Tested: The 10 Best Small Men’s Watches On The Market

For the better part of this century, there has been an ongoing trend toward larger case sizes in the watch industry. Big men’s watches are nothing new — tool watches like dive watches and pilot’s watches in 40mm-plus sizes have been around for more than half a century — but lately, they’ve become ubiquitous when they used to be outliers. 40 to 42mm is now considered mainstream for a men’s watch, with larger sizes also being commonplace. Before the late ’90s, 36 to 38mm was the norm… or smaller if we’re talking dress watches. So where does one go today to find small watches for men?

Right here, of course. While sub-40mm watches are nowhere near as common as they used to be, there are still plenty of great ones out there for the small-wristed and classically inclined among us. The best small watches for men offer up all of the style and capabilities that you’ll find in large modern watches, but they do so in a more conservative and comfortable package. Most of the big brands still offer at least some men’s watches in smaller sizes, and a slew of newer microbrands are also helping to bring back the 30-something-millimeter watch for guys. So take a stand against the scourge of oversized watches and check out our list of the best small watches for men below.

How We Tested

Small watches can be a dime a dozen if you don’t know where to look. Luckily, we have some experience in the matter having surrounded ourselves with timepieces from most of the major brands for years now. For this guide, we took a look at our favorites but also threw in a couple of popular pieces from newer names as well. We looked at aesthetic, size, water resistance, utility, and movement, among other things.

Since you can only glean so much from a website description and photos, we decided to get hands-on with each of the watches in this guide. After sourcing our watches for testing, we spent a considerable amount of time wearing these watches and seeing how they looked and felt. We found our favorite “budget” and “premium” picks across five different categories, separated down below.

Wrist Size: We should also mention that our tester has a wrist diameter of around 8″, so keep that in mind when comparing it to your own wrist.

How We Define a Small Watch

Of course, it would be easy to define a “small watch” as something under 40mm but we have a few other stipulations we looked at when compiling this guide. While 40mm was our hard ceiling, we tried to keep most of these pieces within the 37mm and 38mm range. Likewise, lug-to-lug size and thickness are important factors as well. And as such, we kept all of the dimensions here under 50mm and 12mm, respectively.

A Trend Towards Small Watches

While 40mm+ seems to still be the most common dimension for timepieces, the preponderance of vintage and retro-styled watches in recent years has seen, naturally, an increase in smaller watches. Few enthusiasts want a faithful reissue of a watch from the ’60s or ’70s with a larger case size. This trend has in turn opened up the door for wearers to the benefit of going smaller –– even opting for actual vintage pieces themselves. These days, much of men’s fashion seems to err on the side of comfort, and smaller watches are definitely more comfortable.

Why Small Watches?

This is a reasonable question to ask. Large watches can offer higher water resistance, more durability, and an overall more aggressive wrist presence, smaller watches are just more comfortable. While the extra few millimeters may not make much of a difference in terms of legibility, they do actually make a difference when it comes to how the watch feels on your wrist. A larger watch also typically means a thicker watch and, even worse, a heavier watch. When these are paired together, you may actually experience wrist fatigue over the course of a long day, especially if you have smaller wrists.

What to Look For

Dimensions: Considering this entire guide revolves around the size of a watch, you should be considering dimensions when making a purchasing decision. This includes not only a case’s diameter but its lug-to-lug (from top to bottom) and thickness as well.

Use: We’ve divided this guide up into sections depending on watch type, from diver to pilot watch. Admittedly, a watch’s intended function might go by the wayside when being worn as a style accessory but if you’re planning on going to the beach or the mountains, you should know what you’re watch is capable of in terms of durability and water resistance.

Aesthetics: Surely, you should consider how a watch looks when making a purchasing decision (that’s why you’re here, isn’t it?). This guide has not only looked at watch’s size but its design language as well.

Water Resistance: Reiterating the former point, water resistance is important to consider if you’re taking your watch someplace where it could get wet. Sub-40mm aren’t necessarily known for their depth ratings but you might be surprised here. Look for something with at least 50m or 100m of depth rating.

Movement: From automatic to hand-wound to quartz, your watch’s movement might be a personal preference for you as a wearer. While quartz is more accurate and longer lasting, automatic and hand-wound offer more of a link to age-old mechanical tradition right there in your wrist.

Seiko 5 Sports SRPK29

Budget Pick: Japanese watchmaking giant Seiko has more than a few icons in their catalog, and one of the most noteworthy is the 5 Sports SKX-Style diver. The brand’s homage to its discontinued SKX line is a fan-favorite but typically doesn’t have the proportions favored by a smaller-wrist individual, with diameters well over 40mm. However, the reference SRPK29 sizes down to 38mm with a 44mm lug-to-lug.

Boasting 100m of water resistance, it won’t have as much depth underwater as some other Seiko divers but it will still serve you well for simple recreational diving or just a long day at the beach. The dial is classic Seiko and even retains the day-date window. Viewed through the caseback is an in-house automatic 4R36 movement with 40 hours of power reserve. We particularly loved the sturdy steel bracelet, which is above and beyond for this price point.

