Why Did Watches Get so Big?

Basically, size is design detail that kinda splits the audience. 36mm watches can be perceived as "too big" or "too small" and both views are typically advocated by vintage or modern watch lovers, respectively.
But why is that such a dividing topic and why does size even matter?
Read the full article here:
goldammer.me/blogs/articles/h...
0:00 - Intro
1:40 - Historical Background Check on Watch Sizes
3:00 - Watch Size Heat Map
4:03 - Not All Diameters Are Made Equally
4:49 - Tool Watche Have to be Bigger
5:35 - Beyond Complications
6:23 - Not All Watches Getting Bigger
7:10 - Conclusion
For more information check our website:
goldammer.me/
our our Instagram account:
/ goldammer.me

Пікірлер: 97

  • @woodchild48
    @woodchild485 ай бұрын

    Watches over 40mm just look silly. On my 19cm wrist, anything over 38mm feels wrong. My grandfather was a big, strong man and he had a 36mm Omega

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    5 ай бұрын

    Your grandfather had a lot of taste for sure!

  • @woodchild48

    @woodchild48

    5 ай бұрын

    @@GoldammerVintageWatches I'm fascinated by the fact that he wore this watch for almost half a century. When he got it it was pure luxury, later when he became prosperous he didn't want another watch. Anyway, Merry Christmas!

  • @dannyleung9448
    @dannyleung9448 Жыл бұрын

    I really don't understand the current trend of huge watches. I prefer vintage watches and I think the 36mm Rolex is perfect. I hear a lot of people say that's not in fashion or it's a woman's size. I don't care. I like 34 - 36mm when I see a huge watch that doesn't even fit under your cuff, it just makes me wonder......why? Hopefully the huge watch trend has peaked and we'll see some back to normal sizes again. it reminds me of when cars were as big as boats for no reason.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    The current trend is clearly back to smaller watches, fortunately :D, but I'm sure that even this trend will eventually weaken again and go to larger watches. This was already the case in the 20th century and will always remain so. Tastes change from decade to decade, but those who really have taste (like you and me 😂) stay true to classic sizes and simple designs.

  • @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

    @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

    9 ай бұрын

    Size matters.

  • @cjack202003
    @cjack202003 Жыл бұрын

    My issue is...they keep making dressy looking watches over 40mm. Rolex has the 41mm Datejust, AP has the 41mm Code 11.49, Omega has the 41mm Aqua Terra. Like come on! Make your dressy looking watching 40mm and under...and have all the designs and dial options for 40mm and under.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    The brands are always based on the current market and demand. This has nothing to do with the fact that the companies are not able, can not or do not want, but that the demand for larger watches was simply higher than for smaller ones. However, we can observe that this trend will reverse in the future and customers will prefer smaller and less flashy simple watches!

  • @LaurentiusTriarius

    @LaurentiusTriarius

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@@GoldammerVintageWatches I used to think of bigger watches as a fad but I have to eat my humble pie because since I made that prediction almost 20 years ago demand has outgrown the market and brands like MVMT are bought by Movado. You could see that in the 1970's with the rise of the expensive "tool watch", but it's easy to say from 2023.

  • @NATNETINARELLI
    @NATNETINARELLI Жыл бұрын

    I prefer 32-36mm for dress watches and 32-40mm for sport watches. I can't understand big watch syndrome trend where bigger falsely means more musculine.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Fortunately, we can observe that this trend is currently on the decline and watches are getting smaller again. But as with fashion, tastes change from decade to decade and the trend towards larger watches will always return. But vintage remains vintage, that's for sure 😄.

  • @RidleyMMA
    @RidleyMMA6 ай бұрын

    Today, I figured out i love watches. Great video. Ill check out your others! Im a sucker for fancy things and ill never be able to afford one. The mechanical aspects and the precision is mind-blowing! The esthetics are reallt cool too.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks so much man!

  • @thinaphonpetsiri9907
    @thinaphonpetsiri99075 ай бұрын

    I always prefer a vintage watches for the sizes. For my 5 inches wrist (despite almost 6 feet tall), any dress watches bigger than 39mm is a no go, except the dive watches that I pick a big one because I want to be able to see it easily underwater (I used to take 36mm to go diving but later had to squint to see time). I work in a very formal field where I have to wear suits pretty often so I prefer small dress watches as I want people to see my face first and not my watch. The large watches also don’t go well with suit at all in my opinion.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    5 ай бұрын

    Thanks for sharing mate 🙏🙏

  • @ebob4177
    @ebob41772 ай бұрын

    It is terribly annoying for small-wristed people like me that diver watches are generally plate sized. 😢

  • @oorangeo
    @oorangeo Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the shout-out! That was all the info I could have hoped for. I find the heat map particularly interesting. It would be interesting to see that that graph would look like 50 years from now. Thanks again, and cheers!

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    We are glad that we could answer all your questions! I would also be very interested in this graphic but we have to be surprised :D Have a great Sunday

  • @oorangeo

    @oorangeo

    Жыл бұрын

    By the way, I also watched the Mark Cho video referenced in your article and I found it very interesting as well. It's a good compliment to this video.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Nice to hear. That was really an impressive presentation

  • @matiasortuzar6306
    @matiasortuzar63069 ай бұрын

    Really interesting!!!!

