Left-Right: F1 Kirium / Aquagraph / Carrera Heuer 01 Skeleton 45mm / Microtimer
Aquarcer Chronotimer / 6000 Series Blue Dial / Aquaracer Calibre S / Grand Carrera GMT
Aquaracer 500M Grey Dial / Kirium Quartz Chronograph / 2000 Exclusive Two-Tone
You know, back before I got really into watches, it never occurred to me that the size of a watch was important, or that it even mattered. I literally wouldn't have given it a second thought unless it was comically oversized, or ridiculously petite. I bet my old yellow dial, red Velcro strap 'Gull' watch was in the mid 30s range and it didn't bother me in the slightest, but now that I have become 'aware', I am a man obsessed!
F1 Kirium CL111A (37mm)
My first TAG was the F1 Kirium, this never struck me as small until I bought my Aquagraph, which is not just bigger, but very chunky and very heavy. But even then I still never thought the Kirium was 'small' as such, just smaller than the Aquagraph, which is obviously very uncompromising in it's design.
Aquagraph CN211A (41mm)
Even so, I was rather shocked when I saw this photograph because I never felt it looked THIS big on my wrist (and by the way, just to say I have a 7.3/4" wrist, which is definitely on the larger side - and a bit of a pain when I'm trying to buy pre-owned as most watches seem to be sized to 7-7.1/2" and people rarely keep the extra links!).
Despite this 'size' still wasn't something that was in my mind, so when I bought my first '2000 Series' from eBay I was more than a little disappointed when it arrived and was a tiny 35mm. I bought extra links for the bracelet and got it to fit my wrist, but it didn't really fit at all. It looked silly and worse still the clasp dug into my wrist. I tried moving the clasp so the curve moulded around the edge of my wrist better but it just didn't work and I ended up selling it.
I replaced this with another '2000 Series', which was slightly bigger (37mm) but still had issues with the bracelet and ended up buying a rubber strap for it (at an outrageous cost of £140!). I wore this for a year, but eventually became dissatisfied with the size and sold that too. I ended up replacing it with a 40mm quartz Formula 1 that I wore for 18 months, before again becoming dissatisfied with the size.
Carrera Heuer01 CAR2A1Z (45mm)
Conversely, I agonized over the Heuer 01 for months, worried that it was too big... but eventually I went for it and although it is a big piece, the design of the strap makes it seem just right. I love my Heuer 01, it is a gorgeous watch, but if I'd known there was going to be a 43mm would I have bought that instead? Well, perhaps not, because the 43mm doesn't have the titanium case and the red line around the edge, or the black pushers and I don't think it looks as nice. I'f I'd known they were going to make the 'Drive Timer' versions though, that might have been a tougher choice...
My next purchase was off the wall, and one my wife didn't initially approve of, but she's come around now and actually quite likes it. The Microtimer fits so well on the wrist, not only is the strap very wide but the case is curved and wears great with a shirt, indeed I don't really wear it in the Summer as I think it looks much better under a cuff.
Microtimer CS111C (38mm)
I know it's not for everyone (and that only adds to it's appeal in my eyes) but ergonomically it wears so much better than a classic Monaco, which I really struggle with. I just don't like the square shape on the wrist, which is why I really like the Monaco 24 with it's bevelled edges and indeed the Microtimer with it's full width rubber strap. Admittedly, it is a bit sweaty in the Summer, which is another reason why I tend to keep it for the cooler months.
My next purchase was my CAU2012 Calibre 16 Formula 1, which was 44mm in diameter and looked it. Unusually the black PVD coating didn't really make any difference. I was fine with the overall size, but ended up hating the way the pushers and crown stuck out so obnoxiously, so I ended up trading it in after a year, having barely worn it.
Aquaracer Chronotimer CAF1010 (43mm)
The 43mm Chronotimer was my first Aquaracer and again this photo makes it look bigger than it feels and looks to me generally. It feels chunky, right enough, and it has a lot of reflective surfaces which make it a bit marmite for me. I go through periods where I wonder if I should sell it, and then I wear it and decide that I like it again. I wouldn't be entirely surprised if I did end up selling it at some point though...
