Dial Size Matters
As someone with a 6.25 inch wrist, I've been wanting to try the new 38mm 5KX since it was announced. Well, I finally got a chance to do so and I came away feeling that it was just too small for my preference. I've worn 36-38mm watches before, but never a diver that was under 39mm (Tudor BB58 has been the smallest). However, the 38mm Seiko 5KX struck me as substantially smaller than something like the BB58 even though it's only 1mm smaller.
As a matter of fact, the 38mm 5KX seemed down right tiny. Now, I think proportionally, I could pull it off, but I still think it was just too small for my tastes. I ended up measuring the dial of the 38mm 5KX and found that the actual dial size was 26mm. To put that in to perspective, my wife's 34mm Presage has a 30mm dial and so does my dad's 36mm Seiko from 1979. The dial on the 40mm DressKX is 32mm. So, considering this, the 38mm 5KX wears a lot smaller than it would suggest (at least in my experience).
The actual size of the dial matters more than I realized. It's incredible to me just how many variables go into whether or not a watch will "work" for someone just based on size alone. Case dimension, case shape, lug to lug, thickness, size of someone's wrist, shape of someone's wrist, dial size, bezel or no bezel, etc. So many factors to consider.
Current collection: Seiko SARB033, Seiko SBSA057, Seiko SZSB011
The relationship between L2L, dial size, and thickness and your wrist/personal preference is key…which is why you did the right thing in trying it on. 👍
I got the teal variant for my girlfriend and the first thing she said was did you get me a smaller watch than the previous Seiko which was a 34mm Presage cocktail 😅
The watch feels more like 36mm rather than a 38mm on the wrist. For smaller wrists, it does work well but if you are used to divers on the larger side, from our perspective it is going to look tiny for sure.
Nice pictures as always.
Albeit smaller, I'm still going to put this in the running with a Tissot Seastar 36, Momentum M-Ocean 38, or if I can find one a demonstrator Marathon MSAR.
Been wanting a solid, small case, bezel dive watch for awhile.
Is it proportionally thick? Or abnormally so, i.e.- did Seiko try to shrink the overall package or just the case?
In the end I think it al comes down to proportions and personal preference.
The 38mm 5kx would probably be near perfect, but does that matter?
No!!!!! A watch is only to small if you think so don't listen to me!!!
If you say this looks small on me I don't like that. There are no buts it's just not for you.
Sorry might have come over as a bit aggressive, I wasn't trying to be.🤗
The relationship between L2L, dial size, and thickness and your wrist/personal preference is key…which is why you did the right thing in trying it on. 👍
And as I've found out recently, even my wrist size doesn't tell the full story. My wife and I have the exact same wrist size (6.25 inches), but my wrist is more flat whereas hers is much more rounded and appears smaller. It was a great illustration for me when I realized this.
I got the teal variant for my girlfriend and the first thing she said was did you get me a smaller watch than the previous Seiko which was a 34mm Presage cocktail 😅
The watch feels more like 36mm rather than a 38mm on the wrist. For smaller wrists, it does work well but if you are used to divers on the larger side, from our perspective it is going to look tiny for sure.
Yeah. I think proportionally for my wrist, the 38mm works on me, but it just feels way smaller to a point where it just feels too small for me.
All these watches look pretty much the same to me, but I doubt I'll change your perception.
I personally don't think dial size matters as much (but I am weird), even less so when the bezel is black. Try as I might to see a difference, in the above images the DressKX and the smaller diver look about the same to me.
This watch has a 25mm dial, give or take, and a silver bezel. So it stands out even more. The case is 40mm from 2 to 8, 37mm from 12 to 6, 35mm bezel and 45mm lug to lug, 47mm with the end links. I feel like it's a big watch.
bigger than this which has a 35mm dial opening but a 38mm case and similar lug to lug. I tend to focus on the case, somehow...
So I think it's more than anything a matter of what we focus our mind on. Dial size seems to matter to you. maybe it's also a matter of what we are used to seeing. I have quite a few watches with small dark dials and light cases, so maybe I am used to seeing smaller dials, process them quickly and move on to the case. I don't know 😀
Moral of the story: always try before you buy.
I also feel that a bigger watch fits better on a smaller wrist, when you ditch the bracelet for a strap. Personal opinion and preference, of course.
Except for today, I’ve been wearing everything on a tropic this week. I never felt my SKX013 to be small until I threw that watch on a tropic. The bracelet gave that watch more bulk and is possibly why it was the only watch I preferred on bracelet, when my wrist was undisputedly smaller.
That being said, my preference changed when I realized that my wrist was girthier than I last remembered.
Have to agree with you here. Saw these a couple days ago as well and they really look that small. Even next to other 38mm watches. The 35mm PRX is more comparable in terms of dial size like you're saying.
