Wrist watches for men, who do not need large watches to show that they are men ;o)

[Bernhard J.]

Just as well not meant too serious.

I personally like wrist watches, which are smaller than that what is fashionable presently. The following two examples are today rather considered as ladies size.

 

[Jerry Treiman]

I like your Zenith. What size is it? It looks similar, at least in style, to Waltham's 6/0 watches of the early 1920s. The American 6/0 movement is about 11-1/4 lignes and this case is ~27.5 mm across. I like this size on my wrist -


About the largest wristwatch that I will wear is this 12.75 ligne LeCoultre cal.450 in a 34 mm diameter case.

 

[MrRoundel]

I too like the smaller sizes of yesteryear. This is at least partly due to my having smaller wrists than many. Some of my favorites are by Girard-Perregaux, namely Sea-Hawks of what I believe are forties vintage. These are of diameters that are around 30mm, excluding crown.

Once a watch gets up over 34mm, it feels, and usually looks, a bit clunky to me. That said, I have a Panerai knock-off that a friend gave me that's massive. It has a diameter of ~43mm. The leather band is a 24mm size. But for some reason it doesn't look that bad (Aside from its knock-off lineage.) and is rather comfortable. This may be attributable to the wide leather band. But overall, I too tend to like the looks and feel of smaller watches. Cheers.

 

[Bernhard J.]

I like your Zenith. What size is it? I

Hi Jerry, it is about 28 mm (lenghth of one side). I love your Waltham. When was it made?

 

[Jerry Treiman]

Hi Jerry, it is about 28 mm (lenghth of one side). I love your Waltham. When was it made?

Cushion cases for 6/0 watches like mine started to appear in the early 1920s. By 1926 Waltham was showing the larger 3/0 movement in the cushion case. It is possible that my movement is not original, but the dial matches 1920s catalog illustrations.

 

[Brunod]

In the years 1920-30 they succeeded to make very small and great movement to allow very small wristwatches. Now it's the time for clockwork wriswatches.
I really prefer the small ones. I think this one is the smallest I have : Omega T17, 17 mm large.

 

[Rick Hufnagel]

I like em all... Big and small

As a bigger dude (6'3''/240#), the little vintage watches usually get some comments about the small size but doesn't bother me. By the time I'm done explaining the watch they're usually sorry they even said anything! Haha

Here is a smaller one I wear often. It's a 3/0 Elgin in a plain nickel case made by the Star watch case co. These cushion cases are my favorite and I have them in white and yellow gold filled, chrome plated and nickel. This strap is terrible and I'm waiting to order a few new ones from www.vintagewatchstraps.com. He is back up and running so I need to get moving on it.

It's nothing special but it's a favorite, and original as far as I can tell.


Here are some Elgins for size comparison. 6/0, 4/0, 3/0, 0 and 6 sized wristwatches.



And here is the 3/0 next to my Seiko! Hahaha. BTW the new turtle is the same size it was in the 70s.. I'd love to find an original 6309 diver.


Anyways... You said this was for fun, so there is me having a little fun with my eclectic box of watches!

 

[MrRoundel]

Speaking of smaller watches...here's a Wittnauer with a 7TN movement. The band that's on it is a 14mm width. That should tell you how small it is for a man's watch. It also has a dial on it that, while interesting, isn't very practical from a time-telling perspective. But I like the brand, and the price I stole it for. It was non-running, but had good, albeit rather tiny, bones.

Many years ago I wore it into a bar. The bartender took one look at it and said, "Hey, Roundel, why the long face?". I guess, like size, it is all relative. Cheers.

 

[Incroyable]

Cartier and Vacheron probably made the most stunning small wristwatches in the 1930s and 1940s.

A less knowledgeable dealer would probably sell them as Ladies watches today.

If you watch Old Hollywood films, the men all wore these tiny platinum or gold wristwatches.

 

[svenedin]

You have another thread about wrist watches for men not boys. My Timex from when I was a boy (25mm) next to a 19 lignes pocket watch.

 

[MrRoundel]

You have another thread about wrist watches for men not boys. My Timex from when I was a boy (25mm) next to a 19 lignes pocket watch.

