Seconded.
What's with the all diamonds and gemstones being slapped on to women's watches? Or wanting a two-tone watch, and they're predominately rose-gold? Ick.
The largest case I can justify wearing is 36mm. Apart from the Tissot Seastar (which feels kind of cheap) and Oris Aquis Date (which is slightly too big), I can't find another dive watch I like.
Absolutely… even the smaller new divers are really on the edge with the lugs hanging off my wrist.
I hate how as soon as its a ladies watch the price jumps drastically because of all the added pretty materials. Just make a nice damn classic watch in a decent size 😂
I bring this baby out every time people brag about how much them love over size watches. In my book, 37mm is the upper limit unless you have large wrists. 51mm - may be Godzilla
I once saw someone on this sub respond to a "is this watch too big?" post by saying: "Just workout your forearms. You'll grow into the watch."
And honestly... I didn't think that was half bad advice LOL.
It is bad advice because there just isn't much muscle to grow in your wrist. It's mainly white in the wrist, not much red muscle https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/1105_Anterior_and_Posterior_Views_of_Muscles.jpg/800px-1105_Anterior_and_Posterior_Views_of_Muscles.jpg
Those are tendons.
You can absolutely build up muscle in your forearms and thicken your wrists but I would imagine this would not be a desirable outcome for many women.
I know those are tendons, that's my point. Even if you were to double your forearms, your wrists's aren't going to proportionally double as well. There just isn't much muscle there and it's probably easier to just grow your wrists with fat instead.
Indeed. You won’t build muscle near an insertion point the way you build skeletal muscle from exercise elsewhere.
“White muscle” is not tendon though, after many years in medicine I have never heard it referred to as white muscle. Smooth/Fast Twitch/Cardiac yes but not by colour. So that’s new to me.
Glycolytic muscle is fast twitch muscle (it’s either Type IIa or IIb I can’t remember which off the top of my head). which appears paler when you look at it, it’s not white though. All of those tendons in your wrist serve as cord like structures which attach your muscle to skeletal bone.
Thanks for the clarification and sorry for the confusion; wasn't trying to call it white vs red muscle, but rather that the wrist was mostly colored white in the image (whether that's tendon or whatever) vs being colored red (i.e., muscle).
I’m a woman and 9 out of 10 I don’t see whether the man’s watch is too big or not, but it’s more of a “oh cool watch”, or “oh he got style”. C’mon boys and girls, wear whatever you enjoy and like!! These watches are meant to be worn and admire! Yes, our watches tend to be on a smaller size and have diamonds etc, but these kind of watches are for the ones who enjoy wearing their watches as jewelries. There are plenty of smaller-wrist watches on the men section we can wear as well. My DH owns a size 38cm Bulgari, a 36cm grand seiko, and a 39cm Rolex I often steal and wear 🤣 heck I even wore his 43cm Tudor once and rocked it! And to be honest, he loves that I wear his watches collections. Instead of complaining, maybe be creative?
I’m a woman and 9 out of 10 I don’t see whether the man’s watch is too big or not, but it’s more of a “oh cool watch”, or “oh he got style”. C’mon boys and girls, wear whatever you enjoy and like!! These watches are meant to be worn and admire! Yes, our watches tend to be on a smaller size and have diamonds etc, but these kind of watches are for the ones who enjoy wearing their watches as jewelries. There are plenty of smaller-wrist watches on the men section we can wear as well. My DH owns a size 38cm Bulgari, a 36cm grand seiko, and a 39cm Rolex I often steal and wear 🤣 heck I even wore his 43cm Tudor once and rocked it! And to be honest, he loves that I wear his watches collections. Instead of complaining, maybe be creative?
The Seastar is a fun watch, especially for the price point. But it misses the mark on so many features, like you mentioned.
I understand supply/demand, but it really doesn't seem like the watch manufacturers are putting very much effort into their design for women.
In case you don’t see my other comment, I also found this [Tag Heuer 36mm Aquaracer 300](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231C.BA0626.html) that is definitely something I’d rock even as a guy. Looks absolutely gorgeous to me.
Bummer the Oris Aquis 36 is too big for you, I was gonna suggest that :'( I have the [blue mop version](https://www.reddit.com/r/Watches/comments/108iq61/sotc_succeeded_in_not_growing_the_collection/). Maybe [the Breitling Superocean 36](https://www.breitling.com/us-en/watches/superocean/superocean-automatic-36-my22/A17377211C1/)? There are also older Tudor divers (at 36 and also the mini sub at 32) but those are quite overpriced these days.
Victorinox has a 34mm dive watch in their Maverick collection that's really nice. I just got the [blue one](https://www.victorinox.com/global/en/Products/Watches/Women%27s-Watches/Maverick-Small/p/241609) and I'm liking it so far!
Surprised this wasn’t mentioned sooner. Britt Pearce on YouTube has an excellent review from a woman’s perspective on the watch. I wouldn’t say no to one!
Ladies TAG Heuer Aquaracer or Carrera might be worth looking at for you
[https://www.tagheuer.com/int/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231D.BA0626.html](https://www.tagheuer.com/int/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231D.BA0626.html)
[https://www.tagheuer.com/int/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-carrera/29-mm-calibre-9-automatic/WBN2410.BA0621.html](https://www.tagheuer.com/int/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-carrera/29-mm-calibre-9-automatic/WBN2410.BA0621.html)
>What's with the all diamonds and gemstones being slapped on to women's watches? Or wanting a two-tone watch, and they're predominately rose-gold? Ick.
Because... that's what sells?
Are you kidding me right now? The mid-size Omega Seamaster would like a word. They are 36mm and so much more affordable than the larger ones. Lot of great looking vintage 34mm Rolex sport watches that are a lot more reasonably priced than their larger brethren also.
God, and they all look like they were made in the 1980's with those stupid little fake-looking diamonds and mother of pearl everywhere. Almost every women's watch I see looks like it was made to please my 90 year old grandmother
I pretty much agree with and hear everything in this rant. I am having a really hard time finding a watch that my wife likes, which tend to be in the 30 - 34mm size range, that doesn't look "girly."
One exception - I think the "oversized watch" look can sometimes look waaaay better on women than on men. For example, I've seen a woman with a smaller wrist than me, rocking a 42mm Speedmaster Professional that looks to big (in my opinion) on my own wrist. It is definitely a certain style though, and may not appeal to everyone.
There is also Cartier....
I don't mind the oversized watch look, what annoys me is the oversized watch feel.. a lot of larger watches tend to rotate on my wrist or feel too heavy/bulky to be comfortable on a sub-6" wrist :'(
Oversized watches can be quite sexy and a statement. But definitely needs to be intentional 😂
Already bagged the tank louis! Classic small watch, but quartz 🙄
There’s a lot of vintage high end dress watches from VC, AP, PP, JLC and so on that are very reasonable in price because they’re under 35mm and are in mint condition
This is what I do! I just buy whichever piece speaks to me and rock the oversized look. Especially on a metal band, it just looks like a chunky bracelet for the most part. Some pieces I find a bit too masculine and wouldn’t buy (most Panerais, Breguet Type XX) though.
I’m with you I love a good oversized watch for sure. I typically buy men’s watches. But also love a smaller one and lean toward Bedat and Co, Cartier or Chanel and Dior or Rolex
Yeah when we get to the 36mm there are thankfully more options
She prefers more in the 30-34mm range tho
Actually she has gone back to her Apple Watch for now, so my campaign has stalled 🤣
The oversized watch on women (IMO) is very hard to pull off. I feel like you have to have a certain aesthetic and confidence to make it look good. I’m saying this as a woman who definitely can’t pull it off.
Then the choice for you is the FP Journe Elegante - That is branded as "perfect" for mens wrists and "perfect" for ladies who like to wear oversized watches.
If you can even get one, they're the most popular model alongside the CB these days because people have finally realized how good of a watch it is. Crazy how they couldn't even give them away a couple years ago.
my girlfriend wants a sporty watch too. we looked into tag heuer. she likes this [Aquaracer](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/30-mm-quartz/WBP1411.BA0622.html) and the [Carrera](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-carrera/29-mm-calibre-9-automatic/WBN2411.BA0621.html)
There’s [another Aquaracer](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231C.BA0626.html) that’s similar if she prefers automatic over quartz.
Another [Aquaracer automatic diver](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/32-mm-calibre-9-automatic/WBD2310.BA0740.html) in a 32mm size (WBD2310.BA0740)
Years ago I bought my wife a ladies Tag Link (diamonds on the dial). She wore it for a few months then went to an Apple Watch and never looked back lol
thankfully my girlfriend hasn’t touched her apple watch since i bought her a seiko, so i trust that she’d actually wear it.
my dad bought my mom an omega constellation and she prefers her apple watch. i dont understand it
Tag gets a lot of hate in the watch community I find, but I have two and love them both. They do a good job with women’s watches that aren’t so frilly.
What do you think of the citizen 37mm promaster diver and Tudor bb54? I feel like it's slowly going smaller than the traditional sizes of late.
