I accompanied a friend to a watch sale during the week, where I saw a very paltry selection for women’s watches. Rather, smaller watches for the admittedly smaller wrists of women. There were lots of women happily snapping up (and depriving, hah!) the men of the watches on display though, and the lady manning the counter told me it was just “in” for women to wear a large watch instead of a smaller one.
Many women were going for the oversized watch look which is very trendy now and which I believe has been so for a couple of years now. Whilst many fashion brands do make oversized watches for women, heading to the men’s selection gets you an instant oversized watch from a reputable watch maker without the fuss.
Yet, I could never get into the trend for a very practical reason – wrist size. Have you?
A few years ago, I actually wanted a large watch. But I soon realised that being blessed (or cursed, whichever way you look at it!) with a small wrist, I just could not comfortably wear a watch with a large face.
Often, the face would extend beyond my wrist which just looks wrong. A watch face larger than your wrist. Hmm…
Also, I found that metal straps (which I favour) have a minimum number of removable links and if you remove them all, it doesn’t look balanced. As for leather straps, few places would punch me an extra hole because then the remaining strap will wrap all the way around to the other end of the watch. I know, it was awkward.
So I gave up. I’m fussy about watches, preferring only to go for proper watchmakers, not fashion watches so unbelievable as it is, selection from a good watchmaker for a medium sized watch face, is quite limited. And then, I stopped wearing watches.
I haven’t worn a watch for at least 3 years so I just didn’t see any reason to start again. Still, I do like seeing women wearing clunky oversized watches. If I had the wrist for it, or could find a watch that fit, I just might. But till I do, I’d just admire from afar 🙂
Are you into the oversized watch trend? Do you wear a watch daily?
I like how it looks and I’m still looking for one that will work with my wrists. But I rarely wear a watch daily. I stopped because the battery in the watch I was wearing ran out. I eventually got an automatic one that didn’t need batteries but by then I’d forgotten what it was like to wear a watch, so I haven’t. You?
Paris B
i wear a watch daily on weekdays. i quite like an oversized watch, but unfortunately to be honest i think they are too big for comfort, and risk getting knocks and scratches here there. so i guess i’d stick to the normal size.
I like the look but it looks so weird on me, like a kid wearing an adult’s watch -_-“” But I’m now so used to not wearing a watch when I tried it the other day, I found it too heavy 😛
I share the same problem with you, PB! My wrists are too small to carry off the oversized watch trend so I go to the other extreme of looking for the smallest watch faces I can find. But due to my skin problems (at one point of time it was on my wrists as well) I stopped wearing watches completely and got along just fine. Nowadays my phone is my watch! LOL.
Small wrists unite! 😉 Haha I didn’t get the small watch faces either partly because I go blind trying to decipher the time hehe… But on some people, they are really cute! I use my phone as my watch too 😛 At work, there’s the computer clock and when I drive there’s my car clock so really, I don’t need a watch 😛
I’m the kind of person who can’t go out without a watch on XD My wrist feels naked without it haha My wrist isn’t exactly small like the average female so I’m able to wear large-faced watches okay though I’ve not gone to the extreme of buying a men’s watch yet 😛 I have a few watches with different face sizes to match the occasion. Smaller, daintier-faced ones for dressing up and large-faced ones for casual wear 🙂
I used to feel that way! The first few times I stopped wearing my watch, I felt naked without it. Now when I do wear, I feel constricted LOL! That said, I really should take the automatic one out now and again before it dies on me for good 😛
I am totally in for large watches (i.e. husband’s… Hehe)!! I have a small-ish wrist size too but I haven’t worn a women sized (or small) watch for over 3 years now. It would be weird to have a small watch on I think. You know how it feels when you try to play badminton right after playing tennis? :p
However, the big watches I wear are not overly large. It’s just a bit smaller than my wrist. There are small men watch which should fit perfectly for women.