Your post goes a long way towards proving that collectors are born, not made. That's amazing that you still have your Timex. Like many other baby-boomer kids, I too had a Timex when I was young. But along with the vast majority of such watches, it is lost to the ages. It's impressive that you kept yours. You sir, are a natural born collector. Cheers.

 

[John Cote]

I am a tall guy with big wrists. I don't like the freakishly big watches but anything under 36mm looks...well...freakishly small on me. I collect chronographs. I have few 34mm and some 36 but 38mm seems about right.

 

[Jerry Treiman]

Today, for one of maybe six times a year that I wear a watch on my wrist, I put on my LeCoultre cal.480. The small 10-1/2 ligne movement resides in a larger 34 mm gold-filled case. This feels like about the right size for my wrist. - and how about those lugs? I like 'em.

My Timex from when I was a boy (25mm) next to a 19 lignes pocket watch.

Oh, also in response to Stephen's post here is my first Timex, from the '50s. These old pin levers just keep on ticking! (... with or without "a licking" ). The original stainless expansion bracelet barely fits around a few fingers of my adult hand.

 

[John Cote]

and how about those lugs? I like 'em.
View attachment 716029

I believe these lugs are called "Bull's Horns." There is a LeCoultre Chrono with V-72 that has these lugs.

 

[Jerry Treiman]

my LeCoultre cal.480.

I believe these lugs are called "Bull's Horns." There is a LeCoultre Chrono with V-72 that has these lugs.

Apparently my watch model in 1954 was called the "Nautilus" (ad from Life Magazine - April 19, 1954)

 

[Appa69]

I love a good watch regardless of size. I don't mind larger (over 36mm) in the summer months, but when it's time for long sleeves, I very much prefer watches 36mm or less. If these smaller watches were "manly" enough for the likes of Sean Connery, John F Kennedy, and Steve McQueen they're good enough for me.
Go ahead. Tell him he's doing it wrong.

 

[Bernhard J.]

Go ahead. Tell him he's doing it wrong.

But to make it perfect, you would have to drive the cars also, which they used to drive . I personally would stick with Steve McQueen, I love the movie "Le Mans" and the watch he wore in that film (Heuer Monaco, this not being really small ...). But the only road legal Porsche 917 is owned by a Swiss guy, who does not want to sell ...

 

[Carrite]

A hilarious title to this thread.

I wonder if anyone has done a study about the "Flavor Flaving" of men's wristwatches. My own theory is that the trend started with the advent of James Bond dive watches in the 1960s. The trend was accelerated with the escalation of prices of so-called "luxury watches" — people want some heft for their $5,000 or whatever.

The size and weight of the average contemporary watch makes the wearing of a vintage men's watch, even a standard watch from the 1960s, a completely different sensory experience.

 

[John Cote]

The original James bond Rolex Submariner from the early '60s was 38mm. Not a huge watch. The Eberhard from a few years earlier was the same size. Although a lot of watches, perhaps most, were smaller, there were big watches being produced even in the '20s. At that time, even Patek was making rectangular watches of 47mm in the long direction. Pilots' watches were mostly big since the beginning of pilots' watches. The Omega Speedmaster moon watch was 40mm.

I am a big guy who likes small watches...too. I find it odd that people have to bring up Flava Flave as if he or hip-hop culture is some how an evil influence on the watch industry. Big watches have been around for a long time and have been popular with lots of forward thinking people. I wear a 42mm IWC Fliegeruhr as my daily beater and it is the most comfortable watch I have ever worn.

And, by the way, although the original James Bond Sub might have cost a few hundred when new, a good one will sell for around 1/2 million today. You can't buy a contemporary Rolex sport watch for close to $5,000 these days.

Wear what you like and vive la difference!

 

[roughbarked]

Being a slender wristed chap, big watches can be unwieldy for me.

 

[Bernhard J.]

Yes, there were really large watches since long, see e.g. those shown in the parallel thread. But they were rather in the minority or had special purposes, like for aviation, when the pilots did not have illumination and heating in the cockpit. Today it seems rather fashionable to have large watches, see e.g. Panerai.

Although I actually like my Omega Speedmaster 125 due to the technical features, I do not wear it often. Because it is not only large, but also really heavy. I like the Pavel Buhre also, because of the beauty of the movement. But that one is quite unpractical for real use.