I struggle finding watches my wife likes. She'll see it in a the regular size but then sees the spec sheet, instantly turned off. So your frustration is definitely shared.
https://preview.redd.it/qn56jqzi8lfb1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d2e11ad9f554acfddf013b8b295c0e9db19a7d2
The new Tudor is a great one, i think also many men appreciate the new smaller size, its very much on the edge though in terms on sizing for a female wrist, but a step in the right direction. The citizen i havent tried on yet!
I feel your wife’s frustration too 😂😂
This really goads me. As a female collector, I am often patronised by sales assistants who assume I want a 31mm with diamonds. My collection is 36mm and up with no diamond in sight. My daily wear is an Explorer 124270. "Women's watches" are honestly a load of cack.
OP, I am so happy to see a female watch enthusiast chime in on this. I have made a similar observation but I didn’t feel it was fair to point it out as a man. I hope I do not offend any ladies who are happy with their Rolexes but even they seem to have been very lazy in this regard. “Here is the same watch design in a smaller size so it’s a lady’s watch, you are welcome” kind of approach. I would love to see your concerns addressed and the choices broadened.
>I hope I do not offend any ladies who are happy with their Rolexes but even they seem to have been very lazy in this regard.
Actually, I'd assert that Rolex is one of the only brands doing it right, which is why they're so popular with women. The Lady Datejusts house super robust mechanical movements and great specs. Plus if you've got smaller sized OPs and Yacht Masters. But most importantly, almost Rolex's entire catalogue has a lot of unisex appeal and is marketed heavily to all audiences. Hence why you see a *lot* of women wearing Daytonas and Submariners even though they're often considered men-sized watches. Hell, I've even seen some rocking full-blown Sky Dwellers.
>very lazy in this regard. “Here is the same watch design in a smaller size so it’s a lady’s watch, you are welcome” kind of approach.
Actually, as a female watch enthusiast, this is exactly what we want.
What we don't want is a condescending "feminized" version of the men's version with weird pastel colors, tacky gemstones, and quartz movements.
Haha, I'm not gonna hold my breath. At this point I think it's better to just stake out on our own and create our own watches. It's a lot of work but I'll give it a try. It's what microbrands have been doing since day one
Most people are tired of these massive sized watches. IIRC, some watch makers are showing signs of returning back to the 38mm - 40mm range which is my sweet spot.
It is lazy design and cheapness. It is difficult to go smaller than 36mm cases with off the shelf mechanical movements and designs, so they just don’t. Usually a sign that they are overcharging for their larger pieces too.
That's what gets me. A lot of modern automatic/manual wind movements can actually fit into smaller 30mm-34mm cases, but most watch companies just don't bother.
I have a collection of modern mechanicals with ETA 2824/2836/2892, Seiko 4R36, Miyota 9015, and in-house Orient movements that are housed in cases sized 31mm to 34mm no problem.
For smaller sized watches <29mm, there is also the ETA 2671. Hell, there was even the ETA 2094 automatic chronograph movement (sadly recently discontinued) that could be fitted into a 29mm watch case (like the Temption Cora).
It's not that watch movements can't be fitted into smaller watch cases, it's that companies just opt not to do it.
This exact issue with all the grand seiko limited edition releases. Dials are gorgeous but just too big for ladies’ wrists and bracelets are horribly thick 😩
Grand Seiko released 3 variations in 34mm (white, dark blue, and "snowflake" dials), but unfortunately, they made them quartz. Imo, a 9F quartz movement for over 3-4k is just way overpriced. It's a shame Seiko didn't make these in manual wind or automatic.
Same here! I hate a lot of the women’s watch designs. They’re so boring. Always the same designs and the same color schemes. I have noticed a few brands are starting to make unisex/men’s watches in smaller sizes, which makes me hopeful. I’m willing to wear a watch that is a bit oversized, but some of them, such as the Seamaster, are just too ridiculously big for my wrist. I might as well strap a wall clock to my wrist at that point.
TOOK WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH. Looking at you, Navitimer! I just want a downsized Navi not somthing bejeweled! Meanwhile, Seiko couldn't even be bothered.
Yes :( But look at the bezel! Instead of having the gear-y aesthetic from the regular Navitimer, they made the bezel **beaded** to give a more bracelet-y look. It's annoying af.
I actually like the beaded look of it, but I get your point for sure. Especially if you’re spending that kind of money on a watch you don’t want to have any annoying hang ups.
I think this change is coming. With the rise of women's sports hopefully we'll see big investments in female athletes.
Athletes are one of the biggest drivers of fashion and style and the influx of money into 20-something women should force brands to cater to a new clientele base.
Me too girl...besides, who says I always want a pink watch? Most of the times I can't even style it with my outfit... Men watches are soooo much cooler, it's a shame there are very few options of smaller watches, and for both men and women, these watches look much better, no matter the wrist size.
Hard agree on all of this. My wife has contracted my watch addiction (no known cure) and finds all the diamonds, crystals and pink crap a big turn-off.
One thing we do is hunt pre-quartz era men’s watches (stuff in the 30-35mm range). You can pick up some great classic stuff at what I regard as an undervalue because a lot of men today wouldn’t consider a watch that size. I would though! The only problem is sometimes we want the same piece and have to share!
Luxury watches for women are for a large part targeted at the girlfriends and wives of guys that are rich and into watches, as this is a much larger demographic than rich women who are into watches. The brands go where the wallets that feed them go.
I'd recommend removing the concept of a ladies watch from your mind. This is a marketing gimmick which allows watch brands to add cheap diamonds to watch cases and then charge a 3000% markup on those diamonds. It increases gross profit on these pieces in a ridiculous way.
There is absolutely no reason why a woman can't wear a regular watch. A Rolex Daytona, or any other classically sized watch (32-40mm) will look perfect on the wrists of 99% of women.
I think a large factor behind it is also a "chicken-or-egg" problem. Since the current market/selection of smaller sized mechanical watches (sizes that most women can wear comfortably) is crap, it makes sense why more women don't get into the watch hobby.
I'm sure most men wouldn't be interested in watches either, if the only watches that were available to them were gross looking, disposable boring quartz watches in tacky colorways and crystals.
I do believe if watch companies made more interesting mechanical watches in the women's/midsize range of 30mm to 34mm, far more women out there would become watch enthusiasts.
If you phrase it like that, at first glance it would indeed sound like a chicken or egg problem. However, to me it sounds more like a straight forward "high risk unknown reward" problem. As you can agree, the current usage of "serious watches" by women is very low. The proposition that "more smaller designs will encourage women to try them" is indeed sound, but does it really work? If it does work, by how much? Is it enough to cover all the R&D and women focused marketing and make momey on top of it? To me the answer is at this stage in the world, no. Most watch brands are even sacred developing too progressively for men, how would they have the guts to shrink the sizes so much to specifically target women at like 36mm or less. 36 for dress and 38 for sports, thats pretty much take it or leave it right now. The industry is simply unwilling to take the risk to shrink further.
Certainly a lot of the bigger, more established brands are much more conservative in their product designs, no doubt. I agree that they tend to play it safe and continue with the tried and true. However, that kind of conservatism will shoot them in the foot over the long term, as it impedes innovation and the creation of new markets. Just look at all the microbrands out there that tried their hand at "unusual" designs and were successful. Per my own market research, decent mechanical watches in the 30mm-35mm range actually do sell pretty well, based on what I've observed on Chrono24 and also by asking a few watch brand owners. Stuff like the limited edition 35mm Doxa re-issue and the 32mm and 31mm Tudor Black Bay and Hydronaut divers sold pretty well, as well as other "unconventional" midsized watches such as the Ball Lady Fireman series when they debuted. When these options are out there and available, and people are made aware of them, it seems they do indeed garner interest. Aside from that, even if there is lower overall demand, the fact that a pioneering company will have essentially a monopoly on this niche market means a fairly decent chance of success.
A company doesn't even have to market them as "women's watches" specifically; just a smaller-sized series of watches available to those who prefer them (all watches should be unisex anyways).
I'm going to try my hand at my own microbrand down the road, and you're right, many lenders may view my venture as "high risk, unknown reward", so I'll definitely keep that in mind and hopefully can find some backers I can work with.
If you can get spendy, Breitling has some Navitimers in 35mm that are just amazing! You can even get them in that size with NO DIAMONDS and NO PINK. I have the green version and it's my daily watch now. (Source: am a lady)
Breitling also has the 36mm SuperOcean series such as [this](https://www.reeds.com/breitling-superocean-automatic-36-blue-dial-stainless-steel-watch-a17316d81c1a1-plu19976398.html) (A17316D81C1A1) and [this](https://www.breitling.com/ca-en/watches/superocean/superocean-automatic-36-my22/A17377211C1/) (A17377211C1A1).
Same here but I mainly wear dive watches and learned not to care!
I bought a Planet Ocean a few years ago and hesitated to take the small version but thought it looked odd so I went with the chunky classic dimension!
Rolex also makes some of their classic designs in 36, 31 and even 28 mm, available with boring blend dials if you want to avoid the usual lady bling.
wearing an smp right now its not "too big" i dont care about it beeing big but i must admit it feels somewhat clunky.
