The watch community is evil... AKA the small watch trend is just a way to trick you into buying more watches!
The watch community is evil. There, I said it. It’s full of horrible people, giving out bad advice, trying to mislead and misdirect all of us into making terrible, irreparably bad life decisions.
Exhibit A: The move to smaller and smaller watch sizes. This is now the ideal watch size, according to the watch enthusiast community…
Listen, the only reason that watch manufacturers are pushing smaller watches is that they used to push big watches, we bought all those big watches, and, well, our watch boxes got full.
CEO of watch conglomerate (imagine Tom Wambsgans from Succession): Greg, we need to make more money!
Greg (obviously, Greg Hirsch): Yes, of course. I love money.
Tom: Well, don’t just sit there agreeing with everything I have to say! Go out and convince people to buy more watches!
Greg: But, they already bought everything we threw at them! The 52.5mm Joker watch sold like hotcakes, and now everyone’s watch boxes are full!
Tom: But… but… how am I going to afford my next kilo of Colombia’s finest nose candy???
Greg: Well, um, we could trick them into buying watches that are much worse than the ones they already have… we could lie to them and tell them that big, legible watches are bad, and that all the cool kids are now wearing small watches?
Tom: My god, I knew there was a reason that I kept you around!
* Actually, as complete aside, here is the entirety of the Nero and Sporus scene from Succession… I have never seen anything this brilliant before!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnEKPrOMFBc
Anyway, I own the King Seiko SPB279.
Is it a nice watch? Without question. Is it finished as brilliantly as any GS I own? Yes. Yes, the finishing is immaculate. Do I love it? No. No, I do not. You wanna know why? Because the watch community is evil, that’s why!
I like BIG WATCHES!!! This is my ideal watch!
I can’t comfortably wear anything below 40mm and 13mm thick on my 17cm wrist! But, somehow, everyone waxes eloquent about how 36mm dials and 4mm thickness is perfectly proportioned, and thank god we’re finally getting watches of the right size, blah, blah, blah...
The King Seiko SPB279 has a lug-to-lug of 43.6mm. I can’t wear it! How am I supposed to wear any watch where the lugs don’t protrude over the edges of my wrist???
You know what’s perfect? The SBGC253!
It’s 44.5mm diameter, 16.8mm thick, and 50.0mm lug-to-lug! Hallelujah!!!
So, listen, if you’re gullible, and you’ve swallowed all the lies that the watch community has fed you about how small watches wear better, AND you have an SBGC253 you gotta get rid of now that you’ve been brainwashed into thinking it’s too big for you, drop me line. I got a trade of a lifetime for you!
The Artist formerly known as @HotWatchChick69 and formerly-formerly @Omeganut
More from Mr.Dee.Bater
You didn’t get your big boy yet?
You didn’t get your big boy yet?
Not yet...
Not yet...
😢 where is your dude that hooks you up with the good pricing?!
Sure, they got to keep on selling. New is old, and old is new. That being said, smaller and lighter watches wear so much easier. I don't need the feeling of a hockey puck strapped to my wrist.
😢 where is your dude that hooks you up with the good pricing?!
I mean, he's on the street corner right now, ready to sell it to me...
The issue is that I promised myself I wouldn't buy it until after our upstairs renovation is complete... probably like another year from now!
I embraced small for a moment. But poppa likes a little more meat on the bones, and my frame makes me look like an asshole in anything under 38mm maaaaayyy be 36mm but I’m sure it would feel not like myself
Since someone thinks it is funny to use odd units of measure, I'll translate. This is approx. 6-13/16".
I knew all along that watches over 36mm were mostly bound to look like bell bottoms and butterfly collars once people came to their senses. I am vindicated. I never pretended to be Jeff Dabe like so many did.
Sure, they got to keep on selling. New is old, and old is new. That being said, smaller and lighter watches wear so much easier. I don't need the feeling of a hockey puck strapped to my wrist.
I agree 100%! The miracle of modern materials science has given us...
I embraced small for a moment. But poppa likes a little more meat on the bones, and my frame makes me look like an asshole in anything under 38mm maaaaayyy be 36mm but I’m sure it would feel not like myself
You know what? Most men prefer more meat on the bones. This particular comment may get me banned from WC, but I will say that this blog post opened my eyes to reality on big versus small...
https://www.jsanilac.com/dispelling-beauty-lies/
I mean, he's on the street corner right now, ready to sell it to me...
The issue is that I promised myself I wouldn't buy it until after our upstairs renovation is complete... probably like another year from now!
So basically you are watch celibate? Or abstinent? 😅 A whole year that is admirable! Meanwhile I am pretty sure my upstairs bathroom has not been updated in at least 20 years. Fun fact though our tile has a pattern on it that looks like a squirrel smoking a pipe-
I was complaining about and thinking of selling My SNR051 with its :
CASE DIMENSIONS:
THICKNESS:
DIAMETER:
LENGTH:
14.7mm
44.8mm
50.9mm
And wore it Monday and today like you telling myself I LOve BiG Butts… I mean watches lol …
I agree 100%! The miracle of modern materials science has given us...
Sia, is that you? So many questions, but most of all: What size is your watch? 😂
Since someone thinks it is funny to use odd units of measure, I'll translate. This is approx. 6-13/16".
