Watch size guide: 36 mm or 40 mm?
Case size decides more than anything else how a watch feels. Here is how to pick between 36 and 40 mm in two minutes, with a strip of paper.
· 6 min read · By the Jason Devine studio
Why case size matters
A watch that is too large sits past the edges of the wrist and catches on cuffs. Too small, and it reads as jewellery rather than a watch. The right size sits between the wrist bones and leaves a little skin visible on either side.
Because our case is only 6 mm thin, both sizes wear smaller than their diameter suggests — a thin watch never looks oversized.
How to measure your wrist
Wrap a strip of paper just below the wrist bone, mark where it overlaps and lay it flat against a ruler. Snug, not tight. Most wrists measure between 15 and 20 cm.
No paper to hand? Our sizing guide shows both cases at real size on most screens.
Which size fits which wrist
Up to 18 cm, the 36 mm sits classic and close. From 19 cm, the 40 mm looks balanced. Between 18 and 19 cm both work — the 36 is quieter, the 40 more present.
Size is not about gender. Many men choose the 36 mm for a vintage proportion; many women wear the 40 mm for a bolder look.
Thickness and strap width
Height matters as much as diameter: a 6 mm case slides under a shirt cuff, where a 12 mm case would not. All our straps are 20 mm wide and adjust from 165 to 220 mm.
