Trend In Genuines... Getting Smaller...comments

[crystalcranium]

From what I've read recently, the haute horology companies feel the trend to huge has reached it's peak and that the general public will start wanting their wrist candy to move toward more understated case sizes. I have to say, I have never been a fan of the "moose watch" fad of the last few years. I first became facinated with mechanical watches because of the micro mechanicals and the precision realized by them. The fact that many watches today look like small pocket watches with straps holds no mechanical facination for me even though, the mechanicals in many remain the same size and they are overstuffed with spacers to fill the voids in the oversize cases. When I bought my SMP chrono diver last year, I read several online reviews calling this watch "Huge" and the photographs of it gave me pause. Today, this one time rock on a bracelet is very midsize. I almost burst out laughing when a salesman at an AD took a Chrono Avenger out of the case to show me. I borrowed a line I read describing a similar HUGE watch and said "Could you show me something that doesn't look like a pressure gauge off the Titanic?" I just wonder if all of us who have indulged what might be a short lived fad in watch styling will be looking at these big lumps of charcoal someday like we look at our high school graduation picture hair styles from the 70's and 80's and say 'What the hell were we thinking???"

To me, and I'll admit, I do own some rocks, classic design is always classic. Understated chronographs, ultra slim manuals, 38mm diving watches will always be in style at one time or another. Any thoughts????

[Gerco]

I have a range of watches from 37 mm until 49 mm. I personally prefer the bigger watches. Tody i am wearing my rollie and it looks damned small in comparisation with my Pam 217.

I don't have a big wrist, but a nice watch is for a man like nice juwelry for a woman. I agree, in formel dress a smaller watch looks more sophisticated. But dressed casual a bigger watch is what i prefer.

Greetz Gerco

[rek001]

I don't believe there will be a trend towards smaller scale watches, what I do see is more models coming out with rose gold cases and black dials. Some of them are very nice.

[TiberiousT]

I will never ever buy anythiny under 40mm.

That is an LV I bought. Maybe another rollie or two.

Other than that at least 42mm.

Some watches get bigger some get smaller.

I don't see a trend to smaller watches.

[crystalcranium]

I will never ever buy anythiny under 40mm.

That is an LV I bought. Maybe another rollie or two.

Other than that at least 42mm.

Some watches get bigger some get smaller.

I don't see a trend to smaller watches.

I wasn't saying the trend is going down yet, just that the high end manufacturers think it is begining to peak and will track back downward. Of the 'haute horology" manufacturers, very few caught the wave of the trend (Chronoswiss and IWC come to mind) and of the mainstream manufacturers, Breitling seems to have ridden it into the beach.

I guess I'm just an old fart but 42 mm is about a maximum for me. Even my beloved Breitling GT looks a bit grotesque to me at times.

[archibald]

I wasn't saying the trend is going down yet, just that the high end manufacturers think it is begining to peak and will track back downward. Of the 'haute horology" manufacturers, very few caught the wave of the trend (Chronoswiss and IWC come to mind) and of the mainstream manufacturers, Breitling seems to have ridden it into the beach.

I guess I'm just an old fart but 42 mm is about a maximum for me. Even my beloved Breitling GT looks a bit grotesque to me at times.

Actually they seem to be hedging their bets, or at least settling on a narrower range of sizes--the malkler models--36mm to 38mm--are getting bigger, and the largest models are either getting smaller or being offered in more than one size. JLC has cranked up their dress watches to 40mm, and AP has increased the size of the RO, etc. My 2006 books have fewer 43-47mm watches than last years' books.

I bet they're going to settle on 39-42mm for most watches.

[Richard Tracy]

I have always believed that 40mm is the standard size which will transcend fashion,

so I have never been totally carried away with large watches to the point where 40mm

was too small in my view.

I guess also that my gorgeous smp held me in check.

I have learned however to appreciate larger watches, thanks to Panerai,..and especially

my most beautiful 212....

Thus I will always keep size ranges from 40 to 44mm standard in my collection,

no matter what trends blow through the cracks...

[new & improved osteopath]

While I really enjoy my oversized watches, my favorite watch has been and will likely be my 38mm chronomaster El Primero- Small? Yes. Too understated? No.

-O

[robertrinaustin]

As with other trends, the large size watches will be gone for all but those brands that have a history of large watches. It isn't a question of if, but when. With just about every brand under the sun now offering something in the 45 mm range, you can bet the trend will be reversing soon for those brands that lead. It will take time, but it's coming.

