Watches 2 min read

Choosing a watch that suits your wrist

Case size, strap and dial, and the one measurement that decides whether a watch looks considered or borrowed.

KaimriSeptember 12, 2026

A watch is one of the few things you wear that is judged at conversational distance. Proportion is most of the job, and proportion comes down to one number you can measure in a minute.

Measure your wrist first

Wrap a tape — or a strip of paper you then measure — around your wrist just past the bone, snug but not tight.

Wrist	Case diameter that suits it
Under 15 cm	28–34 mm
15–17 cm	34–40 mm
17–19 cm	40–44 mm
Over 19 cm	44 mm and up

The test that matters more than any chart: the case should not overhang the flat top of your wrist. If the lugs — the arms holding the strap — hang past the edge, the watch is too big, whatever the diameter says.

Thickness is the one people forget

A case under 10 mm thick slides under a cuff. Much over 12 mm and it will catch on every sleeve you own.

If you wear long sleeves most days, thickness will decide whether you actually reach for the watch.

Strap

Steel bracelet — the most formal and the most durable. Heavier on the wrist, and usually needs links removed for a proper fit.
Two-tone — gold and silver together. It goes with both metals in your other jewellery, which is why it has outlasted every prediction of its death.
Leather — warmer, dressier, and not friendly to water.

Dial

A dark dial reads formal and makes a case look slightly smaller. A light dial reads casual and slightly larger.

If it is your only watch, a plain dial with clear markers and a date will go everywhere. Complications look impressive on a shelf and get read less often than you would expect.

Matching, or not

The old rule was to match your watch to your belt and shoes. The current one is simpler: match the metal to your other jewellery, and ignore the rest.

If you wear gold rings, a gold or two-tone case sits better than steel. This is also the argument for two-tone — it stops the question being asked.

A note on couple watches

The good ones share a design language — same dial, same strap — in two different case sizes, so each is correctly proportioned. A matched pair in one size means one of you is wearing the wrong watch.

See watches, or go straight to men's, women's and couple.