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Men: 38mm or 42mm?

  • 38mm

    Votes: 414 34.8%
  • 42mm

    Votes: 777 65.2%

  • Total voters
    1,191
These photos show the 38mm Apple Watch on me. I have 147mm wrists.
 

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Those with smaller wrists judging the apple watch size based on other smart watches you've worn, don't be fooled. Don't think you should just get 42 because your pebble/moto360/Samsung gear was bigger.

I went into my try on with that thinking, when I saw the 42 on my wrist I thought great, it's smaller than my old smartwatch I'll get this one. But my wrists are not large. When I tried on the 38 it clearly was the better fit for my wrist.

I encourage you to get the best fit for you as Apple have provided two great sizes for us, and don't settle just because a watch is slightly smaller than your old chunky plastic smartwatch.

Edit - also I didn't want the 'smartwatch' look, I wanted the watch look. I'm surprised that in some pictures people that are saying the 42 looks 'great' on their wrist when it takes up most of their wrist. From afar it gives off that smartwatch vibe and won't look too good in more formal situations. I think because the watches themselves are small in person and people just automatically want the bigger screen they're fooling themselves that the 42 is right for their wrist.
 
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I tried ob both 38 and 42 sport versions. Although the pictures make it look like the 38 is the right size for me, when I actually wore them, the 42 seemed like a better fit.

And my wrist is 155mm.

Not sure why that is...
 

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I tried ob both 38 and 42 sport versions. Although the pictures make it look like the 38 is the right size for me, when I actually wore them, the 42 seemed like a better fit.

Not sure why that is...

All respect, and live and let live but the 42 looks like a phone on your arm, to <my> eyes. YMMV, etc.
 
All respect, and live and let live but the 42 looks like a phone on your arm, to <my> eyes. YMMV, etc.

In the picture, I agree...but in person it looks totally different.

This is why it is crucial to try one on and judge for yourself. I thought the exact same way as you did until I tried them on. The pictures do not tell the whole story.
 
In the picture, I agree...but in person it looks totally different.

This is why it is crucial to try one on and judge for yourself. I thought the exact same way as you did until I tried them on. The pictures do not tell the whole story.

Sure, totally. I'm stopping by the Apple store later on. Glad you're happy with your choice!
 
All respect, and live and let live but the 42 looks like a phone on your arm, to <my> eyes. YMMV, etc.

I'm sure it's difficult/impossible for those who went alone to the store, but it would be MUCH more helpful if people could take a photo from a reasonable distance away.

Think about how close your face would have to be to his arm for it to appear that large. How many times is someone going to have their face five inches away from your watch??
 
Edit - also I didn't want the 'smartwatch' look, I wanted the watch look. I'm surprised that in some pictures people that are saying the 42 looks 'great' on their wrist when it takes up most of their wrist. From afar it gives off that smartwatch vibe and won't look too good in more formal situations. I think because the watches themselves are small in person and people just automatically want the bigger screen they're fooling themselves that the 42 is right for their wrist.


If that's the case and the 42mm gives more the "smartwatch" look then that's definitely what I'm after for my wrist... enough of dumbwatches.
 
42mm on my 170mm wrist (width 60mm)

Mine is about 177mm , but a bit narrower, still i am going with 42mm, the overall look from a distance is more important. most people took a close up pic, but your picture clearly shows the overall look.
 
Here it is on my 180mm around, 60mm wide wrist. I'm definitely keeping the 38mm and cancelling the 42mm. It fits so much nicer and looks more like a watch than a hulking gadget.

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EDIT:
And here's the 38mm SS Link. My favourite one, but way too much for me to spend on a 1st gen product:

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Funny, that was my reasoning too. I'm 47.


Why don't they make 51mm Apple Watch? You figure out why I asked the question? I'm very near sited that comes with my age!

Without putting on my goggles my arm is way to short to reach out and to even see I'm wearing an Apple Watch in the first place.

Tough decission to make!
 
I'm gonna post my wrist pictures. I think my wrist is smaller than 160mm. And I still loved the way the 42mm looked and felt on me.

You guys may think it looks too big, but my wife liked it, and I loved the way it felt. It felt more weighty too, and I actually liked that. Notice the band does come all the way around, but I don't care about that.

This choice is really gonna come down to what you like better. No one else.



 
Just left the try-on session. The 38 was definitely too small, in my opinion at least
 
2 more pictures of the 42mm on my 170mm wrist (width 60mm)
 

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2 more pictures of the 42mm on my 170mm wrist (width 60mm)

Looks fine.

So long as the band appears to roll onto the top of the wrist before connecting to the watch case, it's fine, even if it's just 1-2mm of band, then you're not oversized. But at 60mm wrist width, it's a pretty gray area anyway. Could go either way, just depends on whether you prefer a look like "it's an arm, then a watch, then a hand" or "it's an arm and hand with a watch on it" for your look.

Regardless of all the bickering, there really is only one true fit rule for watches and that's that the lugs, or very beginning of the band when there are no lugs, should never hang over the edge of the top of the wrist. The band shouldn't form a "U" under your arm, it should be a "C" even if just barely.

Everything else is taste. And there's no accounting for that, as they say :)

I just really want to smack those simple minded children who demand one size per gender or some ridiculous thing. Irony is most of them probably have never even actually worn a watch and learned how obnoxious an oversized watch can actually be in practice.

Funny thing is, no more than 8-10 years ago, the overwhelming consensus amongst watch lovers was that anything over 39mm was ridiculous for anyone :) nothing said about gender. Anything bigger was deliberately ostentatious, so, that's fashion for you.
 
I had a38 ordered but just back from a fitting and the 42 is definitely for me now.
I cancelled my 38 order and now have to wait until June.
The modern buckle on 38 vs leather loop on 42 is what convinced me that apple have definitely placed the 38 more towards females.
 
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