I knew all along that watches over 36mm were mostly bound to look like bell bottoms and butterfly collars once people came to their senses. I am vindicated. I never pretended to be Jeff Dabe like so many did.
"Odd units of measure"...
I embraced small for a moment. But poppa likes a little more meat on the bones, and my frame makes me look like an asshole in anything under 38mm maaaaayyy be 36mm but I’m sure it would feel not like myself
A square watch around 36mm will wear like a 39mm…ish…depending on model. Something to consider.
I was complaining about and thinking of selling My SNR051 with its :
CASE DIMENSIONS:
THICKNESS:
DIAMETER:
LENGTH:
14.7mm
44.8mm
50.9mm
And wore it Monday and today like you telling myself I LOve BiG Butts… I mean watches lol …
Nah, man, that's the perfect sized watch! It's a keeper!
Send that to Grand Seiko. They can claim it "inspired" their latest watch dial.
Great idea! They do like nature and stuff. I’d buy it. Or maybe @Ichibunz can customize one for me. 😆
Big. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I want a tuna with a salmon dial.
I've tried big watches, I've tried small watches. I have 40mm watches and even one 49mm watch. I'm comfortable wearing watches as small as 29mm but I find 34mm to 36mm to be the sweet spot for me. I just prefer small (obligatory "that's what she said" punchline).
Say to her, "Woman, you don't know what time it is."
Not my watch, but I've borrowed it a few times and I always felt like a total boss in it... I could go bigger
That is a good look and a good fit, and a Tudor that doesn't look too Rolex-y.
Joe Biden, the world’s greatest idiot,,,EVER!🤮🤮🤮🤮
Not a fan either. He's damaged my retirement. Not destroyed it (yet) but certainly damaged it.
Grand Seiko has truly flew into my attention over the last year. The more I learn about them the more I want to to own one one day. Great post Brian. How long have you had the SPB2279?
I want a tuna with a salmon dial.
Whitesalmon wearing a Tuna🤣
Whitesalmon wearing a Tuna🤣
Haha, thanks! Close enough!
Grand Seiko has truly flew into my attention over the last year. The more I learn about them the more I want to to own one one day. Great post Brian. How long have you had the SPB2279?
Well, thank you, sir.
I’ve had the watch for maybe just over a year now, I think. I do quite like it. It’s just that… I wish it were bigger! Ha!
I think you really hit the issue but got it backwards. Forever watches were normal size. Then the industry decided to sell diner plates (watches that look like some kid went into their parent’s room to get stuff to play dress up). Now that so many people have bought these huge watches, they’re just going back to normal sizing.
I think you really hit the issue but got it backwards. Forever watches were normal size. Then the industry decided to sell diner plates (watches that look like some kid went into their parent’s room to get stuff to play dress up). Now that so many people have bought these huge watches, they’re just going back to normal sizing.
Ha! I agree that that's how things worked historically. Yes, agreed 100%.
But, that's only because we were incredibly poor throughout history. Materials costs were an incredibly high proportion of the total price of a watch. So, one easy way to minimize the bill of materials would simply be to make small stuff so that you use less material.
But, we're rich now.
We're so rich, in fact, that the materials cost associated with any steel luxury sports watch is probably something like $50 max. 95% of the price we pay for luxury watches these days is effectively brand.
That being the case, it simply makes sense to have larger watches, to ensure greater legibility!
QED!
Ha! I agree that that's how things worked historically. Yes, agreed 100%.
But, that's only because we were incredibly poor throughout history. Materials costs were an incredibly high proportion of the total price of a watch. So, one easy way to minimize the bill of materials would simply be to make small stuff so that you use less material.
But, we're rich now.
We're so rich, in fact, that the materials cost associated with any steel luxury sports watch is probably something like $50 max. 95% of the price we pay for luxury watches these days is effectively brand.
That being the case, it simply makes sense to have larger watches, to ensure greater legibility!
QED!
Well somewhat but actually no.
The reason small watches were hot in the day and not bigger ones, is that there were no computer controlled, laser guided, robotic machines to produce micro stuff. Small watch components had to be made by incredibly rare artisanal talents. The cost of material was not the main factor. Companies raced to make the smallest watch they could because it was a sign of skill. People paid much higher prices for small watches such as Cartier Tank and JLC Reverso because they represented the highest level of the watchmaking art.
Well somewhat but actually no.
The reason small watches were hot in the day and not bigger ones, is that there were no computer controlled, laser guided, robotic machines to produce micro stuff. Small watch components had to be made by incredibly rare artisanal talents. The cost of material was not the main factor. Companies raced to make the smallest watch they could because it was a sign of skill. People paid much higher prices for small watches such as Cartier Tank and JLC Reverso because they represented the highest level of the watchmaking art.
Smaller + less legible + more expensive = horrible in every way!!!
Anybody that remembers this man he would be the most influential person to convince you in buying you next watch. His character and charm yeah I be broke.
I used to have this chap in my social circles who was convinced, and would try to preach to anyone who would listen, that smaller watches are the way to go "because you cannot say that a 32mm watch is not masculine when WWII veterans wore those into battle".
Now, I have no problem with people telling me what they prefer - that's their business.
I had to draw a line when this same fella kept remarking "you like them BIG watches eh?" when I wear my 40-42mm watches. I have a 7.25" wrist and certain 39mm watches just look weird on my wrist, and it's my cross to bear, not someone else's issue to nitpick on.