Small sizing trend

Trends Always Come Full Circle

In the watch industry of 2026, The trend of adopting smaller sizes is becoming increasingly prominent. This is somewhat different from simply adding a smaller size to existing models. There are cases where the original design and functional identity are maintained while reducing the case size and proportions or even newly designing the movement to achieve a smaller diameter. Until just a few years ago, Men's sports watches with cases over 40mm were the mainstream, But recently, The size has dropped to around 36 to 40mm, Making downsizing a new trend.

The Era of Big Size Watches

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Iconic mid-2000s Panerai with large cushion case, Crown guard, And black dial

The popularity of small sizes is due to the preceding trend of big size watches. In the mid-2000s, Panerai gained significant attention and the expansion of watch diameters gained strong momentum. Interestingly, Until then, The diameter of wristwatches had not changed much. Men's sports watches were around 40mm and dress watches were about 35mm. In East Asian markets, These sizes were appropriate considering the average wrist size of men, But in Western markets, Where people tend to have larger builds, The sizes seemed a bit small.

Panerai, Which started with simple and stylish military watches, Had main models with diameters of 44 to 45mm. Many limited editions that recreated the original models were 47mm. As the masculinity of large watches began to attract attention, Many brands started releasing larger watches. Since there had been little change in watch sizes for a long time, This was a very explosive trend that brought rapid change.

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A collector's icon that revived the 47mm Luminor 1950 case

Unbalance

Cases can be quickly produced in larger sizes at the factory. However, Movements require a long development period and must consider the derivative functions of the base movement, Making it difficult to respond swiftly. As big size watches rapidly expanded in the market, a gap between the case and movement diameters emerged. This is evident in dress watches that appeared after the mid-2000s with quickly enlarged diameters.

For example, The date window is positioned more inward rather than at the edge of the dial, Or the small seconds at 6 o'clock is closer to the central axis. The movement diameter remained the same (sometimes based on designs from 20 to 30 years ago), But only the case diameter increased. It is interesting to see how brands tried to cover this with design. Now, These are distinctive details that help identify the era of a watch and can be seen as part of their unique charm.

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Example of small seconds

https://www.ssongwatches.com
Example of date window

Downsizing

There are several reasons for the reduction in watch diameters. These include a reaction against big size watches, Strategies tailored to the Chinese and Asian markets, Which have become the largest markets, And the cyclical nature of trends. While big size watches have not disappeared, Their influence has weakened and smaller watches are taking their place. Let us look at some examples.

Rolex Land-Dweller

https://www.rolex.com

In 2025, The Land-Dweller was introduced with the new Dynapulse escapement and the high-frequency caliber 7135 at 36, 000vph, Departing from the traditional Swiss lever escapement, And was released in 36mm and 40mm diameters. Like the Explorer I Ref. 124270 (36mm) and 224270 (40mm), It adopted a two-size strategy. This is a different approach from models like the Oyster Perpetual, Which offers a wide range of sizes for both men and women. While embracing the trend of smaller sizes, The existing diameter is also maintained. Although the dial components are the same for both the 36mm and 40mm versions, Finding the right proportions for each size is not easy. For potential buyers, It is interesting to compare the subtle differences in proportions between the two.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean

https://www.omegawatches.co.kr

When the first generation (2005) was introduced, The Seamaster Planet Ocean came in two sizes, 42mm and 45.5mm. This was the beginning of the big size watch trend. In the second generation (2011), A 37.5mm model was added, Hinting at smaller sizes, But it was designed for women. In the third generation (2016), The sizes were slightly adjusted to 39.5mm and 43.5mm. The current fourth generation Seamaster Planet Ocean, With a completely new design, Emphasizes the presence of the bezel and features a more angular and solid case structure. The diameter is now a single 42mm size, And most notably, The case thickness has been significantly reduced to 13.79mm. This follows the trend of smaller and slimmer cases.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36 Le Petit Prince

https://www.iwc.com

Among the various Le Petit Prince editions released to mark the 20th anniversary of the partnership between IWC and the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Foundation, This model fits the small size trend. The 36mm Pilot’s Watch was effectively discontinued, But has been (temporarily?) revived through the Le Petit Prince edition. The edition features a unique blue dial and an engraving of the Little Prince illustration on the case back. It is an unusual model from IWC, Which has traditionally specialized in larger watches such as the Portugieser and Pilot’s Watch, Which used large pocket watch movements for accuracy.

Cartier Santos de Cartier Chronograph

https://www.klocca.com

The Santos Chronograph underwent a full renewal after about six years, Changing the unique pusher arrangement of the previous model. Instead of the previous method, Which placed a single pusher on the left side of the case and used the crown as a reset button, It returned to a more conventional pusher layout. This change moved the single pusher, Which increased the diameter, From the left side of the case to the crown side as the size was reduced from 43.3mm extra-large to 39.8mm large. As a result, Only the extra-large model remains in the Santos-Dumont collection, But since the original size was quite small for men, It seems that Cartier will maintain its small size strategy.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
Ref. 26684ST.OO.1356ST.01

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New Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar 38mm model and
previous 41mm model

It was released in a 38mm diameter following the 41mm version. For a perpetual calendar that provides a lot of information such as date, Day, Month, Year, And moon phase, This is a very compact size. Reflecting the trend of smaller sizes, This model is equipped with almost the same movement as the 41mm model (caliber 7136, While the 41mm uses caliber 7138), But the week display has been omitted, Likely due to the limitations of the case diameter. A notable feature is the all-in-one crown, Which allows all calendar information to be controlled with a single crown.

Tudor Black Bay Chrono 39 Bumblebee

https://www.hodinkee.com

The striking yellow dial with black tachymeter insert and counter combination resembles a bumblebee. Compared to the existing Black Bay Chrono 41, The 39mm model is 2mm smaller and features a more intense color scheme, Making its boldness even more pronounced. It is equipped with the same self-winding caliber MT5813 as the 41mm model. With COSC certification, A 70-hour power reserve, And 200m water resistance, Its performance is also equal to the 41mm version. This model may well be the beginning of the small sizing trend for the Black Bay Chrono.