THE JOURNAL
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Five Small Watches That Make A Big Statement
Words by Mr Chris Hall
31 July 2023
We’re so hard-wired to be impressed by size that big, chunky watches are one of the most enduring status symbols out there. But by the same token, the concept of undercutting this basic demonstration of masculinity has caught on with ease, and, nowadays, the power of a small watch is understood to be quite the flex. Whether you’re a man with small to medium wrists who just wants a watch that’s in proportion, or you’re looking to add a less obvious option to your collection, we’ve rounded up five watches with case diameters below 39mm that we think still make a big statement.
01.
Piaget Polo Date
The regular Piaget Polo measures 42mm in diameter, which was a pretty perfect size when it came out in 2016. But tastes have evolved in the years since, and with dainty-sized vintage Piaget picking up plenty of attention from A-listers and collectors alike, it made sense for Piaget to shrink the Polo. That it has done with the launch of this 36mm model, the first at that size to come without diamond setting. It’s a tidy package with a rich blue dial and matching strap, and thinner than its big brother, too.
02.
NOMOS Glashütte
We are so many years past “real men wear pink” that it’s a cliché in its own right. But there is something to the idea that if you are going to subvert entrenched expectations about what’s on your wrist, you can kill two birds with one stone by wearing a 36mm NOMOS Glashütte in deep pink. Bright colours have become a real calling card for the Club Campus range, and they hardly come any brighter. Inside is the watchmaker’s hand-wound Alpha calibre, with a water-resistantance to 100m.
03.
Oris Big Crown
At 38mm across, the Big Crown will be small on some, mid-sized on others, but there’s something diminutive about its proportions that harks back to everyday designs of the 1950s. Maybe it’s just the oversized crown making the rest of the watch look small. The range is one of our favourites, for its pastel dials and supple leather straps, and this top-spec model comes with Oris’ recently launched in-house Calibre 473 movement. With five days’ power reserve, it also boasts a 10-year warranty.
04.
Junghans Max Bill Automatic
It’s not always about a watch’s outright measurements, as we’ve explained in the past. The Junghans Max Bill Automatic measures 38mm across, but thanks to its expansive dial with thin, clean typography, it looks like a larger watch on the wrist (a trick also employed by the IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser). It’s relatively thin, at 10mm, and the curved case and short lugs mean it sits well on any size wrist.
05.
Cartier Santos-Dumont
Dress watches should not be overly large; they should be subtle, discreet and delicate. That’s exactly what you get from the Cartier Santos-Dumont in its smallest size – a 31mm square of elegance that whispers rather than shouts. There’s nothing beyond the basics; not even a seconds hand, much less a date window or anything more complicated The message is clear: you are someone who has no time for such distractions. Of course, being cased in 18k rose gold helps to give it a more substantial presence, despite its size.