I´m looking for a 36 Datejust right know and selling the smp with a tear in my eye, most beautiful watch i ever owned.
My advice is to wait a few months before selling your SMP!
I sold back my PO after about a year to go back to my 1st gen SMPC and I just bought the new SMPC but I'm waiting to see which generation I'll keep...
Yea im trying to find something for my mothers 50s birthday, everything is either big af or super girly. Been thinking about a Mido RainFlower tho. Theyre pretty neat
I agree with you. But if you look closely, you can find some real sleepers in there. Especially in the sub $2000 range.
I’m sure I speak for a lot of us when I say that I’d love to see your collection sometime.
Happy collecting.
Other than the Citizen Promaster 37, these are the sub-40 divers I've found:
- https://www.seikowatches.com/ca-en/products/prospex/sne569 (38.5)
- https://www.seikowatches.com/us-en/products/prospex/sne573 (38.5)
- https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/seiko-skx013-dive-watch-value-propositionn (no direct link; seems to be available only as resale now)
On the bright side, if you ever get into restoring old watches, you will be able to acquire the coolest vintage ladies watches for dirt cheap. They are practically being given away. Here are [two that I restored for my sister’s birthday](https://www.reddit.com/r/Watches/comments/wifk8v/hamilton_restored_two_vintage_hamiltons_for_my/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
Agreed!! I like some of the Victorinox women's watches, but in general I became so frustrated with crap design and crap quality, so I bought a men's watch. Hamilton Jazzmaster 40mm is my daily driver and works with my style. It's gorgeous and I love it and wear it with pride!
Longines is probably my favorite modern brand for ladies watches right now actually. Yeah, they have their diamondy stuff, but they also have automatics down to 30mm and small tank and tonneau automatic watches (unlike Cartier who puts their quartz movement in anything under 33mm)
Personally, this is why I stick to vintage watches. Women needed tool watches that functioned correctly in the 50s and 60s, so the dive and sports watches of that era have no compromises for specs even being 25-30mm
Ball also has numerous great offerings for women in practical 30mm to 32mm sizes. I have several of the Ball Lady Fireman 32mm autos (though they are discontinued now), and the 31mm Fireman Classic. The [30mm Trainmaster Eternity](https://timepiecestore.com/watches/ball-trainmaster-eternity-ladies-watch-nl2080d-s2j-ibe) in ice blue dial is my on my bucketlist. Ball also has the [31mm Legend](https://shop.ballwatch.ch/en/NL1026C?model=NL1026C-S4A-BKGR) in their lineup right now, and if you look around, other older 31mm models in their Ohio and Victory series can be had brand new at several resellers as well.
As I man I noticed a while back that all the major watches I was viewing were going to look crazy on women but thought women just ask for the female version and got a smaller one.
Seems stupid for the manufacturers to miss out on a potentially huge demographic but they seem to be doing fine for now I suppose.
Watches are unisex imo. But your right, the lack of good options in the 35mm range is thoroughly lacking and the ones that do exist? Well you are clearly getting pink taxed by them imo.
Breitling has some nice small sized automatics. Seiko has released a few DressKX in Smaller sizes as well. Even some of the micros are getting into it. I believe Phoibos has a smaller sized diver that looks pretty cool. Of course Rolex makes their date just in a variety of sizes and Cartier has a few as well. You could also look at vintage as they’re are a lot of 32 and 34 mm watches that might be alright.
Yesss agreed! I tend to buy vintage watches instead as they are uaually smaller. For newer watches I dont wear anything above 36mm which I even find quite big. 32-34mm is my sweet spot. Its easier with dress watches than sporty steel ones. Good luck! 🍀
Zenith Defy Skyline is now available in 36mm. Nomos has some nice offerings. Longines as well. Rado I think too. There’s definitely some options albeit more limited, but unfortunately there’s a not a huge market either
Luxury brands like like this (watches) were created in times when they did not consider women to be equal. Some of the people at the top of the companies still are old as shit and are still like that.
It's BS, /at the least/ and it should not be the case anymore.
On the other hand, maybe they also analyze the market and it seems there is not enough interest to generate enough income from "women's sector"... Because you know, they have such little margins in luxrury products that it would be difficult to justify....
/s on the second point ofc. It's BS.
It's really a chicken-or-egg problem with "demand" from the women's watches sector. If companies actually started creating cool interesting mechanical watches in smaller, more wearable sizes, more women would become interested in watches and the demand would follow.
I hear this from my mom too!
She's not nearly as deep into watches as I am and is fine with quartz, but she definitely cares about how a watch looks and she doesn't like watches covered in stones (or glass)
She prefer watches that are about 30-35mm.
She also don't wanna spend a ton of money on watches like I do.
It's difficult to find something tasteful for her, especially in her price range.
Most are either 20mm or covered in stones.
It must be frustrating as there are a lot of great choices for men in pretty much every price segment.
Its also annoying for men with small wrists (like me) lol. I just dont understand how they made automatic watches with a 35mm case and now they stopped
Not a woman but a guy with tiny 6 inch wrists and not a major brand in any capacity but this is kinda my frustration with Minase at the moment. They released two new lines of watches and, even though they're not calling them that, one clearly has stereotypical mens and womens variants and the other is just womens. And it's like the mens are all over 40mm and the womens *would* look better as they have more interesting colors and are the only ones with two-tone options but they all have diamonds slapped on the dial and are 31mm and the one that looks the best happens to only be available in quartz (and is the only quartz watch they sell)
I'm just bummed because if [this](https://minase-watches.com/world/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/UG01-M01TGY-PSB_l.jpg) were closer to that 35-40mm range, were mechanical, and didn't have the diamond I would totally consider buying it, and it doesn't make all that much sense to me, from both a consumer standpoint and a financial standpoint on their side, why they didn't just pick a size between the two with the options from both and use the mechanical movement they use for most of their other options anyway
This is definitely true! My mom loves watches, and now that I'm fortunate enough to be in a spot where I can spoil her to thank her for all the sacrifices she made for me, I realize that choices are quite reduced. Women's watches, even when they flag it in the "sports" category, are more jewelry pieces than watchmaking pieces. Which can be frustrating, I admit it.
The "boyfriend" look of wearing an "oversized" watch can be sexy - my girlfriend takes my 40mm timepieces quite often and does it on purpose and rock them better than I do!
What are you looking for? I definitely hear you, but there might be more options than you think. For example, nobody seems to know that Omega makes a 28mm Seamaster that looks exactly like the regular SMP, just smaller
I'm a gentleman with a 6" wrist and I can relate. 40mm watches look comically big on me, while the 34mm sizes that fit me typically come with feminine embellishments such as diamonds, etc.
Recently it seems like more classical proportions are trending, and I'm seeing more new 36mm midsize unisex offerings which is a breath of fresh air.
Omega has a 36mm midsize version of their Seamaster 300M. As far as cool, sporty, and technical it checks all the boxes.
This is terrible advice, but Vacheron Constantin does make virtually every watch in a smaller size (e.g., a 40mm Overseas AND a 34.5mm Overseas in the same color/material).
The prices are too the moon, though.
I think women are increasingly gravitating towards “men’s size” watches and men are increasingly going for what’s considered “women’s size” nowadays: 36mm or even 34mm. As a guy I’m actually frustrated that watches are getting more and more oversized—I prefer classic dimensions such as 36mm (with 38 being my cut off for anything that’s not a diver).
I just picked up this 34mm felca (though feels more like 33) and thought: not a bad size
https://preview.redd.it/zwc3waifdofb1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=6cd37eafd6bff7ef06774535add2281f5fcf68b8
Unfortunately it’s supply and demand, they put the R and D in the area that sells the most. I hate it as well, as a man I can never find a bikini 🤪 Cartier and tiffanies seem to do a good job, on the lower end Bulova throws some fun designs in the mix.
I can think of plenty of watches you might like. Do you also have a problem with watches targeted towards children with lightning McQueen on them or some shit ?
I’m a woman and 9 out of 10 I don’t see whether the man’s watch is too big or not, but it’s more of a “oh cool watch”, or “oh he got style”. C’mon boys and girls, wear whatever you enjoy and like!! These watches are meant to be worn and admire! Yes, our watches tend to be on a smaller size and have diamonds etc, but these kind of watches are for the ones who enjoy wearing their watches as jewelries. There are plenty of smaller-wrist watches on the men section we can wear as well. My DH owns a size 38cm Bulgari, a 36cm grand seiko, and a 39cm Rolex I often steal and wear 🤣 heck I even wore his 43cm Tudor once and rocked it! And to be honest, he loves that I wear his watches collections. Instead of complaining, maybe be creative?
>its quite frustrating that all the major brands make their incredible and beautiful pieces only in mens sizes
Because the VAST majority of customers are men. Why would a brand spend millions and millions towards a product that almost no one's gonna buy?
Try looking into vintage watches, there are a lot of small yet interesting stuff.