Zenith Defy Revival

Premium Pick: A few months ago, Zenith debuted its first diver in years with the DEFY Revival, based on a catalog piece (A3648 Defy) from the 1960s that helped start it all. The Swiss brand’s DEFY has become their do-anything series and this continues to prove that point. Bringing back the 14-sided bezel and 8-sided case, the Revival is a sight to behold, reminiscent of many other timepieces but distinctly its own.

Just like the original, the DEFY Revival keeps a whopping 600m of water resistance and 15.5mm thickness yet shrinks the case diameter a smidge to a moderate 37mm. We not only love the bright orange timing bezel insert that sits atop the angular case but also the familiar yet funky way it gets by with its angular crown and date window. Admittedly, the style won’t be for everyone. Tons of color contrast adds to the visibility of the timepiece, as does its bright C1 Super-LumiNova lume. It’s powered by the in-house Elite 670 automatic, which can be seen through the caseback.

Timex Expedition North Field Solar 36mm

Budget Pick: The field watch category isn’t necessarily one that has a difficult time staying compact. Part of Timex’s recently revamped Expedition line, the 36mm North Field Solar is the smallest in the collection. With a military-inspired design and matte case finish redolent of Hamilton’s Khaki Field, the timepiece also boasts 100m of water resistance and an eco-friendly brown leather strap that’s well executed with its stylish red contrast stitching and convenient QR lug bars for easy swapping.

Essentially a scaled-down version of the Field Post Solar 41mm and reminiscent of the Dirty Dozen field watches issued to GI soldiers during the War, this solar-powered model is 44.5mm lug-to-lug with a mere 8mm thickness (which might be too thin for some). We love the traditionally designed dial with concentric 24-hour Arabic numerals, tons of lume, and a dash of red on the chapter ring. Also, the solar movement isn’t incredibly obvious, save for the dial text below the handset. It has 4 months of power reserve for those who don’t want to wear it every day.

Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical

Premium Pick: Speaking of classic military watches, here’s one that needs no introduction. An evolution of the original Hamilton field watches worn by American soldiers in World War II, the Khaki Field today is considered the archetype of the genre. Its design has inspired countless other field watches, and it remains as versatile, stylish, and robust as ever. This is Hamilton’s flagship watch, and when you consider the brand’s other iconic offerings, that’s saying something. While the Khaki Field isn’t incredibly premium, it’s still about 4 times the price of the Timex above. Also, we simply can’t leave off this 38mm pick that wedges perfectly into the small watch sector.

With a 47mm lug-to-lug that pushes the upper threshold of the category for some small wrist individuals and a 9.5mm thickness, the Hamilton model hugs the wrist really well and appears quite compact despite wearing a touch larger than expected. It’s powered by an ETA-base hand-wound movement with 80 hours of reserve. Visually, we loved the plain black dial that served as a high contrast for the white applied numerals for great visibility. On the other hand, we would’ve loved for more water resistance (it’s only capable of 50m) and some more lume on the dial, and for that lume to have more longevity.

Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical

Budget Pick: Let’s stick with Hamilton since their Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer just so happens to be a fantastic budget-friendly small pilot watch. Based on the tonneau-shaped 6BB RAF model the brand issued to the British Royal Air Force between 1973 and 1976, the modern timepiece stands at just 36mm across (up 1mm from the original). This particular version of one of our favorite military-inspired watches features a white dial with a lightweight and highly comfortable gray NATO strap that’s breathable during hotter months.

Faithfully resurrecting a legendary timepiece, the Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical is loads of character thanks to its brushed barrel case, railroad minute track, and textured background. With a 42mm lug-to-lug and 9.95mm thickness, the watch has 100m of water resistance despite the smaller size (compared to the 50m of the Khaki Field Watch) and is powered by the H-50 manually wound caliber movement. We do wish, however, that the 18mm strap were a bit larger in size so you could swap it with the 20mm of the Khaki Field, but there are plenty of third-party NATO options available out there for a good price.

Longines Spirit 37mm

Premium Pick: If you’re in the market for a pilot watch and have a couple of grand to spend, this Longines Spirit 37mm will do the trick. Like most of the brand’s vintage-style models, this timepiece isn’t a straight reissue but more of an evocation of its previous references and its aviation heritage in general. Based on the larger Spirit watch released a few years back, this 37mm version is a solid everyday watch with its refined ruggedness but also offers superb visibility with this black dial version with cream markers.

A tad thick at 11.7mm, this watch has near-perfect proportions with a 44.8mm lug-to-lug as well. Boasting 100m of water resistance and an ETA-based L888.4 automatic movement, it’s a great compromise for people with larger wrist sizes worried about being able to pull off smaller watches. We loved the mix of high polish and brushing on the steel case, as well as the clean dial aesthetic. The high lume and anti-reflective coating on both sides of the sapphire crystal helps with glancing at the time from any angle.