To prevent knocking and scratching it, the strap should fit nicely around wrist, not loose as if you’re wearing a bracelet. 🙂 Nowadays there are the cloth or synthetic fabric straps which look sporty or even classic. I don’t personally prefer these because the watch face being large is usually heavy so it’s kind of unbalanced. I love metal straps like you, for the practicality (I cook, wash hands and sweat a lot so leather is a no-go choice).
Again, large or small watch, it’s a personal choice. I think small watches look delicate and classic in a night function. In occasions like these, I prefer to go without one… Hahahahaha
Lucky you to be able to find watches to suit your wrist, Ting. The only ones from the big brands that do medium sized faces are the really really high end brands so I prefer not to even go there LOL! I used to go for the slightly larger women’s watches before – the really small dainty ones made me go blind trying to tell the time 😛 I do agree that different watches suit different occasions. Some are gorgeous and an accessory in their own right!
If you can afford, those from big brand names not only serve as a time keeping tool, it’s also an investment or an item that you keep for life. 🙂
There are brands not overly top top but above average such as Ball, Rado, Hamilton, Cartier that do lovely classic watches. 🙂 And I have the same problem as you… I get woozy when I look at a small watch trying to identify which hand is which. :p
Yep! Watches, unlike many things will appreciate especially if they are from a good brand. I suppose my wallet and bank account thanks me that I haven’t gone there 😉 I used to eye the Omega Constellation but the price has gone up way too far from the first time I wanted it, and i saw that a friend who had it had scratches on the bezel so I suppose I was sort of glad I didn’t get it. I still do look at it now and again though. It looks so lovely and classic 😉
Oh… I love oversized watch!! But i couldn’t have one because i have extremely small wrist! 🙁
Ah the lament of the small wristed woman! 😛
Woo.. Bigger face watch, make my wrist look less big ????
Hmm… that might make sense 😉
I live and breathe by my watch, but I can’t wear an oversized one. Just looks wrong on my wrist!
I guess some of us just can’t follow some of these fashion trends out there! 😀
I’ve been wearing a Baby G for the better part of the decade, so I dunno if they count as oversized. But no, wouldn’t wear men’s watches cos I know it’ll overwhelm my own dainty wrist (which are the only part of me that’s “dainty” :P)
Haha from what I remember, the Baby G is largish but I suppose anything that looks large on our wrists will qualify as ‘oversized’ so you are probably quite on trend! 😉 Not necessary to wear a man’s watch to be on trend 😉
I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.
I mostly wear mine to the movies or the theatre to tell time in the dark… other than that, I don’t wear it day-to-day much.
i think that it depends on how to match with oversized watch. i used to wear watch daily till my watch spoil, then i stop wearing anymore until recently i just get a new watch, but still can’t change back my habit to wear watch daily :X
I personally think it depends on a person’s wrist. Some wrists take large watches well. Others like mine look overwhelmed. Then again I can’t wear bangles either so maybe its the same thing 🙂 Once you fall off the watch wearing bandwagon, I’ve found its impossible to get back on. Haven’t worn a watch regularly for years!
I also admire the oversized watch and had such a longing for one. As I didn’t want to spend so much without knowing how long I would like the oversized watch on my small wrist, I “borrowed” my husband’s Swatch watch and made him take out a few links to fit my wrist.
I wore it for quite some time and eventually the size grew on me and when I went back to wearing my own small sized watch, it look so tiny and I couldn’t get used to it. It was then I realized it was time for me to get one for myself. I didn’t like the trendy ones so I got myself a men’s medium sized watch from a reputable watchmaker. Did not regret my decision at all.
Smart move, Mei Ping! 😀 Try before you buy hehe… I’m glad to know there are some people out there like me who prefer not to go for a trendy watch but one from a good watchmaker 😉 For watches and maybe shoes, I’m really particular. For other things, maybe less so 😀
I find that big watches don’t suit me.