6000 Series WH1115-K1 (38mm)
From one extreme to the other, this is my 38mm blue dial 6000 Series, which is only just big enough for my wrist. It looks worse than it feels to be honest, I don't think I need to buy another link, I think I just need to lose some 'pork' and it will be fine, but I certainly can't afford to get any fatter if I want to keep wearing this one in it's current form! This one is pretty thin, which makes it seem smaller, plus the case is bigger than the bezel which means the glass is smaller than you'd expect and again gives the impression of a smaller size watch. I love it though, actually, I'd like a few more 6000s, maybe the green or red dial versions...
Aquaracer Calibre S CAF7013 (43mm)
Again this one is 43mm and again this picture gives the impression of a BIG watch when it looks and feels just fine in person. I'm still not too sure about the rubber strap, I might switch it back to the bracelet at some point, but it's comfortable for the Summer, and does actually make it appear a little smaller (believe it or not). Especially when you consider that this shares the same case as the Chronotimer CAF1010 above!
Grand Carrera Calibre 8 GMT WAV5111 (43mm)
Next up we have the Grand Carrera GMT, which again is 43mm but appears larger. This is mainly due to the very thin bezel which leaves the dial filling much of that 43mm and without a chronograph to fill the space, it definitely creates the illusion of a bigger watch. I don't know if you've noticed or not but this shot clearly shows the irritating way watches seem to face away from me, I think it must be the way my wrist bone is placed - not much I can do about that I suppose!
Aquaracer 500M WAJ1111 (43mm)
Another chunky 43mm Aquaracer, but somehow it looks a touch smaller in this photo. I really love this watch, it's such a nice watch to wear and looks so different to all the black dial watches out there. The crown does appear to stick out and I did worry about that, but it's never bothered me in the slightest in actual fact. This watch looks the perfect size in this photo, it's funny to me that this is the same size as the Chronotimer, which appears much bigger, and 2mm bigger than than the Aquagraph, which looks HUGE in comparison! This one also seems to sit better on my wrist than some...
Kirium Chronograph CL1112 (37mm)
Now we come full circle back to a Kirium and this one is 37mm. I think it looks fine on the wrist, although I was very hesitant to buy it. Day to day it appears larger and smaller than my F1 Kirium, which is strange, but also part of my watch size craziness I think! On any given day I could think this was just right, or too small, but I'm trying to come to terms with this, and indeed now I find that I am having a similar problem with my larger watches, which is not helpful or enjoyable when I've invested so much money in them!
2000 Exclusive WN1153 (37mm)
Lastly we have my most recent purchase, the two-tone 2000 Exclusive I picked up from my local pawnbrokers last week. This one is 37mm, and while it's definitely on the smaller side, I think it looks fine on my wrist. It's odd how a few weeks ago I totally discounted this due to it's size, even though I really liked it's design. It worked out for me on the price, but it seems silly now that I thought it was too small for me.
Just looking at these pictures I find it absolutely astonishing that the Aquagraph is only 41mm (and I've measured it myself, so that is not a mistake!). It just goes to show the importance of getting a watch on your wrist and seeing how it would look. My friend Rich has a Tudor Pelagos, which is 42mm, and he reckons that's his absolute maximum, but he's said before he couldn't wear the Aquagraph, even though he really likes it. I think he will be shocked to learn that it's actually smaller than his own watch - although it is a bit thicker to be fair.
I think the Kirium has been key in changing my mind about sub 40mm watches, but it very much depends on the design. I think basing your opinions solely on the diameter is a bad move as it can be terribly misleading. It's so strange seeing all these pictures of my wrist, as some of the watches look massive, but I know they look fine in the flesh, and if I can't wear 43-45mm with a 7.3/4" wrist, then who on Earth can?
Which makes me think I need to take some more photos, perhaps with my hand open and/or some where my wrist isn't resting on a desk as I think this can make my wrist look different, and maybe some full length shots so you can get a better perspective on how the watches look on me.
These will be coming up in part two of this feature, very soon.
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