Men with the 38

I can't decide which looks better on me... My wrists are 165mm.. not sure on the width- hard to measure that precisely...
Anyways, I have a picture of both on me. I hate the sports band because it sticks out further on my wrists, so regardless I'll be getting a band that sits more flush on my wrist.

When I look in the mirror the 38 looks kinda small, but when I look down it looks okay. Weird? lol

Edit- yea I realized this post is over a year old. o_O
 

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38 looks better IMO and I have 175mm wrists. If you like big watches, then the 38 is not for you.


FYI I've had mine since april 2015 and still wear it every day. It helps with my job, it helps me surf, it helps me keep track of my health. I will (hopefully... if my stupid portfolio recovers) be getting the stainless 38 Series 2 on release.
 
I can't decide which looks better on me... My wrists are 165mm.. not sure on the width- hard to measure that precisely...
Anyways, I have a picture of both on me. I hate the sports band because it sticks out further on my wrists, so regardless I'll be getting a band that sits more flush on my wrist.

When I look in the mirror the 38 looks kinda small, but when I look down it looks okay. Weird? lol

Edit- yea I realized this post is over a year old. o_O

They both look fine on you, so I would go with what feels best and gives you the best feeling. Try them with different bands if you can. I have 175mm wrists and I prefer the 38mm. It's just more comfortable to me. I'm not a fan of big watches, but the 42mm AW isn't that big. So for me it really came down to comfort. Maybe I would have gotten used to it, but the 42mm just felt awkward on my wrist.

Sean
 
A little off-topic, but since most of you have measured your wrist circumferences, for a 170mm wrist, which fits better - the S/M or the M/L silicone band?

Mine is a 42mm case, but if a S/M 38mm fits well, the S/M 42mm shouldn't be too small then.

First time buyer looking to get some 3rd party band before my watch arrives!
 
A little off-topic, but since most of you have measured your wrist circumferences, for a 170mm wrist, which fits better - the S/M or the M/L silicone band?

Mine is a 42mm case, but if a S/M 38mm fits well, the S/M 42mm shouldn't be too small then.

First time buyer looking to get some 3rd party band before my watch arrives!

I think for that wrist size either will work. It looks like I'm wearing the M/L with 38mm for my 175mm wrist.

Sean
 
My wrist is 170 and while I bought the 38 and love it, I did initially try on the 42 and it looked fine. Unless your wrists are either very dainty or quite large, either one will look good. Just a matter of personal preference!
 
I envy you guys with smaller wrists. I went to try on an Apple watch earlier this week and could barely get the 38mm with the sport band closed around my wrist. I was on the last rung. I couldn't close the nylon band at all. So it looks like its a 42mm for me. The 42mm still feels tiny in comparison to my normal Citizen watch, it's way smaller than I expected.
 
I’m undecided between a 42 and 38. Here is my colleagues 42 which felt comfy, opinions please.

Don't see an attached image, but if it feels comfy then it's probably the right size. I went with the 38mm, because the 42mm did not feel good on my wrist. If the 42mm feels good, then you might as well enjoy the benefits of the larger watch unless you think it looks too big. I thought both looked fine on my wrist. The size difference is very subtle.
 
Don't see an attached image, but if it feels comfy then it's probably the right size. I went with the 38mm, because the 42mm did not feel good on my wrist. If the 42mm feels good, then you might as well enjoy the benefits of the larger watch unless you think it looks too big. I thought both looked fine on my wrist. The size difference is very subtle.

Thanks for the swift reply reply, here is the pic. Seems comfy enough and think it looks right for my hands. Just want an opinion as it’s a big purchase for me!
 

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I've been debating this very question myself for the last two weeks.

I'm planning to get a Apple watch for my girlfriend and myself for Christmas. I'm 177cm tall and have ~165mm wrists and the 38mm feels good to me, I'm strongly leaning toward it. I currently wear a couple of Stock watches which have small faces (~36mm diameter) and feel less overbearing to me.

After trying both Apple watch sizes on and annoying the Apple Store Staff over half a dozen visits, the problem I think goes beyond the knee jerk assumption that men 'must' get the 42mm. One issue for some may be the proportions of the device. When I look at the 38mm on my wrist it looks fatter, because it proportionally is fatter - smaller but still 11.4mm thick.

In any case, my slim wrists and the smaller physical size of the 38mm face looking straight on is better for my taste. Those who wear big chunky watches are naturally going to feel differently. Attached to this post are a couple of pics from one of my try-ons.

The last kicker for me is that if both me and my partner get 38mm models - we can swap and share new watch bands.