Turning to Rolex, the present fashion becomes more than evident. You can buy nice ones for "small" money still. Two years ago I bought a Bubble Back perpetual chronometer in a 18K case from end of the 30s in great original condition for 2,300.-- Euro. Apparently no one wants these because of their small size, otherwise the seller would not have accepted the proposal. Compare this with e.g. 90s GMT Masters in steel cases fetching 5-figure prices in the meanwhile.

 

[John Cote]

I agree about the coolness and value of smaller BB and later "Precision" Rolex watches Bernhard. But, what is comfortable and good looking for my almost 20cm wrist and your somewhat smaller wrist might be a bit different.

 

[Bernhard J.]

I actually never before took that measure until just now, and the result is something around 19-20 cm . I do of course agree that one can argue endless about "good looking", except that this attribute is in most cases a matter of (changing) fashion. Well, I hope that watches will never be completely out of fashion. As a funny aspect in this respect: I know a young lady and we have lunch together every once and a while. She always turns up with a large bling bling watch with quartz movement on her wrist. Over years I did not once see that this watch was running and asking about it she always answered "oh yes, I wll need to have a new battery fitted". Which is never done. Since years she uses the watch just like some jewelery article without any other function than being decorative

 

[John Cote]

I have a couple of women friends who wear men's Rolex "Presidents." I think that they look sexy wearing them.

 

[Bernhard J.]

I have a couple of women friends who wear men's Rolex "Presidents." I think that they look sexy wearing them.

I admit that I am probably not so crazy about watches that in this regard not other attributes rather catch my attention

 

[Shawn Moulder]

Here is one of my favorite wristwatches by today's standards would be to small to be a man's wristwatch, it's a Waltham 6/0 21 jewel hack pointer date watch. What makes this watch so special is that it's the only complicated movement made by an American watch company. It's a simple pointer date watch for 31 days. It takes approximately 24 hours for the calendar hand to advance to the next day. It's ashame that American watch companies didn't create more complicated wristwatches like the Swiss did. I think the band that I put on this watch compliments the watch so well.

 

[wspohn]

I have large wrists but own lots of vintage watches. This Futurematic is a 35 mm for instance.

 

[Bernhard J.]

Here is a really small one, it measures 27 mm along an outer edge. I like these early V&Cs very much. This one has a Wadsworth 14K case. The hands probably are not original (or were ordered by the client like this, when the movement was cased in the U.S.A. after import as movement only).

The case number is 1237607. Is there any chance to date the Wadsworth case by this number? The movement was likely made 1930.

The dial has some patina, but I prefer to leave it like this instead of a refinish. The degree of patina still seems acceptable.

 

[John Cote]

I am pretty sure Wadsworth nor any of the American watch case companies kept serial number records. I would assume that the case is from the early '30s. Great little watch.

 

[thesnark17]

There are some limited examples of dating by case serial available (primarily for certain brands such as Hamilton), and Wadsworth is the maker most easily cracked so far. However, this has not yet led to success. But you never know - five or ten years from now, we might be able to do it.

No American case makers left records for their serial numbers.

 

[Jerry Treiman]

The case number is 1237607. Is there any chance to date the Wadsworth case by this number? The movement was likely made 1930.

Developing production information for watch case companies based on case serial numbers is notoriously difficult. As mentioned, there are almost no surviving records from the case companies and from the various attempts at research it appears that some companies may have used different serial number sequences for different clients, different case materials or quality and, where applicable, from different production lines or facilities. For today's collectors your best age estimate may come from case styles, trademarks and a minimum age based on presentation dates.

Here is a 1925 advertisement that would seem to show your identical case (lower right) -

 

[Bernhard J.]

This is funny. Because of the style I indeed had guessed (as an uneducated guess) about 1925, which would be about 5 years before the movement was made (movement serial number ranges on an annual basis are known, no need to contact V&C and pay 300,-- for this information).

 

[Incroyable]

The explosion of big watches really started in the early 2000s with Hublot, Panerai, and the AP Royal Oak Offshore.

Thankfully that trend has tapered off. Witness the spike in value of vintage Cartier watches.

 

[tick talk]

My wife and I share wearing these two, considered men's watches when new in 1940s-50s. Many vintage dress watches had large, stylish lugs that added presence on the wrist.