Mens Watch

Is the Case Right for Your Wrist?

Case size is measured across the case, not including the crown, and listings give it in millimeters, with 25.4 mm to the inch. The way to judge it is against the top of your wrist, the flat part between its edges. Measure that width with a ruler: if it is wider than the case with room to spare, the watch sits inside it comfortably. If the case reaches close to the edges, it reads as a bold, oversized watch, which some men want and others do not. A quick check is to cut a paper circle the size of the case and hold it on your wrist.

• Measure the flat top. The visible top of the wrist is what the case covers.
• Room at each side. A wrist wider than the case carries it without crowding.
• Try a paper circle. A cutout the size of the case shows the fit before you buy.

Wrist Circumference and the Strap

Circumference matters for the strap rather than the case. On a leather strap the holes decide the fit, and on a wooden link band it comes down to removing links, so a smaller wrist means taking more of them out. Run a soft tape measure round the wrist at the point the watch will sit, note the number, and keep it for the day you size a band or order a second strap. That single measurement answers every strap question later.

• Case by width, strap by circumference. Separate measurements for separate jobs.
• Holes on leather. Choose the hole that leaves a finger of room.
• Links on wood. Smaller wrists remove more links.

One Watch for Work and Weekend

Most men wear one watch far more than any other, so the useful question is which one covers the most days. A white dial on a black strap is the most versatile: clear to read, formal enough for work and plain enough for a weekend. A black dial on brown leather is the relaxed alternative. The wood decides the rest, with walnut for a quieter watch, zebrawood for a louder one and bamboo for a lighter one. A second strap in the other color stretches one watch across work and weekend.

• White dial, black strap. The widest range of occasions.
• Black dial, brown strap. The relaxed everyday version.
• A second strap. One watch for the office and the weekend.

Pair It With a Bead Strand

A wooden watch and a bead bracelet share a material, which makes them the easiest pairing a man can wear. Wear the bracelet on the opposite wrist to start, or above the watch on the same wrist once you are used to wearing them together. For how the movement inside keeps time, see the quartz watch page, and for choosing a strand, see mens bracelets. Start with the watch that fits your wrist, add the strap color that matches your shoes, and the rest of the outfit follows.

• Shared material. Wood on the case and wood on the strand agree.
• Other wrist first. The simplest way to wear them together.
• Fit, strap, then style. Size decides first and color second.