How to measure your wrist and choose a watch size

Diameter is the figure everyone looks at, but it is not the one that decides whether a watch suits you. What matters is the lug-to-lug: the distance from tip to tip of the lugs, where the strap attaches. If it is wider than your wrist, the lugs overhang at the sides and the watch looks big, whatever its case measures.

How to measure

Take a sewing tape measure or a strip of paper.
Wrap it around your wrist just above the bone on the little-finger side, without pulling tight.
Note the circumference in centimetres.

The rule

Seen from above, your wrist is roughly a third as wide as its circumference. The watch’s lug-to-lug should stay below that width; with a 5% margin, the watch sits within the wrist.

Circumference	Approx. width	Maximum lug-to-lug
14 cm	46 mm	44 mm
15 cm	50 mm	47 mm
16 cm	53 mm	50 mm
17 cm	56 mm	53 mm
18 cm	59 mm	56 mm
19 cm	63 mm	60 mm
20 cm	66 mm	63 mm

It is an approximation: a flat wrist takes a little more than a round one. But it is enough to rule watches out without trying them on.

An example

The Seiko Prospex Turtle measures 45 mm across, a figure that sounds large. But its cushion case keeps the lug-to-lug at about 47.7 mm, less than many 42 mm watches. That is why it wears well on 16 or 17 cm wrists. You can see every size in the lists of 39.5 mm or less, 40 mm and 42 mm or more.

Try it with a watch

Pick a model and move the slider to your circumference. You will see the width of your wrist and how much of it the lugs take up.

Try it with your wrist

Move the slider to your wrist circumference. Seen from above, your wrist is roughly a third of that wide; if the lug-to-lug is wider, the watch overhangs.

Your wrist circumference: 17 cm

With a 17 cm circumference, your wrist is about 56 mm wide.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly do you measure the wrist?

Just above the bone that sticks out on the little-finger side, which is where the watch sits. With the tape snug but not tight.

What if I don’t have a tape measure?

Wrap a strip of paper around your wrist, mark where the ends meet and measure the strip with a ruler.

Does thickness matter?

Yes, especially with a shirt: above 13 mm the watch catches on the cuff. Dress watches usually stay below 12 mm.

How to measure your wrist