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks!!!

  • @wolfsulhan9955
    @wolfsulhan9955 Жыл бұрын

    Great video. Thank you

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it! Much thanks

  • @Anirossa
    @Anirossa Жыл бұрын

    I got a 33mm tissot recently as I think its fasinating and good design to have a small watch if it dosn't take more space to fit a new powermatic 80 automatic movement anyway. I study mech. enginnering and do tend to prefer small solar watches, but also struggle to turn down a well made quality mechanical watch at the cheap.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing your opinion, a good offer should always be scrutinized more closely!!!

  • @yutthasakkomjornkijborworn6185
    @yutthasakkomjornkijborworn6185 Жыл бұрын

    Tolles video! Mach weiter. Alles gute von Thailand.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Vielen Dank! มีวันหยุดสุดสัปดาห์ที่ดี 🙏

  • @user-cd1gc3pe5b
    @user-cd1gc3pe5b Жыл бұрын

    شكراThank you, you are a professional and an expert in watches. Keep it up⚓⚓⚓⚓

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks kindly! We will 🙏

  • @benediktcaestecker
    @benediktcaestecker Жыл бұрын

    I would be happy if ultra thin watches would be reviewed !

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the inspiration. We will see what we can do!

  • @gregoryreed8567
    @gregoryreed8567 Жыл бұрын

    What a great video. I wonder if you would share your heat map and other depictions for your audience of watch enthusiasts. Many thanks.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks kindly! Just check our website www.goldammer.me and look for „articles“. If you have any further questions let me know:)

  • @gregoryreed8567

    @gregoryreed8567

    Жыл бұрын

    @UC9A3PHTUGf_I5DR6ux9ZuAQ thank you. I am referring to the reference material, graphs, and statistics used for the video. The heat map was the colored depiction that showed how watches have increased in size from 1940s to 2000s.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    I was confused because I thought your comment was on our newest video :) just check our website for all graphs 📈

  • @ccooper8785
    @ccooper8785 Жыл бұрын

    Nothing as hilarious as seeing a fashion victim wearing their huge, oversized watch ON TOP of their shirt cuff. This reminds me of small kids wearing a sweatband under their first watches. 34-36 will always be the sweet spot for me and I hope it comes back into fashion asap.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    I’ve personally never seen someone wearing a watch on top of their cuff 😅 but yeah, sounds kinda weird 😄✊

  • @Odysee505
    @Odysee5054 күн бұрын

    Die neue universal geneva vintage im sortiment ist bombe!

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    4 күн бұрын

    Wie aus dem Ei gepellt 😃

  • @briankelley987
    @briankelley987 Жыл бұрын

    If you were to do another series of charts (like these of average case diameter by year or by watch type), it would be interesting to study the diameter or popular calibers over time. For example, does the rise and fall of movements that are widely used by 3rd parties statistically affect the case diameter? I am thinking along the lines of Seiko NH35 in terms of movements widely used by many watch companies. Admittedly, there are often adapters between movements and cases, so that a cases can accommodate many sizes. These movement dimensions have the ultimate limitations on the final watch dimensions, so that period of the space age in which size goes from engineering to aesthetics is really quite fascinating. As to why watches tend to do everything in even numbers of millimeters, I imagine that's all down to ease of standardization. I discovered the hard way just how much easier it is to replace watches with 18 or 20 mm wide leather straps than one that was 19 mm. If I was choosing between two watches with all else equal, I would pick a watch with an 18 mm wide strap over 19 mm every time. So it seems we find cases (and likely case adapters and calibers) compatible with 38 and 40 mm but less so for 39 mm.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    First of all, thank you for your detailed comment and for taking the time. I find your proposal very exciting and also makes me a little curious. We will discuss this in the team and see if we can craft a story out of it. Secondly, the issue with the leather strap size we also know only too well, there are many little things that you have to pay attention to when buying a watch :D have a fantastic weekend ahead!

  • @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

    @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

    Жыл бұрын

    Amen.

  • @anandanil8158
    @anandanil8158 Жыл бұрын

    now thats what i call a hairstyle

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Haha 😂 🙈

  • @daviddunand3334
    @daviddunand3334 Жыл бұрын

    What is the watch that you are wearing in this video? Looks extra thin.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    It’s my fist vintage watch. A quarz Seiko from the 90s. Bought it a few years ago for 150€. It’s nothing special but means a lot to me. I wear it a lot and even on my wedding ;-)

  • @daviddunand3334

    @daviddunand3334

    Жыл бұрын

    @@GoldammerVintageWatches it's beautiful!

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Much thanks!

  • @johnnyarsenault9124
    @johnnyarsenault9124 Жыл бұрын

    Completely agree with you but the early (pre-1914)pocket watches were also offered for women, these were much smaller ex.: 33mm. (early Omega Grand Prix) . With the arrival of the first WW-1 some of the smaller were retrofitted with hand made lugs to accommodate the fonction of trench watches. While some other demand for driving watches (reading at a 45 degree angle) were also seen in the automobile circle of high horology. So it seems we have made a complete circle size wise💁🏻‍♂️. Very interesting topic! 👌❤️👍

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Cheers Johnny, thanks for your feedback! It was even many years earlier than pre 1914. In 1868, Patek Philippe began production of its first wristwatch: an ornate affair with a baguette-shaped, key-wound movement called Caliber 27368. The watch is now in the company’s museum.

