Choosing the right watch size is essential to ensure a comfortable and stylish fit. With a variety of watch brands offering diverse designs, strap sizes, and dial sizes, knowing how to measure your wrist and choose the perfect watch is crucial. This guide will teach you how to measure your wrist and select the ideal watch size for a seamless shopping experience.
1. How to Choose the Right Watch Size
Determining the Strap Length:
To find the perfect strap length, use a measuring tape or a ruler to measure your wrist size. Wrap the measuring tape around your wrist, noting the circumference in millimeters. This measurement is crucial for selecting the appropriate strap length.
Once you have your wrist measurement, you need to determine the corresponding strap length, which consists of the short strap (with the buckle) and the long strap (with holes).
Measure your wrist circumference
For example, if your wrist measures 150mm – 164mm, the ideal strap length would be 120/70mm, meaning the long strap is 120mm, and the short strap is 70mm.
Here is a helpful guide for determining strap length based on wrist circumference:
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Wrist Circumference: 150mm – 164mm = Strap Length: 120mm / 70mm
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Wrist Circumference: 165mm – 178mm = Strap Length: 125mm / 75mm
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Wrist Circumference: 179mm – 190mm = Strap Length: 130mm / 80mm
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Wrist Circumference: 191mm – 203mm = Strap Length: 135mm / 80mm
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Wrist Circumference: 204mm – 216mm = Strap Length: 140mm / 85mm
Determining the Strap Width:
The distance between the lugs (the bars that hold the strap) is the strap width. To measure this, you can use a caliper or a regular ruler. Ideally, the strap width should be half the size of the watch’s crystal or glass.
Measure the strap width
Here are some common strap width sizes for reference:
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Men’s watch strap width: 18mm – 24mm, corresponding to a dial diameter of 36mm – 48mm.
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Women’s watch strap width: 12mm – 18mm, corresponding to a dial diameter of 23mm – 36mm.
Determining the Dial Diameter:
Measure the dial diameter
You can determine the ideal dial diameter based on your wrist size as follows:
- Dial diameter: 23mm – 25mm for small women’s wrists.
- Dial diameter: 26mm – 29mm for average women’s wrists.
- Dial diameter: 34mm – 36mm for men’s and women’s wrists (midsize).
- Dial diameter: 37mm – 39mm for small men’s wrists.
- Dial diameter: 40mm – 42mm for medium men’s wrists.
- Dial diameter: Over 42mm for large men’s wrists.
Additionally, you can measure the dial diameter using a specialized watch measuring tool or a regular ruler.
Finding the Right Watch Size for Your Wrist:
To find the perfect watch size for your wrist, measure your wrist circumference and use the following formula:
- Minimum dial size = Wrist Circumference / 5 (mm).
- Ideal dial size = Wrist Circumference / 4.5 (mm).
- Maximum dial size = Wrist Circumference / 4 (mm).
Using these calculations, you can choose a watch size that suits your wrist.
Watch dial size should be proportional to your wrist
2. Watch Size Chart Based on Wrist Circumference
Watch size chart based on wrist circumference
After measuring your wrist circumference, you can refer to the following size charts to choose the ideal watch diameter:
How to read the watch size chart:
– The first row of numbers represents the wrist size (wrist circumference): 130 mm, 135 mm, 140 mm, 145 mm, 150 mm, 155 mm, etc.
– The numbers in the columns represent the watch size (dial diameter): From 20 mm to 50 mm.
For example: If your wrist circumference is 130 mm (13 cm), the optimal watch diameter would be between 28 mm and 30 mm.
| 130 mm | 135 mm | 140 mm | 145 mm | 150 mm | 155 mm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mm | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small |
| 22 mm | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small |
| 24 mm | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small |
| 26 mm | Slightly small | Slightly small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small |
| 28 mm | Just right | Slightly small | Slightly small | Slightly small | Too small | Too small |
| 30 mm | Just right | Just right | Just right | Slightly small | Slightly small | Slightly small |
| 32 mm | Slightly large | Slightly large | Just right | Just right | Just right | Slightly small |
| 34 mm | Too large | Slightly large | Slightly large | Slightly large | Just right | Just right |
| 36 mm | Too large | Too large | Too large | Slightly large | Slightly large | Slightly large |
| 38 mm | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Slightly large |
| 40 mm | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large |
| 42 mm | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large |
| 44 mm | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large |
| 46 mm | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large |
| 48 mm | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large |
| 50 mm | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large | Too large |
Wrist circumference: 130 mm – 155 mm (13 cm – 15.5 cm)
| 160 mm | 165 mm | 170 mm | 175 mm | 180 mm | 185 mm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mm | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small |
| 22 mm | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small |
| 24 mm | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small |
| 26 mm | Too small | Too small | Too small | Too small |