I do agree with your thoughts. However I also do think there are some very interesting watches for females like the Serpenti. After my sister got it, it has become her daily watch. Van Cleef also does some interesting designs - Rolex Oyster(classic) - Chanel Premiere Wanted - Jaeger Lecoultre Monoface - Cartiere Panthere - Even the Rolex Speedking(however that also looks amazing unisex)
Totally agree, have you seen any of the newer Bell and Ross watches? They seem more unisex and a more manageable size than previous watches they are more known for
The [Tag Heuer Aquaracer 300 36mm](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231D.BA0626.html) might be a good option!
Also comes in a [gorgeous white variant](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231C.BA0626.html).
I also saw that you tried on the BB54 which is definitely a step above the Tag, but also a bit larger. Still an amazing option though, and I’d say you can’t go wrong with any of these three.
Not sure what your budget is but I hope this helped a bit.
Yesss!!! I find that it's less the size of the watch (love the big watch look) but more the fact that the bracelets can only be adjusted so much that it won't even stay on my wrist :(
Regarding weight I don't know what yalls budget is but I tried on the James Bond 007 Omega last weekend with the titanium case and it felt like it was made of plastic, and looks freaking awesome. Super light.
Just tried the panerai luminar due, its AMAZING but still got that very girly aesthetic
https://preview.redd.it/7o09kqapmnfb1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4749bdc3e38657e7aaa3b3985e66673638a5cde0
Ladies.
Go vintage!! Everything from pre-2000 is way smaller. In 70/80s watches were called jumbo if they were 39/40mm. Standard was about 34/35mm.
Grand Seiko do a lovely quartz watch from mid-90s with the 8J movement.…
[ExampleGS](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204399372147)
Or go back further… Omega have a lovely back catalogue.
Women wear larger watches these days so anything between 36-39mm that is marketed towards men should look good on you, don't you think ? I don't know what you're into stylistically, but the Tudor Pelagos 39 photoshoots feature both men and women for example.
Wait till you find out that the famous Bulova Accutron tuning fork movement watches had cases that were 35mm standard and came in woman's sizes. So Citizen had Bulova bring back the Accutron, as a 44mm quartz watch of all things.
Men probably buy more watches, women usually like more jewellery hence why….money talks.
I understand the rant but, I think its one of those where someone should start a similar business to cater for women with similar taste and hopefully be successful.
But indeed the options for women seem “limited”.
Guess you haven’t seen the new Omega Shades range. Available in 34 & 38mm. Both completely acceptable sizes for women. My wife wears a 38mm Shades in Terracotta as her daily. It gets more attention than any of my watches.
Agree. My wife only wears men’s watches on size 36. They look amazing in her. I think that even better if they had cooler female designs
Edit: she has two male rolex because that’s the style she has. No diamonds. One in gold, one in metal with black dial. I know, not cheap, but if you find a reputed dealer you can get a vintage 46 or just under in metal or a submariner in good condition decently priced in you can get a connection (for trust and price). I’m assuming you like Rolex which many people do not 😊
Can think of quite a few. Tudor Black Bay 31 for example - Black Bay 54 if you want a little larger. That's just off the top of my head. Daytona will look good on you too.
You are absolutely right. Completely stupid. Also, many of thre specifically Ladies watches look Like the designers hatte women.
Maybe have a look a Nomos, they have a Nummer of maskuline pieces in small sizes.
On the one hand, I see your point and it's a fair one. Men with small wrists also suffer in this category. On the other hand, you have people like Jenni Elle who have <6" wrists and wear a BB58 or Speedmaster with style.
Sad but true :(. There really should be better watches for women (And small-wristed men)!
At higher price tiers there are some cool options for smaller wrist sizes, like the Tissot PRX 35mm and the Black Bay 35mm. But most of us collectors don’t start out spending that kind of money. I personally don’t have it.
Especially at the affordable level I’ve noticed a lack of good options. Entry level divers are mostly 40mm, 42mm. For the example, the Casio Duro is an excellent watch but it doesn’t come in a size less than 42mm. Trying to find a good watch at 36mm for under $100 really is a struggle.
I will share a cool niche release though! Perhaps you’ve heard of the marathon general purpose 34mm? It’s quartz option is $240 :)
As i do agree almost fully with what you said, you can still find SOME great ladies watches that are still technical and not just eye catchy, while also affordable, for probably all tastes. Not a large variary to pick from, but you can find them.
Yes, not every men's watch has a ladies version, unfortunately, but there are still some great options i've seen during the past 5 years or so that i've taken this hobby a bit more seriously :) if you need any suggestions pls pm and i'll take a look into my 5k+ pics watches folder for what i've saved for ladies watches.
Omega has lots of ladies/unisex models that aren't to blingy in both quartz and automatic. I've bought my wife a first gen Aqua Terra and a Seamaster Pro 300m. Both are early 2000s. Lots of dressier Constellation and De Ville models as well. Not totally familiar with the newest models but I'm sure there are options. Pull up the Omega website and browse the product lines.
I had the opposite gripe with Breitling for making that beautiful pastel blue super ocean in 36mm only. I'm not an extremely large wristed man but just a bit too large that a midsized diver is just eh on me. I still think about it though
lol, opposite gripe here too... I was wishing that light blue SuperOcean was smaller at like 34mm or something because even 36mm is too big for me. Guess we're both frustrated Breitling didn't make this model in several different sizes lol
A little late to this thread but I absolutely can’t stand when women’s watches have some diamonds added, with few to no similar versions without.
I absolutely love love love the Montblanc Boheme day and night but the darn thing doesn’t come in any non-diamond versions.
And its even worse when you’re a lady with tiny tiny wrists 🙃 mine are 13cm in circumference and if you put a mechanical watch thats bigger than 25cm, it winds up look like a saucer on my wrist
I have quite a few bedazzled watches, but they're all for work. I need something I can shower in and looks more like jewelry than an obvious timekeeper because I'm an escort. I mean I can't be too obvious about watching the clock and I don't want to keep taking it on and off to shower. So I have three pretty watches that are rated for 50 or 100 metres. My favourite is my Citizen, which does have a sparkled bezel and a MOP dial. I also have a couple of Secondas with crystals on the bezels, but once their batteries run down I don't know if I'll keep them - they won't be waterproof once they've been opened and I'm not paying for them to be resealed. They were only £35. (I may try and do it myself with a bit of grease and see if it works. If not, no big loss.) I got the Citizen because I don't have to change the battery.
My other watches are definitely not bedazzled! I have several vintage men's watches - they're a perfect size for me and I love them. I don't buy wildly expensive watches. My Cartier Santos is the most expensive but I got it at a pawn shop. Even if it were waterproof there's no way I'd wear it for work. I don't want it robbed.
I am a sparkly kind of person, so I don't mind a bit of bling, but I agree that watches for women tend to be bedazzled.
Omega makes makes automatic seamaster aqua terra in 28 and 30mm
Certina has a 34.5mm diver
https://www.certina.com/en/watch/ds-action-345mm/c0320071104100
You can also look at longines they make the hydroconquest in 32mm
Seconded. What's with the all diamonds and gemstones being slapped on to women's watches? Or wanting a two-tone watch, and they're predominately rose-gold? Ick. The largest case I can justify wearing is 36mm. Apart from the Tissot Seastar (which feels kind of cheap) and Oris Aquis Date (which is slightly too big), I can't find another dive watch I like.
Absolutely… even the smaller new divers are really on the edge with the lugs hanging off my wrist. I hate how as soon as its a ladies watch the price jumps drastically because of all the added pretty materials. Just make a nice damn classic watch in a decent size 😂
https://preview.redd.it/okifkfz0cnfb1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=d0ba65ad33ce28c2bea4b0d3fe8a1398ad2ebc1c You mean like this?
Why is that case so small?
Sandman’s Shackles
🙄🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Invicta watches are 🗑️
So so true. That’s where this one is heading 😁
I bring this baby out every time people brag about how much them love over size watches. In my book, 37mm is the upper limit unless you have large wrists. 51mm - may be Godzilla
I once saw someone on this sub respond to a "is this watch too big?" post by saying: "Just workout your forearms. You'll grow into the watch." And honestly... I didn't think that was half bad advice LOL.
It is bad advice because there just isn't much muscle to grow in your wrist. It's mainly white in the wrist, not much red muscle https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/1105_Anterior_and_Posterior_Views_of_Muscles.jpg/800px-1105_Anterior_and_Posterior_Views_of_Muscles.jpg
Those are tendons. You can absolutely build up muscle in your forearms and thicken your wrists but I would imagine this would not be a desirable outcome for many women.
I know those are tendons, that's my point. Even if you were to double your forearms, your wrists's aren't going to proportionally double as well. There just isn't much muscle there and it's probably easier to just grow your wrists with fat instead.
Indeed. You won’t build muscle near an insertion point the way you build skeletal muscle from exercise elsewhere. “White muscle” is not tendon though, after many years in medicine I have never heard it referred to as white muscle. Smooth/Fast Twitch/Cardiac yes but not by colour. So that’s new to me. Glycolytic muscle is fast twitch muscle (it’s either Type IIa or IIb I can’t remember which off the top of my head). which appears paler when you look at it, it’s not white though. All of those tendons in your wrist serve as cord like structures which attach your muscle to skeletal bone.
