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Therapy session - How to get used to a watch that seems too large (41mm Bond SMP). Or should I move on?

flw
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My evidence is, admittedly, purely anecdotal. I have no idea what the general trends are.

My late father was, at his full height (he gradually got shorter with age, as do we all), 6' 5". He weighed about 350 pounds, and accordingly he had very big wrists. (For those who are curious, I fortunately got more of my body stature from my late mother, who was 5' 2" and around 110 pounds. I landed in the middle.) In the mid-1970s he bought a two-tone Omega Constellation day-date integrated bracelet model, a 168.045, I think - and he had to get the bracelet enlarged with extra links. It still didn't look small on his wrist - the watch was sizeable - but he set the standard in my world for tall men. I always looked up to him, literally. After he passed away, I got his watch serviced by Omega (it went to Switzerland), but they couldn't get the bracelet to fit. It sits in my watch box today. And I can't picture anyone of his height or similar wearing a small watch.

That said, just out of curiosity - how many watches were available in Omega's catalog in, say, 1958 that were larger than 36mm? I wonder.
 
ErichPryde
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flw flw
My late father was, at his full height (he gradually got shorter with age, as do we all), 6' 5".


Here's standard distribution. And human height followe pretty closely to a true normal/gaussian distribution.

w=1700.webp


I don't have a chart for body proportion handy but generally speaking our bodies increase proportionately in size as we get taller. So although there are some incredibly tall men that also have thin wrists, they are exceptionally uncommon.
Edited:
 
ErichPryde
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flw flw
That said, just out of curiosity - how many watches were available in Omega's catalog in, say, 1958 that were larger than 36mm? I wonder.

I think there's a generational standard of what constitutes big and small (watch size) at play here as well, because I agree with your speculation- there probably weren't that many. If 39mm was on the big end, watches larger than 41 mm we're probably incredibly rare from any manufacturer (JLC's diver was 42mm, right?).

Meanwhile today the average is probably much closer to 40/41 mm for luxury pieces today.
 
Archer
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ErichPryde ErichPryde
It's so funny how wrist watches "fit" based upon so many factors. Height-- that is, our height, can make a huge difference in this equation as well.
Agreed. There are a bunch of things that affect how a watch looks. For the wrist it’s not just diameter, but shape. If you have a smaller but flat wrist, you can get away with a larger watch than a small round wrist.

The watch makes a difference too. Dial size compared to case size can alter how it looks. A thin bezel v thick bezel, or the length of the lugs, and even the thickness of the.

It’s not nearly as straightforward as it seems.
 
wagudc
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ErichPryde ErichPryde
Why does a taller guy necessarily have thinner wrists?
I didn't mean to imply that. I was saying "all else being equal . . ." I should have started the next sentence with "For example, a long skinny arm . . ." I do agree with the rest of your of your post.
 
502 to right
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Now that I think about it there is a Goldilocks dive watch size for me. It's my blue 39mm TAG Heuer WAP1112 Aquaracer that came out around 2012. The bracelet tapers from 20mm to 17mm. The size is literally perfect. The reason it's not my daily watch is because the TAG Heuer 2000 has a stronger emotional pull for me given that it is a quintessential 90's watch, whereas the WAP1112 Aquaracer is just a really nice and comfortable watch without a good story (for me anyway).

But while the WAP1112 Aquaracer is a perfect size, the slightly smaller 2000 is not a problem. I don't think it's too small.

91QBDDl0BOL._AC_SY741_.webp
 
omegawatchlvr
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6,5 " wrist here I own several 41mm smp's also one chrono and a Speedmaster and never had a problem my 2254.50 was a daily for atleast 18 years. Currently rocking a vintage 34mm 1500 Date Rolex and looks just as good. Ultimately it all depends on how you feel with it. Like others have mentioned if it doesnt bother you after a day or perhaps a week its fine . That being said if I start wearing something 41/42mm again of course i'll need to adjust again . Everything after the smp with the ceramic bezel and dial (the first iteration 2500 cal) I just find the case,bracelet and clasp to bulky not only the diameter increase but the case thickness . The beauty of the smp was the thin diver and the new clasps yes the have micro adjust but the are long and sometimes are the ame thickness of the case.
 
