Smaller watches are all the rage, with even
watchmakers known for muscular tickers
getting in on the trend
When an instrument of any kind is meant to be worn, its makers have to consider
how far they can push boundaries, and the reasons for wanting to. At times — most
notably with the now-defunct Google Glass — it can be laughably obvious that whatever it
is the creators intended, the audience was not having it. Watchmakers certainly have to care
about how their creations are worn; watches need to be sized right to fit comfortably on the
wrist, be able to take a hard knock or two, and offer excellent legibility.
Arguably, a bigger watch is an easier watch to read, and it allows traditional watchmakers to
weave more creative technical spells, to say nothing of improving build-quality. On the other
hand, mechanical watchmaking has advanced to the point that if a watchmaker wanted to
improve a watch’s resistance to electromagnetism, for example, there is no longer any need
for a soft iron inner cage to protect the movement. Said watchmaker could simply opt for
components in anti-magnetic materials, such as silicon. This just means that watchmakers
can now challenge themselves to go smaller, while offering the same level of quality and
reliability. A 37mm dive watch with a water-resistance rating of 200m is well within
reach, as you will discover shortly.
A COMFORT
FIT
Several decades ago, a man’s wristwatch might have been the size of a one-dollar coin, or
had a dial in those dimensions. That is obviously a tiny amount of real estate compared with
what the likes of Panerai are still proposing today in their general rollout of models. This
being said, Panerai is a key example of a “bigger-is-better” brand that has been reducing its
footprint, most obviously in its Luminor Due collection, which is pitched to ladies but has
stoked the interest of people who found the brand’s typically 44mm proportions a little too
domineering. While the Luminor Due 38mm is hardly new — having been introduced as
early as 2018 — it now comes in a variety of colourways, such as trendy green, light blue
and powdery pink. Like many other watchmakers, Panerai has been warming to the virtues
of the petite while keeping beefy watches in the mix.
Today, we really see the small watch trend coexisting with the sports watch trend, and some
watch brands are double-dipping. On that note, consider the Girard-Perregaux Laureato
Green Ceramic Aston Martin, which exists in 42mm and 38mm versions. Normally, when
any given brand offers two sizes with the same look and feel, the assumption is that one
might be meant for men and the other for ladies. In the case of these two Laureato models,
there is a fair bit that is different, amid the similarities. For one, the movements are different,
with the automatic calibre GP01800 powering the 42mm model, and the automatic calibre
GP03300 in the smaller model. A small detail on the dial differentiates the two models, with
the date window on the larger model not having any gap between itself and the rehaut, while
there is a noticeable gap in the smaller model.
TODAY, WE REALLY SEE THE SMALL WATCH
TREND COEXISTING WITH THE SPORTS WATCH
TREND, AND SOME WATCH BRANDS ARE
DOUBLE-DIPPING.
BY THE
MILLIMETRE
There is no doubt here that a 38mm watch is still on the ‘large’ side, compared to where
the mainstream watch world was 30 years ago or so. Take the Chopard L.U.C 1860 from
1997, which clocked in at a svelte 36.5mm. At that time, this was the accepted norm for a
dress watch, and Chopard used the model to launch its then-new restrained line for men,
the L.U.C collection. Tellingly, Chopard is revisiting the three-hander this year, with the new
L.U.C 1860 in the same proportions as the original. If anything, Chopard has doubled down
on restraint, with the new Lucent Steel model lacking the date window at six o’clock that
marked the 1997 version.
Speaking of watches that go back to their original dimensions, one of the biggest releases
of 2023 is the Tudor Black Bay, a dive watch that has been getting progressively smaller
since its contemporary debut in 2012. That watch got the conversation started on how great
it would be if Tudor just made a smaller version. Well, Tudor was paying attention to the
chatter, delivering the 39mm Black Bay 58 in 2018 that shaved a couple of millimetres off the
diameter of the watch. For 2023, Tudor finally goes back to the size of the Tudor Submariner
released in 1954, with the Black Bay 54 measuring 37mm. Considering that this is still a dive
watch, water resistance is not compromised here, with the Black Bay 54 being the watch we
referenced earlier, rated for 200m.
FOR 2023, TUDOR FINALLY GOES BACK
TO THE SIZE OF THE TUDOR SUBMARINER
RELEASED IN 1954, WITH THE BLACK BAY
54 MEASURING 37MM.
STEALTH
WEALTH
On the other hand, watchmakers do not require a historical reason to downsize models.
The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF is a very new collection overall, having just come
into existence in 2021. Hardly large at 40mm, the first Tonda PF model was lauded for
being an exceptional fit on most wrists, and it was immediately oversubscribed at retailers
everywhere. Even at this size, the watch was already a paragon of subtlety, with even the
brand name absent from the dial, but Parmigiani Fleurier saw the chance to take it even
further. For the 36mm version, the watch is a pure time-only piece, with the new smaller
in-house automatic movement PF770 in service. The rose gold version, with baguette-cut
diamond indices won the Ladies’ Watch of the Year at last year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie
de Genève.
Finally, some brands do acknowledge customer demand for smaller timepieces when
introducing scaled-down versions of popular models, as Vacheron Constantin does with its
Overseas watch. While the standard model is 41mm, the Geneva watchmaker has a smaller
37mm version that is just as popular. However, it opted for an even smaller version this year at
34.5mm that comes with its own dial options. Interestingly, the gem-set version of this watch
is a smidge larger, measuring 35mm. This is largely down to the design of the bezel and its
Maltese cross motif.
Fit and feel aside, the notion of going small with luxury timepieces can be thought of as
a celebration of the artistry required to create intricate, miniature clockwork, rather than
catering to notions of excess and conspicuousness. A smaller and thus more discreet watch
may not attract as much attention but it will satisfy one’s desire for a purely personal treasure.
THE NOTION OF GOING SMALL WITH LUXURY
TIMEPIECES CAN BE THOUGHT OF AS A
CELEBRATION OF THE ARTISTRY REQUIRED TO
CREATE INTRICATE, MINIATURE CLOCKWORK.