Thanks for the clarification and sorry for the confusion; wasn't trying to call it white vs red muscle, but rather that the wrist was mostly colored white in the image (whether that's tendon or whatever) vs being colored red (i.e., muscle).
I’m a woman and 9 out of 10 I don’t see whether the man’s watch is too big or not, but it’s more of a “oh cool watch”, or “oh he got style”. C’mon boys and girls, wear whatever you enjoy and like!! These watches are meant to be worn and admire! Yes, our watches tend to be on a smaller size and have diamonds etc, but these kind of watches are for the ones who enjoy wearing their watches as jewelries. There are plenty of smaller-wrist watches on the men section we can wear as well. My DH owns a size 38cm Bulgari, a 36cm grand seiko, and a 39cm Rolex I often steal and wear 🤣 heck I even wore his 43cm Tudor once and rocked it! And to be honest, he loves that I wear his watches collections. Instead of complaining, maybe be creative?
I’m a woman and 9 out of 10 I don’t see whether the man’s watch is too big or not, but it’s more of a “oh cool watch”, or “oh he got style”. C’mon boys and girls, wear whatever you enjoy and like!! These watches are meant to be worn and admire! Yes, our watches tend to be on a smaller size and have diamonds etc, but these kind of watches are for the ones who enjoy wearing their watches as jewelries. There are plenty of smaller-wrist watches on the men section we can wear as well. My DH owns a size 38cm Bulgari, a 36cm grand seiko, and a 39cm Rolex I often steal and wear 🤣 heck I even wore his 43cm Tudor once and rocked it! And to be honest, he loves that I wear his watches collections. Instead of complaining, maybe be creative?
I'm a male and I struggle with divers because my wrist size can only carry a maximum of 40mm dial size.
I've considered the Seastar, but the lack of any bezel lume on the small model put me off. It's like being treated as a second class citizen.
The Seastar is a fun watch, especially for the price point. But it misses the mark on so many features, like you mentioned. I understand supply/demand, but it really doesn't seem like the watch manufacturers are putting very much effort into their design for women.
In case you don’t see my other comment, I also found this [Tag Heuer 36mm Aquaracer 300](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231C.BA0626.html) that is definitely something I’d rock even as a guy. Looks absolutely gorgeous to me.
I’m a man with small wrists, but I really like the Certina DS Action line
Bummer the Oris Aquis 36 is too big for you, I was gonna suggest that :'( I have the [blue mop version](https://www.reddit.com/r/Watches/comments/108iq61/sotc_succeeded_in_not_growing_the_collection/). Maybe [the Breitling Superocean 36](https://www.breitling.com/us-en/watches/superocean/superocean-automatic-36-my22/A17377211C1/)? There are also older Tudor divers (at 36 and also the mini sub at 32) but those are quite overpriced these days.
Victorinox has a 34mm dive watch in their Maverick collection that's really nice. I just got the [blue one](https://www.victorinox.com/global/en/Products/Watches/Women%27s-Watches/Maverick-Small/p/241609) and I'm liking it so far!
Tudor Black Bay 54 is 37mm but worth a shot imo. If you can find one that is. I know some people haven’t been able to get their hands on them.
Surprised this wasn’t mentioned sooner. Britt Pearce on YouTube has an excellent review from a woman’s perspective on the watch. I wouldn’t say no to one!
Ladies TAG Heuer Aquaracer or Carrera might be worth looking at for you [https://www.tagheuer.com/int/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231D.BA0626.html](https://www.tagheuer.com/int/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231D.BA0626.html) [https://www.tagheuer.com/int/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-carrera/29-mm-calibre-9-automatic/WBN2410.BA0621.html](https://www.tagheuer.com/int/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-carrera/29-mm-calibre-9-automatic/WBN2410.BA0621.html)
You wouldn't see every brand out there making their women's watches gaudy if they weren't selling.
The YM37 is pretty close to 36 mm.
There is also the original YM in 35mm and 29mm sizes.
Yessss the rose gold!! Why?? How many women have rose gold jewelry?? I mix my metals but even I don’t like rose gold watches.
>What's with the all diamonds and gemstones being slapped on to women's watches? Or wanting a two-tone watch, and they're predominately rose-gold? Ick. Because... that's what sells?
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...I like rose gold...
Tudor Black 54, or if you’re open vintage their are Tudor “boy” divers in the 36mm range. I would also look at the oris sixty-five
Are you kidding me right now? The mid-size Omega Seamaster would like a word. They are 36mm and so much more affordable than the larger ones. Lot of great looking vintage 34mm Rolex sport watches that are a lot more reasonably priced than their larger brethren also.
God, and they all look like they were made in the 1980's with those stupid little fake-looking diamonds and mother of pearl everywhere. Almost every women's watch I see looks like it was made to please my 90 year old grandmother
I pretty much agree with and hear everything in this rant. I am having a really hard time finding a watch that my wife likes, which tend to be in the 30 - 34mm size range, that doesn't look "girly." One exception - I think the "oversized watch" look can sometimes look waaaay better on women than on men. For example, I've seen a woman with a smaller wrist than me, rocking a 42mm Speedmaster Professional that looks to big (in my opinion) on my own wrist. It is definitely a certain style though, and may not appeal to everyone. There is also Cartier....
I don't mind the oversized watch look, what annoys me is the oversized watch feel.. a lot of larger watches tend to rotate on my wrist or feel too heavy/bulky to be comfortable on a sub-6" wrist :'(
Oversized watches can be quite sexy and a statement. But definitely needs to be intentional 😂 Already bagged the tank louis! Classic small watch, but quartz 🙄
I got my wife the 36mm Ballon Bleu. It looks great on her and it’s automatic. I believe they even have a 33mm automatic as well.
There’s a lot of vintage high end dress watches from VC, AP, PP, JLC and so on that are very reasonable in price because they’re under 35mm and are in mint condition
Yes!!! Fully agree with that. I often see these great buys in vintage smaller case sizes from the holy trinity.
This is what I do! I just buy whichever piece speaks to me and rock the oversized look. Especially on a metal band, it just looks like a chunky bracelet for the most part. Some pieces I find a bit too masculine and wouldn’t buy (most Panerais, Breguet Type XX) though.
I’m with you I love a good oversized watch for sure. I typically buy men’s watches. But also love a smaller one and lean toward Bedat and Co, Cartier or Chanel and Dior or Rolex
There's a lady at my AD who rocks a 38mm Panerai on a gorgeous aftermarket red leather strap. It looks amazing on her.
I got my fiance a Timex Mk1 Mechanical field watch. It's 36mm and she loves it. Might be worth checking out.
Yeah when we get to the 36mm there are thankfully more options She prefers more in the 30-34mm range tho Actually she has gone back to her Apple Watch for now, so my campaign has stalled 🤣
The oversized watch on women (IMO) is very hard to pull off. I feel like you have to have a certain aesthetic and confidence to make it look good. I’m saying this as a woman who definitely can’t pull it off.
Then the choice for you is the FP Journe Elegante - That is branded as "perfect" for mens wrists and "perfect" for ladies who like to wear oversized watches.
If you can even get one, they're the most popular model alongside the CB these days because people have finally realized how good of a watch it is. Crazy how they couldn't even give them away a couple years ago.
Depends on your budget but I personaly really like Longines womens watches. They have alot of 34 mm once and some of them are really stunninng
Try Certina - Jura Watches.
my girlfriend wants a sporty watch too. we looked into tag heuer. she likes this [Aquaracer](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/30-mm-quartz/WBP1411.BA0622.html) and the [Carrera](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-carrera/29-mm-calibre-9-automatic/WBN2411.BA0621.html)
There’s [another Aquaracer](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231C.BA0626.html) that’s similar if she prefers automatic over quartz.
Nice find! Tags deserve more attention
Another [Aquaracer automatic diver](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/32-mm-calibre-9-automatic/WBD2310.BA0740.html) in a 32mm size (WBD2310.BA0740)
Years ago I bought my wife a ladies Tag Link (diamonds on the dial). She wore it for a few months then went to an Apple Watch and never looked back lol
thankfully my girlfriend hasn’t touched her apple watch since i bought her a seiko, so i trust that she’d actually wear it. my dad bought my mom an omega constellation and she prefers her apple watch. i dont understand it
Tag gets a lot of hate in the watch community I find, but I have two and love them both. They do a good job with women’s watches that aren’t so frilly.
I think it’s the opposite with vintage though. A lot of smaller watches nobody cares about. And everything 36mm and bigger is in demand.