I wear a watch everyday, and my current one, for about 4 years already, is a Fossil dress watch from my then boyfriend, now husband. Gold edition only sold in US, with Swarovski crystals. Hehe, always get compliments on it. And people asking me where to buy, because Singapore only has the silver one.
That sounds like a very pretty watch! And a very lovely gift;) A friend of mine has a watch from Fossil and is very happy with it too. The nice thing about a pretty watch is that is makes a nice and practical accessory too 🙂
me too have a smaller wrist and can’t carry larger face watch, although i would love to have one if it look good one me! cause I found that a lot male watches have very nice design (be it fashion watch or well-known watch maker), i would love to have those!! I myself wearing a Swarovski fashion watch with very simple design, just having a matching color crystal ring on the watch face. I had another similar design watch (smaller size with different strap style) but the crystal cracked a bit, thought want to send it to fixed but to replace that crystal ring I need to pay RM999!!! which is why I gave up fixing it and wearing a new one. >.<
Your watch sounds pretty and bling! Hehe sorry to hear it cost so much to replace. Guess it only makes sense to then buy a new one 😉
I have a very thin small wrist and I still love my oversized watch. Small watch faces seem so old fashioned to me. I wear my watch 24/7. I love the chunky look.
I think it’s a style thing too 😀 I’m just not that stylish haha but it’s great to know this suits your lifestyle
Totally with you here. I don’t get that ‘trend’ either! It looks funny on my wrist!
We can both sit on the sidelines looking in then! 😉
i have been wearing my dad’s vintage seiko watch for years (the watch is actually older than me:P). i like the oversize watch as it match with all my daily outfit.
I do have some other tiny bracelet watches to go with my girly dresses 🙂
Wow vintage seiko! I bet that must be really classy! I used to wear a Rado with tiniest diamond and it was the right size for me and classic too. Then I found out that a lot of men here (especially those uncles and taxi driver uncles) wear the same model but in gold… I love it less after a few coincidences. 🙁
A vintage seiko! If I had one I’d so wear it too, whether or not it fits lol! How lovely wearing something so nostalgic that means so much 🙂
I have really small wrist, so I’m afraid this trend is just not for me. Or else, the oversized watch will just look mega jumbo sized on me, like a kid who is trying to wear her father’s watch. However, I totally got sucked into the vintage gold watch trend a few years back, so I have reserved a soft spot for Michael Kors’s rose gold watch. 🙂
A friend of mine has been eyeing that MK Rose Gold watch too! 😀 it does look very attractive. Rose gold is very in at the memento for some reason.
I have a small wrist but I LOVE watches and I do have a few oversized ones along with the normal ladies’ sized watches. I can’t go out without a watch, I feel totally naked without one. I also borrow my hubby’s watches now and again, unfortunately for him, he can’t borrow mine. 😛
Initially I didn’t quite like the idea of oversized watches but when I started borrowing my hubby’s to try out, I found that I could carry it off quite well. I’m a top & jeans kinda girl so the oversized watches complement the look.
It does seem like its a lifestyle and style thing too. I do rather like the contrast of a large watch paired with a dress. It’s so edgy! 😀 then again, I don’t wear bangles either. Arms aren’t made for them so I’m sort of glad there’s 2 things less to splurge on hehe… 😉
I LOVE big watches but I hate how they look on my puny wrists. Despite being relatively big, my wrists and ankles are stupidly small. Go figure. But, I do wear a watch everyday. More out of habit than anything else. And I love stacking 😉 Watch, charm bracelet, leather bracelet. All thin items but the effects are nice in a quirky way
I could never get into the stacking thing either lol! I guess I’m a minimalist 😉
I like ring watch and also bracelet watch, more feminine..oversized watch doesn’t suit me..
I reckon its a case of personal style 😀
yes, i wear a watch daily and I even feel uncomfortable if I forget wearing it. I am also into oversize watches, I guess my wrist is not that small, hihi….
Nah, it just means you know how to rock the style trend well! 😉