Lorier Falcon

Budget Pick: New York-based microbrand Lorier may not have a large back catalog from which to draw inspiration — give them a break, the brand’s only been around for a few years — but they’re more dedicated to preserving mid-century style and sizes than arguably any modern brand, big or micro. The Falcon is their take on a “go anywhere, do anything” watch, and its 36mm case, gobs of Super-LumiNova, classic styling, fully articulating bracelet, and 100m of water resistance all serve to reinforce that designation. It’s also powered by a no-date Miyota Series 9 automatic movement for a smooth seconds sweep.

One of the smallest in the brand’s current range, this third-gen Falcon is technically classified as a field watch but its versatility is evident. You could easily call it a rugged dress watch or vintage-inspired sports watch if you really wanted, especially considering its dark textured gray dial, brushed stainless steel case, and casual fit and wrist presence. Balancing style and utility, the Falcon looks amazing but also has impressive dive capability, a marine-grade 316L steel case, and an easily correctable domed Hesalite crystal above the dial. Also, compared to other sub-$500 watches, the passion continues to the Ternion bracelet that’s upgraded from the previous generation with thinner links and more fine chamfers on the edges.

Nomos Club 36mm

Premium Pick: German watchmaker NOMOS is arguably the industry leader in small watches. The bulk of their large catalog consists of sub-40mm watches, they classify 38mm as “large,” and they even make 33mm dress watches. So it should come as no surprise to find them on this list, the only question is, which NOMOS model would it be? We went with the original Club, as its dressy/casual looks, versatile 36mm case size, and low price point make it an ideal choice for, well, just about anyone.

Using color in one of the most original ways we’ve seen to date, the minimalist 36mm Club features a handset inlaid with vibrant red Super-LumiNova, which is incredibly unique and still glows blue in low light. We love how the reds really pop under the domed sapphire crystal and how the Horween leather strap features stitching to match. The lug-to-lug here is 47.5mm and the thickness is 8.2mm, making it one of the thinnest watches on this list. Mind you, this wears expectedly small and will really hug the wrist closely. Helping it achieve its thinness is the 2.6-mm movement –– an in-house Alpha hand-wound caliber which was the brand’s first-ever in-house movement. Our biggest critique is that this caliber can’t be viewed due to the solid caseback.

Timex Marlin Hand-Wound 34mm

Budget Pick: While it’s true that it’s mostly luxury brands playing in the “conservatively-sized vintage watch reissues” sandbox, the trend isn’t exclusive to them. Blue-collar American heritage brand Timex has been doing the same a lot lately, often with more care and accuracy than more expensive brands. And the ’60s-themed Marlin is the watch that kicked off the trend for the brand that “takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’” — a handsome 34mm hand-winding dress watch that would be right at home on Mad Men. It’s also the smallest on this list with a 40mm lug-to-lug and 10mm thickness.

Perhaps out of place on a slightly larger wrist, this 34-mm timepiece still oozes with style and is adorned with a croc-textured leather strap that we particularly love, albeit it takes a few days to break in and is also quite thin. However, anyone with a 7-inch wrist or smaller should be satisfied with this one. The dial also has tons of class with the cream-colored sunburst pattern, the trio of sword-shaped hands, and the elongated mid-century-style applied numerals every even-numbered hour with thin markers in between. Powering the watch is a hand-wound movement, which is a surprise considering the low price tag.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds

Premium Pick: If you’re going to go premium small dress watch, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is the absolute best look (as long as you can afford it). Dating back to 1931, this timepiece is unique in that it has a reversible case for protecting the dial, historically, for those in high society participating in equestrian sports such as polo. An Art Deco masterpiece, the one of the most archetypal contributions to the horological lexicon and has housed over 50 different calibers with dozens of different dial styles, case sizes, materials, and tribute editions over the years. For this guide, we got hands-on with the Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds –– a traditional version of the tank-style model.

Measuring 27.4mm in diameter with a 45.6mm lug-to-lug and 8.51mm thickness, this stainless steel Reverso Tribute has an easy slide-and-swivel operation for the user thanks to over 50 different components. The other side is a mirror-polished caseback that features a bold sunray pattern. However, the traditional dial houses a small seconds subdial down below with a crisp white opaline dial and squared-off railroad minute track. While we love everything about this watch, it’s definitely a magnet for fingerprints so you might want to keep a cloth on you when you go out with the watch. We also love the black leather-canvas strap that looks fantastic paired with the case. Powered by the JLC manufacture Caliber 822 manually-wound movement, the timepiece only fails when showing us its magnificent engine inside, which utilizes 108 components in all, despite having poor accuracy with a 3hz beat rate.

Tested: The Best Leather Watch Straps

Regardless of your watch size, you might want to swap out the strap for something a little different. If so, check out these picks for our favorite leather watch straps, where we tested out the best ones.