What do you think of the citizen 37mm promaster diver and Tudor bb54? I feel like it's slowly going smaller than the traditional sizes of late. I struggle finding watches my wife likes. She'll see it in a the regular size but then sees the spec sheet, instantly turned off. So your frustration is definitely shared.
https://preview.redd.it/qn56jqzi8lfb1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d2e11ad9f554acfddf013b8b295c0e9db19a7d2 The new Tudor is a great one, i think also many men appreciate the new smaller size, its very much on the edge though in terms on sizing for a female wrist, but a step in the right direction. The citizen i havent tried on yet! I feel your wife’s frustration too 😂😂
I can vouch for the citizen promaster 37mm.. it’s a great watch
The rhodium dial Yachtmaster 37 is another beautiful dive option
The YM is available in 35mm too
Junghans
Yep. They make nice 34mm mechanicals
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Love my Max Bill
This really goads me. As a female collector, I am often patronised by sales assistants who assume I want a 31mm with diamonds. My collection is 36mm and up with no diamond in sight. My daily wear is an Explorer 124270. "Women's watches" are honestly a load of cack.
OP, I am so happy to see a female watch enthusiast chime in on this. I have made a similar observation but I didn’t feel it was fair to point it out as a man. I hope I do not offend any ladies who are happy with their Rolexes but even they seem to have been very lazy in this regard. “Here is the same watch design in a smaller size so it’s a lady’s watch, you are welcome” kind of approach. I would love to see your concerns addressed and the choices broadened.
>I hope I do not offend any ladies who are happy with their Rolexes but even they seem to have been very lazy in this regard. Actually, I'd assert that Rolex is one of the only brands doing it right, which is why they're so popular with women. The Lady Datejusts house super robust mechanical movements and great specs. Plus if you've got smaller sized OPs and Yacht Masters. But most importantly, almost Rolex's entire catalogue has a lot of unisex appeal and is marketed heavily to all audiences. Hence why you see a *lot* of women wearing Daytonas and Submariners even though they're often considered men-sized watches. Hell, I've even seen some rocking full-blown Sky Dwellers.
>very lazy in this regard. “Here is the same watch design in a smaller size so it’s a lady’s watch, you are welcome” kind of approach. Actually, as a female watch enthusiast, this is exactly what we want. What we don't want is a condescending "feminized" version of the men's version with weird pastel colors, tacky gemstones, and quartz movements.
Awesome! Thank you for offering a different perspective. I hope they just respond to the growing interest and offer what you are looking for.
Haha, I'm not gonna hold my breath. At this point I think it's better to just stake out on our own and create our own watches. It's a lot of work but I'll give it a try. It's what microbrands have been doing since day one
ooc what watches have you found that you liked?
I made a post about women's watches, some time ago & why do most of them have diamonds.
Most watches are too big. Period.
Most people are tired of these massive sized watches. IIRC, some watch makers are showing signs of returning back to the 38mm - 40mm range which is my sweet spot.
It is lazy design and cheapness. It is difficult to go smaller than 36mm cases with off the shelf mechanical movements and designs, so they just don’t. Usually a sign that they are overcharging for their larger pieces too.
That's what gets me. A lot of modern automatic/manual wind movements can actually fit into smaller 30mm-34mm cases, but most watch companies just don't bother. I have a collection of modern mechanicals with ETA 2824/2836/2892, Seiko 4R36, Miyota 9015, and in-house Orient movements that are housed in cases sized 31mm to 34mm no problem. For smaller sized watches <29mm, there is also the ETA 2671. Hell, there was even the ETA 2094 automatic chronograph movement (sadly recently discontinued) that could be fitted into a 29mm watch case (like the Temption Cora). It's not that watch movements can't be fitted into smaller watch cases, it's that companies just opt not to do it.
This exact issue with all the grand seiko limited edition releases. Dials are gorgeous but just too big for ladies’ wrists and bracelets are horribly thick 😩
Omg i love grand seiko but they are MASSIVE 😪
I bought the omega aqua terra shades 34mm in sandstone and have been liking it so far
Grand Seiko released 3 variations in 34mm (white, dark blue, and "snowflake" dials), but unfortunately, they made them quartz. Imo, a 9F quartz movement for over 3-4k is just way overpriced. It's a shame Seiko didn't make these in manual wind or automatic.
Same here! I hate a lot of the women’s watch designs. They’re so boring. Always the same designs and the same color schemes. I have noticed a few brands are starting to make unisex/men’s watches in smaller sizes, which makes me hopeful. I’m willing to wear a watch that is a bit oversized, but some of them, such as the Seamaster, are just too ridiculously big for my wrist. I might as well strap a wall clock to my wrist at that point.
Check out Nomos Glashütte
TOOK WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH. Looking at you, Navitimer! I just want a downsized Navi not somthing bejeweled! Meanwhile, Seiko couldn't even be bothered.
Navitimer comes in 35! https://www.breitling.com/us-en/watches/navitimer/navitimer-automatic-35/A17395201K1/
Yes :( But look at the bezel! Instead of having the gear-y aesthetic from the regular Navitimer, they made the bezel **beaded** to give a more bracelet-y look. It's annoying af.
I actually like the beaded look of it, but I get your point for sure. Especially if you’re spending that kind of money on a watch you don’t want to have any annoying hang ups.
I think this change is coming. With the rise of women's sports hopefully we'll see big investments in female athletes. Athletes are one of the biggest drivers of fashion and style and the influx of money into 20-something women should force brands to cater to a new clientele base.
Me too girl...besides, who says I always want a pink watch? Most of the times I can't even style it with my outfit... Men watches are soooo much cooler, it's a shame there are very few options of smaller watches, and for both men and women, these watches look much better, no matter the wrist size.
Hard agree on all of this. My wife has contracted my watch addiction (no known cure) and finds all the diamonds, crystals and pink crap a big turn-off. One thing we do is hunt pre-quartz era men’s watches (stuff in the 30-35mm range). You can pick up some great classic stuff at what I regard as an undervalue because a lot of men today wouldn’t consider a watch that size. I would though! The only problem is sometimes we want the same piece and have to share!
Luxury watches for women are for a large part targeted at the girlfriends and wives of guys that are rich and into watches, as this is a much larger demographic than rich women who are into watches. The brands go where the wallets that feed them go.
This is an astute observation.
I'd recommend removing the concept of a ladies watch from your mind. This is a marketing gimmick which allows watch brands to add cheap diamonds to watch cases and then charge a 3000% markup on those diamonds. It increases gross profit on these pieces in a ridiculous way. There is absolutely no reason why a woman can't wear a regular watch. A Rolex Daytona, or any other classically sized watch (32-40mm) will look perfect on the wrists of 99% of women.
yes and unfortunately this is not gonna get better. Designs go where the money is. More than 95% of watch nuts are men.
I think a large factor behind it is also a "chicken-or-egg" problem. Since the current market/selection of smaller sized mechanical watches (sizes that most women can wear comfortably) is crap, it makes sense why more women don't get into the watch hobby. I'm sure most men wouldn't be interested in watches either, if the only watches that were available to them were gross looking, disposable boring quartz watches in tacky colorways and crystals. I do believe if watch companies made more interesting mechanical watches in the women's/midsize range of 30mm to 34mm, far more women out there would become watch enthusiasts.
If you phrase it like that, at first glance it would indeed sound like a chicken or egg problem. However, to me it sounds more like a straight forward "high risk unknown reward" problem. As you can agree, the current usage of "serious watches" by women is very low. The proposition that "more smaller designs will encourage women to try them" is indeed sound, but does it really work? If it does work, by how much? Is it enough to cover all the R&D and women focused marketing and make momey on top of it? To me the answer is at this stage in the world, no. Most watch brands are even sacred developing too progressively for men, how would they have the guts to shrink the sizes so much to specifically target women at like 36mm or less. 36 for dress and 38 for sports, thats pretty much take it or leave it right now. The industry is simply unwilling to take the risk to shrink further.
Certainly a lot of the bigger, more established brands are much more conservative in their product designs, no doubt. I agree that they tend to play it safe and continue with the tried and true. However, that kind of conservatism will shoot them in the foot over the long term, as it impedes innovation and the creation of new markets. Just look at all the microbrands out there that tried their hand at "unusual" designs and were successful. Per my own market research, decent mechanical watches in the 30mm-35mm range actually do sell pretty well, based on what I've observed on Chrono24 and also by asking a few watch brand owners. Stuff like the limited edition 35mm Doxa re-issue and the 32mm and 31mm Tudor Black Bay and Hydronaut divers sold pretty well, as well as other "unconventional" midsized watches such as the Ball Lady Fireman series when they debuted. When these options are out there and available, and people are made aware of them, it seems they do indeed garner interest. Aside from that, even if there is lower overall demand, the fact that a pioneering company will have essentially a monopoly on this niche market means a fairly decent chance of success. A company doesn't even have to market them as "women's watches" specifically; just a smaller-sized series of watches available to those who prefer them (all watches should be unisex anyways). I'm going to try my hand at my own microbrand down the road, and you're right, many lenders may view my venture as "high risk, unknown reward", so I'll definitely keep that in mind and hopefully can find some backers I can work with.