All these watches look pretty much the same to me, but I doubt I'll change your perception.
Yeah. I could see how someone could argue that they all kind of wear the same. It's definitely a personal perception thing. Haha.
I personally don't think dial size matters as much (but I am weird), even less so when the bezel is black. Try as I might to see a difference, in the above images the DressKX and the smaller diver look about the same to me.
This watch has a 25mm dial, give or take, and a silver bezel. So it stands out even more. The case is 40mm from 2 to 8, 37mm from 12 to 6, 35mm bezel and 45mm lug to lug, 47mm with the end links. I feel like it's a big watch.
bigger than this which has a 35mm dial opening but a 38mm case and similar lug to lug. I tend to focus on the case, somehow...
So I think it's more than anything a matter of what we focus our mind on. Dial size seems to matter to you. maybe it's also a matter of what we are used to seeing. I have quite a few watches with small dark dials and light cases, so maybe I am used to seeing smaller dials, process them quickly and move on to the case. I don't know 😀
Yeah. Definitely a case of what my mind chooses to focus in on/perception. By the way, that Ming is gorgeous! 😍
100% agree with you. Some features have a big impact on how we feel the watch on the wrist.
I agree with dial size. I rarely paid it any mind because I always went larger case sizes. But one watch I tried on earlier this year shocked me at how small the dial is on my wrist. A part of me cried cause I wanted the watch, but I wasn't happy. And that mattered more. So kudos on trying on first.
The lug shape and length as well as the bezel and dial size all contribute to how a watch plays. It can play larger or smaller depending on these factors, the raw numbers on size don't always tell the entire tale.
The lug shape and length as well as the bezel and dial size all contribute to how a watch plays. It can play larger or smaller depending on these factors, the raw numbers on size don't always tell the entire tale.
Yep. It's amazing how many variables there are!
This reminds me when I got the 36mm OMEGA Seamaster Professional. I was so used to wearing 38-40mm dive watches (maybe 42 if the lug to lug is short). The 36mm SMP was SO TINY in comparison to my other divers. However, I got used to it very quickly
Yeah for sure. I actually don't even buy watches with a thick bezel anymore. I find that large dials look so much better and have a lot more wrist presence.
6.5" wrist. 43mm diameter watch.
I didn't check dial size but it's not far off the total.
It's 50mm lug to lug which is the largest I can wear.
So you might wanna try a more pilloty style watch and see if you like that.
I haven't tried these on the wrist but I think they'd be great too.
I was interested in the 38mm 5KX until I tried it on... I have a 6.5 inch wrist but my go-to is a 45mm turtle. The 5KX just felt wayyy to tiny. Kinda hurt TBH as I initially liked the idea of Downseizing
Yeah, I don't understand why people are so fixated on a smaller dive watches. If you have a <6" wrist like a skinny teenager, then sure. But in general, the 42.5mm 5KX would look great on a 6.25" to 7.25" wrists, as a proper dive watch should be. As opposed to dress watches, a dive watch is supposed to wear big. Moreover, a lighter color dial with a dark bezel should help "shrunken" the perspective for the smaller wrists.
I have a 7.25" wrist and I alternate between my 38mm Q Timex Root Beer and my 43.7mm Casio AE-1000WD, and they both look perfect on me.
Yeah, I don't understand why people are so fixated on a smaller dive watches. If you have a <6" wrist like a skinny teenager, then sure. But in general, the 42.5mm 5KX would look great on a 6.25" to 7.25" wrists, as a proper dive watch should be. As opposed to dress watches, a dive watch is supposed to wear big. Moreover, a lighter color dial with a dark bezel should help "shrunken" the perspective for the smaller wrists.
I have a 7.25" wrist and I alternate between my 38mm Q Timex Root Beer and my 43.7mm Casio AE-1000WD, and they both look perfect on me.
I guess it's trying to find that "Goldilocks" zone. Yes, the regular version 5KX works on my wrist just fine, but I guess I want to move from "It fits my wrist just fine" to "It fits my wrist perfectly." Haha. The DressKX is probably the best fitting watch for my wrist honestly. As a diver is concerned, I just picked up the SPB317 and I think that is more of a Goldilocks fit between that and the two 5KX's I had.
I was interested in the 38mm 5KX until I tried it on... I have a 6.5 inch wrist but my go-to is a 45mm turtle. The 5KX just felt wayyy to tiny. Kinda hurt TBH as I initially liked the idea of Downseizing
Same here. I thought the 38mm 5KX was the one to "bring balance to my wrist." Haha. It turned out to be Anakin turning to Darth Vader (sorry for the Star Wars reference. My kid is currently watching it and it's the first metaphor I thought of).
I think case back thickness is the most underrated measurement because some divers can have pretty thick case backs and that can really mess up the wearability of the watch even i the other measurements are reasonable