The Breitling Watch Source Forums

i am ashamed to admit this and it effects what i will be willing to look at or own....but dial size plays a huge part in purchasing decision. i know as an admirer of watches i am suppose to mature (or perhaps evolve) to appreciate other things like the movement but for me if its not over 44mm i am just not interested (at this point in my life). anyone else have this issue??

Allot of people, I would say most, have size requirements. I would note buy a watch smaller than 41MM or larger than 47MM these days. And even then it depends, a sport watch has to be 44mm plus for me whereas I prefer dress watches that are around 41-42mm. Just my preference size wise, nothing wrong with having yours.

Mature? I dont see why, if you are not into the movements dont let it bother you. Enjoy watches for what you find desirable, if it is just sheer size, who is to say that is "immature"?

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Certified watch nut.

I don't see the immaturity thing either.

I think that I am in the minority in not being concerned about dial size - I have 3x mm watches and 5x mm watches. At teh end of the day the watch is about how it makes you feel, and if it doesn't feel right below a certain size then they aren't for you.

thanks guys. i just noticed that larger faced watches seems to be trendier amongst 20-35 range.

As for the internals i am still trying to learn as much as i can.

I totally agree with the others that there is nothing specifically mature of immature about the reasons we buy watches. Different people look for different things : no-one's opinion is any more or any less valid than the next persons.

From a personal standpoint, case size is important to me too. My ideal range is between 43mm to 46mm these days - which is down a bit compared to a while ago. Depending on the watch I can go a little higher to around 48mm, but I definitely cannot go lower than 43mm.

But back on the original topic, dial/crystal size can make the world of difference to a watch. For example, my Doxa 600T-Graph is 44.7mm, but the design means the crystal area is proportionally quite a bit smaller that you'd imagine. Hence it makes the watch appear and wear a little smaller than it is. I guess it comes down to overall design, and what we consider works for us.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I don't see a problem with it either. As I enter my mid-40s and suffer from terrible genetics when it comes to eyesight, I personally prefer 42-46mm...and I also prefer a very luminous dial. I love my BlackBird and cannot wait to get my Panerai. The other watch I am considering right now is the new New-Wave SuperOcean. I'm on the fence as I think it may be a bit small relative to the bezel size, but am hoping the larger numbers and luminosity will sway me to get one.

Where I struggle is with dressy watches. The Panerai and BlackBird are too large when I wear certain shirts with cuffs. I'm very fond of Cartier and would love to find a truly "classic" thin "dress" watch, but I can't see squat under certain lighting conditions and finding a terrific "dress" watch that's easy to see under poor light conditions is very tough

Being fixated on a dial size is not a problem IMO.

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PAM359, Omega PO Big Size, 1951 Omega Seamaster, Rolex Sea Dweller

Absolutely nothing wrong with that! When we're paying as much as we do for this passion of ours, the watch MUST stand-out to US. For some it's the brand, the history, the movement -- and for me, it's the size. I doubt I'll buy anything under 47mm right now.

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a few Pams...

Nothing wrong with that at all. Appearances matter more to some people than internals, and I think that's a valid preference (as is the reverse).

I have size requirements too, but my "minimum" has been getting smaller. I started out looking almost exclusively at 47-48mm watches, dropped to 44, then 42, and now 40 with my most recent purchase. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that I wear a suit almost every day, and I have a small wrist, and in that context the 40-42mm watches look just right. They're smaller than I'm used to, but they're not small watches. Can't see myself going below 40 any time soon though.