502 to right
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omegawatchlvr omegawatchlvr
6,5 " wrist here I own several 41mm smp's also one chrono and a Speedmaster and never had a problem my 2254.50 was a daily for atleast 18 years. Currently rocking a vintage 34mm 1500 Date Rolex and looks just as good. Ultimately it all depends on how you feel with it. Like others have mentioned if it doesnt bother you after a day or perhaps a week its fine . That being said if I start wearing something 41/42mm again of course i'll need to adjust again . Everything after the smp with the ceramic bezel and dial (the first iteration 2500 cal) I just find the case,bracelet and clasp to bulky not only the diameter increase but the case thickness . The beauty of the smp was the thin diver and the new clasps yes the have micro adjust but the are long and sometimes are the ame thickness of the case.

I'm 5'9" of average build. I think that contributes to my feeling the 41mm watch is a bit oversized.

As I've thought more about sizing since starting this thread, I've come to the conclusion that it's much easier to get used to a watch you think is a little on the small side as compared to a little on the large size.
 
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Wearing my TAG Heuer 1000 today. And it reinforces that I enjoy wearing a smaller watch. This case measures around 37 to 37.5mm. Lug to lug is 45mm.

The idea of wearing my Bond SMP every day is in the rearview mirror now.


IMG_1187.webp
 
AG77
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This may sound random but stay with me: I often like the look of a pair of shoes or clothing that just doesn't work for me. Cowboy boots as an example. A pea coat as another. Some people pull them off so well. Some people my size, some bigger, some smaller. I feel like watches are similar - some people can just pull off certain watches better than others. Not sure what it is.

In the end, just be honest with yourself. I don't wear cowboy boots because I feel l look awkward in them. They don't work for me tho I think they're cool as hell. The same way I feel when I try on a Ploprof or a Cartier Tank.
 
blufinz52
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Wearing my TAG Heuer 1000 today. And it reinforces that I enjoy wearing a smaller watch. This case measures around 37 to 37.5mm. Lug to lug is 45mm.

The idea of wearing my Bond SMP every day is in the rearview mirror now.


IMG_1187.webp
That Tag looks too small on your wrist. jmo
 
omegawatchlvr
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I'm 5'9" of average build. I think that contributes to my feeling the 41mm watch is a bit oversized.

As I've thought more about sizing since starting this thread, I've come to the conclusion that it's much easier to get used to a watch you think is a little on the small side as compared to a little on the large size.
Same size but skinny build here. I think both the TAG and Omega can work and look good on you as well . We can comment all we want and have our own opinion of course but in the end it still comes down to you .
 
T
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By every definition the current 42 mm diver 300 looked fine on my wrist. I simply could not get over it looking too big to me. Gifted it to a friend who wears it every single day, and loves it.
 
alam
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I own both the 2541.80 and 2531.80 SMP’s. This is the 90's Bond SMP. 41mm case. I love the look of the watch. I have a million different bracelets and straps I can switch between. I love the Bond connection (I’m a huge James Bond fan, both books and movies). I love the 1990’s connection. I love the color, the waves, and the robust 300 meter water resistance. I love the thinness. I’ve had both watches fully serviced in the last year and they look basically new.

But here’s the problem—I feel like they wear too large. Objectively, the 41mm case is not too large. My wrist is 6.9 inches (17.5 cm). I think that’s a pretty average wrist size. The SMP lug-to-lug is a very reasonable 47.5mm. Given the thinness of these watches, there’s no way anyone would say the 41mm SMP looks too large on me. But I have this mental dissonance when I wear them. I won’t bother posting photos since I know every normal person would say it looks fine.

When I’m not wearing the SMP my default watch of late has been the TAG Heuer 2000, which is 37.5mm. I love the size. It feels very comfortable to me. But it’s not a Bond watch and I’d really rather wear an Omega.

So what should I do? I’ve thought about forcing myself to wear the SMP for a month straight as I’m pretty sure I will mentally get used to the size. Or should I just accept that the SMP is not giving me the joy I should expect from a watch and roll with the TAG Heuer 2000?

BTW, I have tried the 36.25mm SMP and it looks tiny on my wrist. Way too small. I think my ideal SMP would be around 38mm or 39mm. Also, the 39.5mm Planet Ocean is a no go. I’ve tried it on. It’s too thick and that particular model doesn’t do anything for me. So really I think my choices are to get used to the SMP or wear the TAG Heuer 2000 and forget about Bond.
for how long have you been wearing these watches?
 
Jones in LA
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While discussing yet another 3+ hour movie, a famous film critic once said: 'A movie is only as long as it seems.'

Same thing for watches: they are only as large as they seem.
 
padders
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Can I cut this to the chase? Get the full size. Many watches work best at 34, 36, 38mm. The SMP does not. Just buy the 41mm and make it work.

Even Prince bloody William wishes his mother had thought ahead, she bought the child size for him, when he was a child. Now it looks daft.
 
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