Watch Fitting Guide: How Tight Should a Watch Be?

Written by Paul Morrison
| Last Updated on July 22, 2021

Typically, your watch should be tight enough so that it doesn’t slide more than one inch up or down your wrist when you move your arm, but loose enough so that it doesn’t leave a red mark from the band.

These rules especially apply to oversized or bracelet-style watches, as a looser fit will make it look even bigger and exaggerated.

Now, there are a couple more rules to follow, if you want to wear your watch as it’s supposed to be worn. An example is wearing watches with long sleeves, or how to achieve a perfect fit.

Read on to learn more!

how tight should a watch be_

The “One Finger” Rule

A quick way to assess, whether your watch is too tight, too loose, or a good fit, is to slide a finger in between the watch strap and your wrist. A tight watch will not allow this to happen, while a loose watch fit will let you slide two fingers underneath comfortably.

A proper fit will let you slide a single finger in between your watch and your wrist, while two fingers would be uncomfortable to push into space.

Any watch-wearing person should do a quick sliding test if they’re unsure whether or not their watch is too snug, loose, or properly fitted.

How Should a Watch Fit With Long Sleeves?

If you wear a watch with long sleeves, you might need to be attentive to your watch fit. Every man should know, how to wear a watch properly with a nice shirt – but not all do.

So, how is a watch supposed to fit with a long-sleeve look?

When you wear a watch with long sleeves, you might need to tighten the strap a little bit, as you don’t want the watch to slide down onto your wrist. When standing up straight, with your arms relaxed by your side, the long sleeves should actually cover most of the watch.

If your watch is too loose, it won’t look as classy. Instead, it will be a disturbing little detail. So, wear your watch correctly, also with long sleeves.

How to measure your wrist for a watch

Before you go directly for the numbers, remember: The answer to “How tight should a watch fit?” is subjective. It’s about your preference too, not just the standard. If you like a tighter watch, then you should go with something a bit tighter. The same goes for loose.

Now, when you measure your wrist for a watch, you can split it into two:

  1. The first for the watch case
  2. The second one for the watch strap

This way you’ll achieve the best result.

Watch Casing

The first item on the “measurement list” is the watch case. There are three factors to consider here:

  1. The Case Diameter: The length from one side of the watch to the other, not including the crown (unless states otherwise).
  2. The Case Depth: The depth of the watch (how high does it rise from your wrist, the watch thickness).
  3. The Lug-to-Lug distance (watch lug width): From the tip of one lug to another lug on the other side of the case.
Watch measuring

All of these will vary from watch to watch, which is why it can be a pain to find the perfect watch to wear – but, we can always try.

To start the process of finding your ideal timepiece size, simply grab a measuring tape and measure the circumference of your wrist.

Now that you’ve found your wrist circumference, here’s a cheat sheet to find the ideal sizes (remember to keep your preferences in mind, as these are simply standard measurements):

6 Inches or smaller

  • Case Diameter: 38 mm or under
  • Case Depth: Under 10 mm
  • Lug-to-Lug: Under 42 mm

6-6.75 Inches

  • Case Diameter: 36 mm to 40 mm
  • Case Depth: Under 12 mm
  • Lug-to-Lug: Under 46 mm

6.75-7.5 Inches

  • Case Diameter: 40 mm to 44 mm
  • Case Depth: Under 14 mm
  • Lug-to-Lug: Under 50 mm

7.5 Inches or bigger

  • Case Diameter: 42 mm and over
  • Case Depth: Over 10 mm
  • Lug-to-Lug: Over 46 mm

Watch Bracelet/Strap

When looking for the correct band, just remember this: it’s all about comfort. If you like the tightness, then it’s good. But make sure you wear watches for expended periods of time, as your wrist will most likely swell up during the day.

watch band sizes

How to Achieve a Proper Fit

Your watch band size should be fairly easy to adjust if it’s a strap. If it’s a bracelet, you might need some help.

A strap is easily adjustable, and you can simply tighten it or loosen it, to adjust the tightness. If you don’t have the correct hole though, you can make new ones. Go to your local watch shop, where they’ll have the proper tools (if you don’t have them yourself).

Now, let’s get to the bracelets.

Removing Links

When a bracelet is far too big, you need to remove links. If you know what you’re doing, you can do this yourself. If you have no idea, you might need to find a jeweler, who can adjust the watch for you. Just make sure, that it doesn’t end up too tight.

Make sure you keep your links, in case it does end up being too tight at some point in the future.

Micro Adjustments

Many watch bracelets have a way of doing “micro-adjustments”. This will be located on the clasp. To keep it simple, these are tiny slots, that you can use to make very small adjustments. This will help you make your watches fit just right, and not too tight.

Although this comes in many watches, it’s not all of them – this might not be an opportunity you have, unfortunately.

Swap the Strap

If none of the above works for you, you might need to do something drastic: change the band completely. Now, this sounds easy, but, it might not be.

See, most bands fit in terms of length. But, it’s the width and the lug size that might mess with you. The lugs come in a set size, so you need to find a strap or bracelet that fits perfectly with these. Check the watchband size, before you purchase a new one.

FAQ

Should A Watch Leave An Imprint?

No, a watch should not leave an imprint, when you’ve worn it for an extended period of time. Now, it might be okay, if it’s a very slight imprint, but a red mark should generally be avoided.

Watch Above or Below Wrist Bone?

You should wear your watch just above the wrist bone. If you try to wear it on top of the ulna (the bone on your wrist that sticks out) or below it, it’ll end up being uncomfortable for you. So, try to avoid wearing your watch too close to your hand.

How Do I Find the Ideal Watch Size?

To find the ideal watch size, you need to measure your wrist circumference. From there you want to take a look at the case diameter, depth, and lug-to-lug width. On top of that, experiment with watches. Figure out what you like.

How Loose Should a Watch Be?

Your watch should be loose enough so that it can slide a bit up and down your wrist, but no more than 1 inch each way. If your watch bracelet is too loose, it’ll just end up looking silly, as the watch will be sliding all over. Watches should remain fairly in place, even as you move around.

About Paul Morrison

For years I’ve been buying and selling watches as a hobby, which led me to the decision of starting Watch for Tomorrow. I write a lot of the content, and I enjoy doing it. The most important aspect for me is the guidance of buying watches as well as avoiding bad ones. There are many bad watches out there, that are just too expensive. Hopefully, I can help you find your dream watch!