Watches come in many different styles and sizes and can be worn as a functional accessory or a stylish piece of jewelry by both men and women. While it is acceptable to wear a watch in just about any occasion and setting, there are some basic guidelines for how to choose the right watch. These guidelines focus on how what kinds of watches are most appropriate for a variety of situations and settings, how to match a watch to an outfit, and how to wear a watch properly.
Wearing a Wrist Watch Properly:
Don’t wear a watch with a face that is too big. Watch faces are measured in millimeters. Men’s watches average between 34mm-50mm, although they can be larger. You should never wear a watch bigger than 50mm, at most, but 34mm-40mm is standard and ideal for both men and women.
Wear your watch beside your wrist bone. Make sure that the face sits right next to the bone on the outside of the wrist (the ulna). When standing, little or none of your watch should be visible beneath your shirt cuff. When wearing a long-sleeved shirt, your watch should only be fully visible when your arm is bent. Never wear your watch on top of your shirt cuff.
Wear a band that fits properly. A watch should appear comfortable, natural, and certainly not sloppy. It may be necessary to adjust it as needed, to accommodate natural fluctuations in wrist size.
- Some watches, such as dress watches and sports watches, have a prong and notch system that allows you to easily move the prong up or down a notch to tighten or loosen.
- Casual or formal watches can have a more complicated fastening system that requires you to adjust the size by adding or removing links. Consult the instruction manual, or ask your jeweler for help or advice on adjusting the length of your watch.
- A man should never wear his wristwatch loose around his wrist. It should move about an inch up and down your wrist as you move. The face of the watch should not slip to the side of your wrist. As a general rule, you should be able to fit a finger snugly between your wrist and the watch band.
- A wristwatch should not be worn too tightly. If the watch leaves an imprint on your wrist, it is too tight and should be loosened.
- Women's watches may be worn snugly, or loose around the wrist like a bracelet.