Size of the dial and wrist size
1 November 2017
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What size of watch for my wrist? This is a legitimate question when choosing a timepiece. However, the diameter of the dial is not the only parameter in the equation: the distance between horns must be taken into account. The horns are the metal legs that allow to hang the bracelet. They can be very different from one watch to another. For example on the photo opposite, we have from left to right the following watches:
- Laco Aachen, 42mm
- Laco Paderborn, 42mm
- Vostok-Europe Almaz with stainless steel bracelet, 48mm
The horns are aligned on the high side, the sheet of white paper is parallel to this alignment and reveals the differences in overall dimensions (horn to horn).
The dramatic difference in dial size between the Laco and the Vostok-Europe suggests that it will be the same for the total size of the watch, namely the distance between horns. However, we note the following measures:
- Laco Aachen: 48,5mm
- Laco Paderborn: 49,5mm
- Vostok-Europe Almaz: 53mm
That is a gap of 4.5mm between the two extremes and only 3.5 between the Paderborn and the Almaz, while the difference in size of the dial is 6mm. For this reason, watches of very large diameter like this Almaz are not so difficult to wear, as shown in the photos below taken on a wrist 17.5 cm in circumference:
The Laco Aachen is perfect for small wrists with its distance between horns of 48,5mm.
The Vostok-Europe Almaz is more massive, but not as much as one could have imagined. This is also due to the equivalent dial surface (the rotating bezel takes up space). Note that this is the minimum wrist size for this watch because of the adjustment range of the metal bracelet.
In conclusion: classic horns add about 7mm to the diameter of the watch. the total obtained must be slightly less than the width of your wrist. Long horns (quite rare) will require a bigger wrist. In contrast, short horns allow a smaller wrist. This is especially true with curved horns (which follow the shape of the wrist, like a bracelet start): in this case the watch can be very close to the width of the wrist. This is the case on this Vostok-Europe Almaz or on the Laco Trier opposite, which with its 42mm dial and short curved horns, is a flieger very suitable for small wrists.
Laco Aachen