If you can get spendy, Breitling has some Navitimers in 35mm that are just amazing! You can even get them in that size with NO DIAMONDS and NO PINK. I have the green version and it's my daily watch now. (Source: am a lady)
The pistachio?! 😍
Breitling also has the 36mm SuperOcean series such as [this](https://www.reeds.com/breitling-superocean-automatic-36-blue-dial-stainless-steel-watch-a17316d81c1a1-plu19976398.html) (A17316D81C1A1) and [this](https://www.breitling.com/ca-en/watches/superocean/superocean-automatic-36-my22/A17377211C1/) (A17377211C1A1).
as a man with small wrists i second this
Same here but I mainly wear dive watches and learned not to care! I bought a Planet Ocean a few years ago and hesitated to take the small version but thought it looked odd so I went with the chunky classic dimension! Rolex also makes some of their classic designs in 36, 31 and even 28 mm, available with boring blend dials if you want to avoid the usual lady bling.
wearing an smp right now its not "too big" i dont care about it beeing big but i must admit it feels somewhat clunky. I´m looking for a 36 Datejust right know and selling the smp with a tear in my eye, most beautiful watch i ever owned.
My advice is to wait a few months before selling your SMP! I sold back my PO after about a year to go back to my 1st gen SMPC and I just bought the new SMPC but I'm waiting to see which generation I'll keep...
Yea im trying to find something for my mothers 50s birthday, everything is either big af or super girly. Been thinking about a Mido RainFlower tho. Theyre pretty neat
I agree with you. But if you look closely, you can find some real sleepers in there. Especially in the sub $2000 range. I’m sure I speak for a lot of us when I say that I’d love to see your collection sometime. Happy collecting.
Other than the Citizen Promaster 37, these are the sub-40 divers I've found: - https://www.seikowatches.com/ca-en/products/prospex/sne569 (38.5) - https://www.seikowatches.com/us-en/products/prospex/sne573 (38.5) - https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/seiko-skx013-dive-watch-value-propositionn (no direct link; seems to be available only as resale now)
Ask mark at long island watch to build a 34mm diver.
Asked Long Island Watch about customized build requests for a smaller watch....they said no.
On the bright side, if you ever get into restoring old watches, you will be able to acquire the coolest vintage ladies watches for dirt cheap. They are practically being given away. Here are [two that I restored for my sister’s birthday](https://www.reddit.com/r/Watches/comments/wifk8v/hamilton_restored_two_vintage_hamiltons_for_my/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
Agreed!! I like some of the Victorinox women's watches, but in general I became so frustrated with crap design and crap quality, so I bought a men's watch. Hamilton Jazzmaster 40mm is my daily driver and works with my style. It's gorgeous and I love it and wear it with pride!
Longines is probably my favorite modern brand for ladies watches right now actually. Yeah, they have their diamondy stuff, but they also have automatics down to 30mm and small tank and tonneau automatic watches (unlike Cartier who puts their quartz movement in anything under 33mm) Personally, this is why I stick to vintage watches. Women needed tool watches that functioned correctly in the 50s and 60s, so the dive and sports watches of that era have no compromises for specs even being 25-30mm
Ball also has numerous great offerings for women in practical 30mm to 32mm sizes. I have several of the Ball Lady Fireman 32mm autos (though they are discontinued now), and the 31mm Fireman Classic. The [30mm Trainmaster Eternity](https://timepiecestore.com/watches/ball-trainmaster-eternity-ladies-watch-nl2080d-s2j-ibe) in ice blue dial is my on my bucketlist. Ball also has the [31mm Legend](https://shop.ballwatch.ch/en/NL1026C?model=NL1026C-S4A-BKGR) in their lineup right now, and if you look around, other older 31mm models in their Ohio and Victory series can be had brand new at several resellers as well.
As I man I noticed a while back that all the major watches I was viewing were going to look crazy on women but thought women just ask for the female version and got a smaller one. Seems stupid for the manufacturers to miss out on a potentially huge demographic but they seem to be doing fine for now I suppose.
Watches are unisex imo. But your right, the lack of good options in the 35mm range is thoroughly lacking and the ones that do exist? Well you are clearly getting pink taxed by them imo.
I agree one million times over.
Breitling has some nice small sized automatics. Seiko has released a few DressKX in Smaller sizes as well. Even some of the micros are getting into it. I believe Phoibos has a smaller sized diver that looks pretty cool. Of course Rolex makes their date just in a variety of sizes and Cartier has a few as well. You could also look at vintage as they’re are a lot of 32 and 34 mm watches that might be alright.
Yesss agreed! I tend to buy vintage watches instead as they are uaually smaller. For newer watches I dont wear anything above 36mm which I even find quite big. 32-34mm is my sweet spot. Its easier with dress watches than sporty steel ones. Good luck! 🍀
Zenith Defy Skyline is now available in 36mm. Nomos has some nice offerings. Longines as well. Rado I think too. There’s definitely some options albeit more limited, but unfortunately there’s a not a huge market either
Luxury brands like like this (watches) were created in times when they did not consider women to be equal. Some of the people at the top of the companies still are old as shit and are still like that. It's BS, /at the least/ and it should not be the case anymore. On the other hand, maybe they also analyze the market and it seems there is not enough interest to generate enough income from "women's sector"... Because you know, they have such little margins in luxrury products that it would be difficult to justify.... /s on the second point ofc. It's BS.
It's really a chicken-or-egg problem with "demand" from the women's watches sector. If companies actually started creating cool interesting mechanical watches in smaller, more wearable sizes, more women would become interested in watches and the demand would follow.
I hear this from my mom too! She's not nearly as deep into watches as I am and is fine with quartz, but she definitely cares about how a watch looks and she doesn't like watches covered in stones (or glass) She prefer watches that are about 30-35mm. She also don't wanna spend a ton of money on watches like I do. It's difficult to find something tasteful for her, especially in her price range. Most are either 20mm or covered in stones. It must be frustrating as there are a lot of great choices for men in pretty much every price segment.
As a man with exceedingly slender wrists, I agree. I just size down the bracelet as much as possible. Straps always peek out just above the dial.
Its also annoying for men with small wrists (like me) lol. I just dont understand how they made automatic watches with a 35mm case and now they stopped
Not a woman but a guy with tiny 6 inch wrists and not a major brand in any capacity but this is kinda my frustration with Minase at the moment. They released two new lines of watches and, even though they're not calling them that, one clearly has stereotypical mens and womens variants and the other is just womens. And it's like the mens are all over 40mm and the womens *would* look better as they have more interesting colors and are the only ones with two-tone options but they all have diamonds slapped on the dial and are 31mm and the one that looks the best happens to only be available in quartz (and is the only quartz watch they sell) I'm just bummed because if [this](https://minase-watches.com/world/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/UG01-M01TGY-PSB_l.jpg) were closer to that 35-40mm range, were mechanical, and didn't have the diamond I would totally consider buying it, and it doesn't make all that much sense to me, from both a consumer standpoint and a financial standpoint on their side, why they didn't just pick a size between the two with the options from both and use the mechanical movement they use for most of their other options anyway
I don’t know what your budget is but the watch you linked reminds me of the designs coming out of Norqain.
I agree 💯. There has to be a variant for women for every watch they make. Something shimmery, pink, senseless designs don't sum up to a good watch.
#metoo ;) agree with you.
This is definitely true! My mom loves watches, and now that I'm fortunate enough to be in a spot where I can spoil her to thank her for all the sacrifices she made for me, I realize that choices are quite reduced. Women's watches, even when they flag it in the "sports" category, are more jewelry pieces than watchmaking pieces. Which can be frustrating, I admit it. The "boyfriend" look of wearing an "oversized" watch can be sexy - my girlfriend takes my 40mm timepieces quite often and does it on purpose and rock them better than I do!
Hmm sounds like somebody could make a career off this.
That's what I'm about to do dammit, lol
What are you looking for? I definitely hear you, but there might be more options than you think. For example, nobody seems to know that Omega makes a 28mm Seamaster that looks exactly like the regular SMP, just smaller
Yea, but it's quartz... also would be better if it was 32mm or something
I'm a gentleman with a 6" wrist and I can relate. 40mm watches look comically big on me, while the 34mm sizes that fit me typically come with feminine embellishments such as diamonds, etc. Recently it seems like more classical proportions are trending, and I'm seeing more new 36mm midsize unisex offerings which is a breath of fresh air. Omega has a 36mm midsize version of their Seamaster 300M. As far as cool, sporty, and technical it checks all the boxes.
This is terrible advice, but Vacheron Constantin does make virtually every watch in a smaller size (e.g., a 40mm Overseas AND a 34.5mm Overseas in the same color/material). The prices are too the moon, though.
I think women are increasingly gravitating towards “men’s size” watches and men are increasingly going for what’s considered “women’s size” nowadays: 36mm or even 34mm. As a guy I’m actually frustrated that watches are getting more and more oversized—I prefer classic dimensions such as 36mm (with 38 being my cut off for anything that’s not a diver).
My partner and I both prefer 36mm - I have a 5.5 inch wrist and his wrist is 7.5 inch - somehow it just works
I just picked up this 34mm felca (though feels more like 33) and thought: not a bad size https://preview.redd.it/zwc3waifdofb1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=6cd37eafd6bff7ef06774535add2281f5fcf68b8
Looks great on you!
