, considering the price is about the same.

1.) Used 2010 Omega Co-Axial Prestige 38mm in solid gold.

2.) "Vintage" 1990 Jaeger-Lecoultre Odysseus 35mm in solid gold, cal 889.

Considering all things being somewhat equal: both have classic dress watch specs, simple dial, small date window, roman numerals, and precious metal casing. The only difference is one watch is larger and the other is a "higher-tier" watch brand with a more finished movement.

 

Personally, I'd take the JLC .

 

JLC

 

I'm not sure that smaller will ever come back in a big way, but who knows. I've heard a lot of the younger guys say they'd never go smaller than 37-38mm and I definitely think prices for the larger sizes have risen more than the smaller ones. But really it's whatever you like, and whatever your eye gets used to. Remember, too, that most men were smaller decades ago, so the smaller watches made sense...can't go wrong, imo, with 36 and above.

 

So I am a taller guy, 6ft, and my wrist size is about 6.75 to 7 inches. The JLC is a gorgeous watch, but only 34.5 to 35mm, excluding crown. 36mm is a good size, like the classic Rolex Datejust. However, 35mm is visually significantly smaller. I know we shouldn't ask/care about prestige, but what would look more dressier/prestigious to the casual observer between the 2?

 

I've said this before and I'll say it again: I'm 6'5" with 8" wrists and I think nothing of wearing smaller watches. I have a few tanks in the 25x40mm range and lots of round dress watches at 34-35mm. I even have one 33mm JLC (1948). I get far more compliments with a 35mm waffle dialed Omega than I do with a vintage Speedmaster.

I could also add that I find anything over 42mm silly. Anything more than 15mm high always catches shirt cuffs. When you also think about looking down at a 65 or 80 year old dial that has aged like nothing else and resulted in a unique piece of eye candy that is sitting on your wrist and no-one else's .... The choice is obvious.

 

I'm the same size as you, and again I wear watches from 34mm to 44mm. In the end you are the only one that has to be happy with your purchase, and many people on forums are trying to justify their own purchases and preferences by pushing them on others.

So pick the one you like best and don't worry what other people think.

Cheers, Al

 

Heck, When I was looking for an early 50s Speedking (a 31mm model) a year ago I even had other collectors on this forum tell me that a watch that size was unwearable and that I should look for a larger one.

 

Depending upon the size of your wrist. It's all relevant.

 

Over 6' tall, 8 inch wrist, currently wearing a 40's rectangular art deco Gruen that's 22mm wide.

 

I’d go with the JLC. I haven’t see anything exciting in those more modern Prestige lines - with the exception of the Hour Vision dials with the “tracks”... but those I believe are 40 or 41mm

 

35 mm watch in a 7 inch wrist. It works for me.

 

FFS. Wear whatever you like!

 

The JLC Odysseus has three subdials and a moonphase and other complications? In my opinion, it's too busy to be a dress watch, so the Omega wins by default.

 

omega for me

 

My experience with size is That you can wear anything you want with confidence and you can pull it off. Small, l, xl.

So wear what you like and by what you like. I have vintage watches at 34 and watches at 46mm and above. No one is ever said anything to me either way.

 

Looks fine on you. Wouldn't let a slight neg by a sales person bother you. A sales person at my local omega AD said she felt my omega smp was fake as I was wearing on a nato, not the original bracelet... -.-

To reiterate, it doesn't look too small.

 

They are fabulous 35mm
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