  • @jerryglasses2229
    @jerryglasses2229 Жыл бұрын

    165mm wrist. 38mm is my favorite size with lug to lug no more than 47mm. Curious why it's hard to find 38mm watches. As your data show 36 and 40mm are very popular

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    This is a rare size indeed! I think only about 5% of all our watches sold are 38mm. It just wasn't the most famous size of the last century. However, we already have some 38mm watches in stock like an Omega from the 1940s. Just check our website :D

  • @duskomeljineduskomeljine842
    @duskomeljineduskomeljine842 Жыл бұрын

    Great video!Best size is 34 mm for every man!💪Big watch-cheap watch😉

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    I love 34mm on an Air King 😁 thanks a million!

  • @duskomeljineduskomeljine842

    @duskomeljineduskomeljine842

    Жыл бұрын

    @@GoldammerVintageWatches i agree,that is legendary watch!I have Tudor Royal 34 mm black dial,it's gorgeous!🤩

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Also agree! we understand each other 😀😀

  • @duskomeljineduskomeljine842

    @duskomeljineduskomeljine842

    Жыл бұрын

    Sure bro,you should continue with this great reviews!Best regards and thank you!Dusko from Montenegro.💙👊

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks mate, iam glad you enjoyed them ☺️✌️

  • @LaurentiusTriarius
    @LaurentiusTriarius Жыл бұрын

    If you ask my wife I think she'll say size does matter... Of course she has a very small wrist! I don't mind big dinner plates but they need to be thin, something we lost in the recent years appart from "out of reach" outliers like that QR code horror.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    It's not the car you drive that matters, it's the arm hanging out of the window :D

  • @yutthasakkomjornkijborworn6185
    @yutthasakkomjornkijborworn6185 Жыл бұрын

    Hoffentlich gehe ich in der Zukuenft nach Rostock und schaue mal an diese schoene Uhren (natuerich ich muss unbedingt 1-2 kaufen. Ich habe jetzt die moderne Uhr, Nomos die auch kleine ;35mm.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Rostock ist immer eine Reise wert :D

  • @mogret7451
    @mogret74512 ай бұрын

    I bought 90s tissot to get a dress watch with a nice size.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    2 ай бұрын

    Congrats! Which size is your sweet spot?

  • @alvinkoh5556
    @alvinkoh5556 Жыл бұрын

    This video will offend many people with big wrist, for they wore their watches around their member.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Nah I offend no one. But thanks for your opinion anyway

  • @Odysee505
    @Odysee5054 күн бұрын

    Direkt abonniert

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    4 күн бұрын

    Danke 🤩

  • @user-cd1gc3pe5b
    @user-cd1gc3pe5b Жыл бұрын

    You are an expert in watches, why don't you do auctions on Facebook, broadcast live, and sell rare, old and used watches?

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    We are a german vintage watch dealer 🙂 www.goldammer.me

  • @user-cd1gc3pe5b

    @user-cd1gc3pe5b

    Жыл бұрын

    @@GoldammerVintageWatches Do you have a Facebook

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    We have a Facebook account but we’re not active there. Only on Instagram

  • @bilalmugal1364
    @bilalmugal13649 ай бұрын

    ❤❤❤❤❤

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    9 ай бұрын

    ♥️🫶🙏

  • @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

    @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

    9 ай бұрын

    ❤❤❤❤❤

  • @turbolenza35
    @turbolenza358 ай бұрын

    i will never wear big watch!!!

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    8 ай бұрын

    🙏🤝

  • @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536
    @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes15369 ай бұрын

    Size matters in everything.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    9 ай бұрын

    😅

  • @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536
    @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes15364 ай бұрын

    I 👍 everything BIG because i am 06'06" height and very nice too.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    4 ай бұрын

    💯

  • @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536
    @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536 Жыл бұрын

    Bigger is better.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    Not for us! :D

  • @joelmills7498
    @joelmills7498 Жыл бұрын

    ✋ ƤRO𝓂O𝕤ᗰ

  • @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536
    @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes15369 ай бұрын

    People are bigger.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    9 ай бұрын

    🫠

  • @chensien75

    @chensien75

    4 ай бұрын

    Bingo from eating too much GMO and meat

  • @twosecondswatch

    @twosecondswatch

    Ай бұрын

    😂

  • @patrickliu822
    @patrickliu82214 күн бұрын

    Because people's brain are getting smaller

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    14 күн бұрын

    🤣

  • @eg-g
    @eg-g Жыл бұрын

    Just bad taste and big ego.

  • @GoldammerVintageWatches

    @GoldammerVintageWatches

    Жыл бұрын

    😝😅

  • @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

    @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

    9 ай бұрын

    Seize matters everywhere.

  • @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

    @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

    6 ай бұрын

    Fake news.