Additional thoughts on small watches

One of the evergreen topics on watch forums and among enthusiasts is the question of proper watch size. Can watches be too large or too small? (The answer is, of course, yes.) Lovers of small watches lament certain brands only releasing watches in large sizes (looking at you Citizen and Bulova). Lovers of large watches complain that the trend is now going away from their most comfortable sizes.

The recent trend is towards smaller watches. Watches have changed sizes over the decades, but the swings have been less dramatic or as frequent as the changes in lapel or tie width. It is inarguable that larger consumers prefer larger watches. But, has the move towards larger watches always been about the size of the human wearing the watch?

If we look at Swedes, for example, we find that in 1880 the average male was nearly 171.2 cm in height. By 1980, the average male in Sweden was 180.4 cm. The obesity rate among the Swedish population in 1975 was 8.6% and in 2016 it was 22.1 (https://ourworldindata.org). So, the Swedish male population is historically getting taller and heavier. This is a world-wide trend. The average male wrist size is just a hair under 7 inches in circumference. Wrist size is not entirely dependent on height and weight, but it follows that larger humans will have larger wrists. We have gotten larger.

That may start to explain why watches became larger over time. It may not explain what Invicta is doing with their catalog. Importantly, and overlooked by many discussing this topic, is why watches were so small in the 1930’s and 1940’s to start with. Pocket watches had a fairly regular size or sizes. Wristwatches actually got smaller in the first few decades after their acceptance. Watches became small for the same reason that electronics shrank in later years: to show off. Wristwatches in the 1940’s were showing how much watch they could pack into a small space. “Small” was quality and luxury. Westclox and Timex could not do small, but Rolex and Gruen could. So, when we begin the story of watch sizes we are already at the small end of the spectrum.

Watches got larger because the consumer became less impressed by the miniaturization process. The 1950’s and 1960’s saw watches grow to a more natural size for the human wrist. The bracelet, strap, or band was still part of the decorative package. The watch face was not supposed to cover the entire wrist. Why spend good money on an exotic leather strap only to have it hidden from view? For the average male wrist, a 34mm watch was a better fit than a 28mm one. 34mm seems very small to the modern consumer. If I had an eight-inch wrist it would seem small to me.

When this topic is brought up a famous picture of Muhammed Ali wearing his Cartier Tank is shown, usually with the sentiment that if it was good enough for the Greatest then it is good enough for the rest of us. Recently, watch thinker Pete McConvill pushed back on his YouTube channel. Pete’s position, or “unpopular opinion”, was that when Ali bought his Cartier, he only had small watches to choose from. I like the thinking, but it does not hold up to scrutiny.  We are not shown Joe Louis’ watch, but Ali’s. The first photos of Ali wearing the Cartier don’t appear until 1975. In 1975 the Champ would not have had to look very hard for a 40mm watch. Ali wanted to wear the Cartier. His choices were not limited.

(Not wearing a Cartier Tank)