[Nebakanezzar]

I wasn't saying the trend is going down yet, just that the high end manufacturers think it is begining to peak and will track back downward. Of the 'haute horology" manufacturers, very few caught the wave of the trend (Chronoswiss and IWC come to mind) and of the mainstream manufacturers, Breitling seems to have ridden it into the beach.

I guess I'm just an old fart but 42 mm is about a maximum for me. Even my beloved Breitling GT looks a bit grotesque to me at times.

[cough] Big Pilot [/cough]

[crystalcranium]

[cough] Big Pilot [/cough]

I guess I didn't phrase it correctly. I meant Chronoswiss and IWC were two of the high end's that did go big with some of their models.

[Logan]

I remember when my Chrono Avenger seemed giagantic.. nows its average size after wearing the 47mm Bentley..

[Polynomial]

I will never ever buy anythiny under 40mm.

That is an LV I bought. Maybe another rollie or two.

Other than that at least 42mm.

Some watches get bigger some get smaller.

I don't see a trend to smaller watches.

I thought 40/42 is considered smaller 45-47 is decent, and then all depends on how the case is designed, how heavy it is etc. Things like Seawolf are not so large in diameter but are darn clamsy, while AP's can be huge overall but very elegant.

[El Cap]

Interesting. I have to agree with DT on this one. I always thought 40 mm was pretty standard and would persist through fashion changes. I have a EXP I that measures in at 36mm. Seems small on my wrist now, thanks to my Pams.

Anything over 44-45 just seems huge to me. I appreciate the aesthetic of the Fiddy, but I don't think I could pull it off. Of course, I worried about the same thing before getting my first 44 Pam.

Climb on.

[jeff g]

SMP case and dial size is about perfect for everything in my opinion.

SS Sub is on the small side to me.

I feel too, as though the Rolli dial on the Explorer I, and TOG, etc.,are too small.

The larger watches with 44mm case/bezel like the PAM's wear very well for a larger watch, but above that size, 47 - 48 mm cases like AP ROO, or many of the Breitlings, are just way to large (for me) with a 6.75'' wrist.

Of course there are those who LOVE wearing the big oversized Dive watches, 47mm-5mm(+), but honestly when they ride your wrist like an ornament, when is big, too big?

For me, dress watches are the only watches I can wear anymore with smaller than a 37mm dial.

My newest watch - TAG LINK Chrono is about as nice, size wise, as the Omega SMP's.

Try that guy on for size.

[ridnwind]

Genuines are getting larger IMHO, but I personally like the 40 - 44mm sizes best.

Doctor, I have this growth on my wrist...OMG! :velho:

P.S. A scaled down version of this would be AWESOME!

Cheers,

Brad

Edited August 19, 2006 by ridnwind

[dabom]

here is what will happen: watch sizes will normalize.

In the past, watch sizes were very similar to one another. In the 30s-60s they were small. In the 70s they were big and ugly looking. Everybody followed the trend.

Tomorrow what will happen is the extremely big and ridiculous watches will die off (48mm etc), but everything else will follow a bell curve. Most people will settle for 40mm, but there will still be an attraction to the 44mm and the 36mm in a decreasing demand fashion. Everyone will fulfill their individual tastes, and everyone will be happy.

It is simplistic to suggest that suddenly the demand for 44mm will suddenly disappear. It won't. In the past, people wore watches because it was the only way to tell the time. Nowadays there are millions of ways to tell the time, and watches are mainly a piece of fashion. Because the watch is mostly a tool of fancy rather than a tool of necessity - its size will be driven purely by taste.

In the past, watches HAD to follow the norm otherwise people wouldn't buy it. For practical people who bought a watch because they had to, they just bought something that didn't look out of place - which is why most companies HAD to follow the trend of the time.

Now, people no longer wear a watch because they have to. If someone wears a watch at all, it is because of personal aesthetic taste. Therefore by definition they are wanting something that specifically fits a certain style, not necessarily a certain trend. The issue is not about fitting in, because the norm now is not to wear a watch at all. The issue now is just wearing what you like.

[kanerich]

38mm diving watches will always be in style at one time or another. Any thoughts????

What 38mm diving watches? Pretty much every modern professional auto diving watch (Omega, Rolex, Breitling, IWC et al.) is at least in the 40-42mm range. And it makes a fair amount of sense for dive watches to be good sized since they must be readable underwater. Really, as far as I can tell only Rolex has stuck with the 40mm (39.3mm, whatever) size but that's because Rolex is about not changing, for better or for worse. Omega is hedging its bets for sure with the 42.5 and 45mm Planet Ocean line.

Men used to wear pants six inches above the navel and my grandpa still swears waist-hugging pants are just a fad, but I don't see the old style coming back around anytime real soon.