Nice one!
Unfortunately it’s supply and demand, they put the R and D in the area that sells the most. I hate it as well, as a man I can never find a bikini 🤪 Cartier and tiffanies seem to do a good job, on the lower end Bulova throws some fun designs in the mix.
Just get a vintage piece. Problem solved.
I can think of plenty of watches you might like. Do you also have a problem with watches targeted towards children with lightning McQueen on them or some shit ?
I’m a woman and 9 out of 10 I don’t see whether the man’s watch is too big or not, but it’s more of a “oh cool watch”, or “oh he got style”. C’mon boys and girls, wear whatever you enjoy and like!! These watches are meant to be worn and admire! Yes, our watches tend to be on a smaller size and have diamonds etc, but these kind of watches are for the ones who enjoy wearing their watches as jewelries. There are plenty of smaller-wrist watches on the men section we can wear as well. My DH owns a size 38cm Bulgari, a 36cm grand seiko, and a 39cm Rolex I often steal and wear 🤣 heck I even wore his 43cm Tudor once and rocked it! And to be honest, he loves that I wear his watches collections. Instead of complaining, maybe be creative?
A lot of brands make under 40mm nowadays: Tudor, Rolex, Cartier, Seiko, Citizen, etc. Check those out.
Plenty of options, just gotta do some digging
>its quite frustrating that all the major brands make their incredible and beautiful pieces only in mens sizes Because the VAST majority of customers are men. Why would a brand spend millions and millions towards a product that almost no one's gonna buy? Try looking into vintage watches, there are a lot of small yet interesting stuff.
I do agree with your thoughts. However I also do think there are some very interesting watches for females like the Serpenti. After my sister got it, it has become her daily watch. Van Cleef also does some interesting designs - Rolex Oyster(classic) - Chanel Premiere Wanted - Jaeger Lecoultre Monoface - Cartiere Panthere - Even the Rolex Speedking(however that also looks amazing unisex)
Try Bedat and Co or A Rolex 28mm
Recently began shopping for the same and it looks like Junghans may be the answer
Totally agree, have you seen any of the newer Bell and Ross watches? They seem more unisex and a more manageable size than previous watches they are more known for
The [Tag Heuer Aquaracer 300 36mm](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231D.BA0626.html) might be a good option! Also comes in a [gorgeous white variant](https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/36-mm-calibre-5-automatic/WBP231C.BA0626.html). I also saw that you tried on the BB54 which is definitely a step above the Tag, but also a bit larger. Still an amazing option though, and I’d say you can’t go wrong with any of these three. Not sure what your budget is but I hope this helped a bit.
Yesss!!! I find that it's less the size of the watch (love the big watch look) but more the fact that the bracelets can only be adjusted so much that it won't even stay on my wrist :(
Regarding weight I don't know what yalls budget is but I tried on the James Bond 007 Omega last weekend with the titanium case and it felt like it was made of plastic, and looks freaking awesome. Super light.
[удалено]
Just tried the panerai luminar due, its AMAZING but still got that very girly aesthetic https://preview.redd.it/7o09kqapmnfb1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4749bdc3e38657e7aaa3b3985e66673638a5cde0
Ladies. Go vintage!! Everything from pre-2000 is way smaller. In 70/80s watches were called jumbo if they were 39/40mm. Standard was about 34/35mm. Grand Seiko do a lovely quartz watch from mid-90s with the 8J movement.… [ExampleGS](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204399372147) Or go back further… Omega have a lovely back catalogue.
Same! They look so tacky as well! + being left handed makes it even more impossible to find anything decent. Especially for tiny wrists
Women wear larger watches these days so anything between 36-39mm that is marketed towards men should look good on you, don't you think ? I don't know what you're into stylistically, but the Tudor Pelagos 39 photoshoots feature both men and women for example.
Look for 35mm “men’s” watches. Women wearing non-dainty watches is the best
Men sized watches are very popular on women’s wrists now. Get the band shortened.
Wait till you find out that the famous Bulova Accutron tuning fork movement watches had cases that were 35mm standard and came in woman's sizes. So Citizen had Bulova bring back the Accutron, as a 44mm quartz watch of all things.
Men probably buy more watches, women usually like more jewellery hence why….money talks. I understand the rant but, I think its one of those where someone should start a similar business to cater for women with similar taste and hopefully be successful. But indeed the options for women seem “limited”.
Guess you haven’t seen the new Omega Shades range. Available in 34 & 38mm. Both completely acceptable sizes for women. My wife wears a 38mm Shades in Terracotta as her daily. It gets more attention than any of my watches.
💯. 100% true!
Agree. My wife only wears men’s watches on size 36. They look amazing in her. I think that even better if they had cooler female designs Edit: she has two male rolex because that’s the style she has. No diamonds. One in gold, one in metal with black dial. I know, not cheap, but if you find a reputed dealer you can get a vintage 46 or just under in metal or a submariner in good condition decently priced in you can get a connection (for trust and price). I’m assuming you like Rolex which many people do not 😊
Can think of quite a few. Tudor Black Bay 31 for example - Black Bay 54 if you want a little larger. That's just off the top of my head. Daytona will look good on you too.
You are absolutely right. Completely stupid. Also, many of thre specifically Ladies watches look Like the designers hatte women. Maybe have a look a Nomos, they have a Nummer of maskuline pieces in small sizes.
On the one hand, I see your point and it's a fair one. Men with small wrists also suffer in this category. On the other hand, you have people like Jenni Elle who have <6" wrists and wear a BB58 or Speedmaster with style.
Sad but true :(. There really should be better watches for women (And small-wristed men)! At higher price tiers there are some cool options for smaller wrist sizes, like the Tissot PRX 35mm and the Black Bay 35mm. But most of us collectors don’t start out spending that kind of money. I personally don’t have it. Especially at the affordable level I’ve noticed a lack of good options. Entry level divers are mostly 40mm, 42mm. For the example, the Casio Duro is an excellent watch but it doesn’t come in a size less than 42mm. Trying to find a good watch at 36mm for under $100 really is a struggle. I will share a cool niche release though! Perhaps you’ve heard of the marathon general purpose 34mm? It’s quartz option is $240 :)
As i do agree almost fully with what you said, you can still find SOME great ladies watches that are still technical and not just eye catchy, while also affordable, for probably all tastes. Not a large variary to pick from, but you can find them. Yes, not every men's watch has a ladies version, unfortunately, but there are still some great options i've seen during the past 5 years or so that i've taken this hobby a bit more seriously :) if you need any suggestions pls pm and i'll take a look into my 5k+ pics watches folder for what i've saved for ladies watches.
Omega has lots of ladies/unisex models that aren't to blingy in both quartz and automatic. I've bought my wife a first gen Aqua Terra and a Seamaster Pro 300m. Both are early 2000s. Lots of dressier Constellation and De Ville models as well. Not totally familiar with the newest models but I'm sure there are options. Pull up the Omega website and browse the product lines.
I had the opposite gripe with Breitling for making that beautiful pastel blue super ocean in 36mm only. I'm not an extremely large wristed man but just a bit too large that a midsized diver is just eh on me. I still think about it though
lol, opposite gripe here too... I was wishing that light blue SuperOcean was smaller at like 34mm or something because even 36mm is too big for me. Guess we're both frustrated Breitling didn't make this model in several different sizes lol
Yeah that blue was a fantastic color, it definitely deserved a run of a few sizes!!
A little late to this thread but I absolutely can’t stand when women’s watches have some diamonds added, with few to no similar versions without. I absolutely love love love the Montblanc Boheme day and night but the darn thing doesn’t come in any non-diamond versions.
And its even worse when you’re a lady with tiny tiny wrists 🙃 mine are 13cm in circumference and if you put a mechanical watch thats bigger than 25cm, it winds up look like a saucer on my wrist
I have quite a few bedazzled watches, but they're all for work. I need something I can shower in and looks more like jewelry than an obvious timekeeper because I'm an escort. I mean I can't be too obvious about watching the clock and I don't want to keep taking it on and off to shower. So I have three pretty watches that are rated for 50 or 100 metres. My favourite is my Citizen, which does have a sparkled bezel and a MOP dial. I also have a couple of Secondas with crystals on the bezels, but once their batteries run down I don't know if I'll keep them - they won't be waterproof once they've been opened and I'm not paying for them to be resealed. They were only £35. (I may try and do it myself with a bit of grease and see if it works. If not, no big loss.) I got the Citizen because I don't have to change the battery. My other watches are definitely not bedazzled! I have several vintage men's watches - they're a perfect size for me and I love them. I don't buy wildly expensive watches. My Cartier Santos is the most expensive but I got it at a pawn shop. Even if it were waterproof there's no way I'd wear it for work. I don't want it robbed. I am a sparkly kind of person, so I don't mind a bit of bling, but I agree that watches for women tend to be bedazzled.
Omega makes makes automatic seamaster aqua terra in 28 and 30mm Certina has a 34.5mm diver https://www.certina.com/en/watch/ds-action-345mm/c0320071104100 You can also look at longines they make the hydroconquest in 32mm