It is now common to see a dress watch with a 41mm case and a dive watch with a 44mm diameter. This is kind of a norm nowadays. Or maybe it was…?More and more, we see watches being downsized. New generations of existing models are going smaller – not hugely, but slowly diameters are stagnating or even decreasing. We can’t hide the fact that, since 15 years, watches have drastically increased in terms of dimensions – in thickness for sure, but mainly in diameter.  Do I think that smaller is better? Yes. And to demonstrate this, let’s look at the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m in its new 39.5mm version.

Except if showing off is your thing – no judgment, to each his own – a bit of discretion is never bad. In most circumstances, being discreet is seen as a mark of good taste. The Seamaster PO is already a rather bulky watch, with a large bezel, large indexes and large hands. It is not a matter of design here, because we told you, 39.5mm or 45.5mm editions share the same overall look. It is a matter of proportions and look on the wrist. Even in this 39.5mm edition, it has a 14.16mm height – and over 16mm in the 43.5mm version. So combining this with a too large diameter might not be very elegant. Then, there’s the visual perception. Do you think that having a jacket in XL if you size M is elegant? Well, it might be the same for a watch. A 45mm watch on a 16cm / 6.5 inches wrist looks too big. No debate.If the void created between the lugs and your wrist is not helping to balance the watch, it won’t help this watch to be elegant either. The same kind of observations can be made for the aesthetics than for the comfort.  If the lugs exceed your wrist, it will (that’s my personal opinion) be seen as if your borrowed your 2m high friend’s suit… not very sharp looking.

So, now we should answer the question in the tittle, is smaller better? In the case of the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m, I would say yes. However, if I take the example of someone with a retrained collection, who will intensively wear this Planet Ocean, for professional or leisure purposes, I’d advice to go small, for all the reasons I mentioned before, and this, even if you have a 19cm wrist. Don’t get me wrong, I do like the 43.5mm edition and the 45.5mm was a great surprise when I tried it first. It’s even on my personal wish list, but it will be combined with several other watches, some smaller and more elegant, for business use. Of course, as always, the best is to try, to feel and to seek for advices – ask your wife or girlfriend, they usually are good judges…