Anyway, I'm droning on about my own experiences, the pictures MacAttack is showing (of what I assume is the 42mm) look fine. But you should do what I did and spend half a day in the Apple Store constantly swapping sizes to judge it - just to be sure :p
 

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I've been debating this very question myself for the last two weeks.

I'm planning to get a Apple watch for my girlfriend and myself for Christmas. I'm 177cm tall and have ~165mm wrists and the 38mm feels good to me, I'm strongly leaning toward it. I currently wear a couple of Stock watches which have small faces (~36mm diameter) and feel less overbearing to me.

After trying both Apple watch sizes on and annoying the Apple Store Staff over half a dozen visits, the problem I think goes beyond the knee jerk assumption that men 'must' get the 42mm. One issue for me is the proportions of the device. When I look at the 38mm on my wrist it looks fatter, because it proportionally is fatter - smaller but still 11.4mm thick. In any case, my slim wrists and the smaller physical size of the face looking straight on is better for my taste. Those who wear big chunky watches are naturally going to feel differently. Attached to this post are a couple of pics from one of my try-ons.

The last kicker for me is that if both me and my partner get 38mm models - we can swap and share new watch bands.

Anyway, I'm droning on about my own experiences, the pictures MacAttack is showing (of what I assume is the 42mm) look fine. But you should do what I did and spend half a day in the Apple Store constantly swapping sizes to judge it - just to be sure :p

I wear a 42 and my husband wears a 38. Been doing this ever since the first AW. He isn't into really big watches, and prefers the streamlined look of the 38 on his wrist. His previous daily-wear watch was a smaller-faced watch, so it was more natural for him to go for the 38. Me, I wanted a chunky watch with a larger display because I hadn't worn a watch in years, and figured it would be more fun to go for the bold look. My husband doesn't have small wrists, but they're also not big. He's 6 feet, so not a little guy, either.

I think it really depends on the person, their preferences, and so forth. I dislike the assumption that 42 is men's a 38 is women's. That's silly.
 
This is such a subjective topic. Personal preference rules. At the end of the day just get what you want and won’t return 24 hours later.

The bottom line is that both 38 and 42mm look great on men, regardless of the size of their wrists.
 
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I'm planning to get a Apple watch for my girlfriend and myself for Christmas. I'm 177cm tall and have ~165mm wrists and the 38mm feels good to me, I'm strongly leaning toward it. I currently wear a couple of Stock watches which have small faces (~36mm diameter) and feel less overbearing to me.

After trying both Apple watch sizes on and annoying the Apple Store Staff over half a dozen visits, the problem I think goes beyond the knee jerk assumption that men 'must' get the 42mm. One issue for some may be the proportions of the device. When I look at the 38mm on my wrist it looks fatter, because it proportionally is fatter - smaller but still 11.4mm thick.

In any case, my slim wrists and the smaller physical size of the 38mm face looking straight on is better for my taste. Those who wear big chunky watches are naturally going to feel differently. Attached to this post are a couple of pics from one of my try-ons.

I understand what you mean. I have never been a fan of chunky watches. I think the last big watch I owned was a Casio G-Shock when I was a kid in the 80's. As an adult I favored small minimalist watches with analog faces and slim cases. I don't know that I could ever wear a big metal watch with a chunky metal band. It's just not my style. That said I didn't think the 42mm Apple Watch looked huge on my wrist, but it just didn't look as good as the 38mm. More importantly, it didn't feel right. I tried the 42mm with multiple band styles and I just kept fiddling with it to get it to sit right on my wrist. The 38mm felt much better and I thought looked better as well. I like a bit of band to show when you look straight down at your watch, and the 42mm went just about edge to edge on my wrist.

The last kicker for me is that if both me and my partner get 38mm models - we can swap and share new watch bands.

That would be really convenient! It's really quick and easy to change bands, so the more options you both have the better.

Sean
 
The sales guy at the Apple Store who helped me with my purchase was wearing a 38mm AW. It looked perfectly fine on him.
 
Men wear 42mm. Simple.

Ha, evidently not.

To the OP: my 38mm suits my wrist better and looks in proportion for me but everybody is different. If you’ve got big wrists and big hands it might be difficult to use. If you are average size and want the Watch to look more like a Watch than a wrist computer then the 38mm is a winner.

It’s subjective at the end of the day and neither size is designed to be gender specific.
 
Anyone who says 38mm is only for women is an idiot. My wrist is 155mm and the 42mm looks ridiculous on me. I know this because I had an original Apple Watch in 42mm and returned it. You buy the watch that suits your wrist, everyone is different.

I think my watch suits my wrist size perfectly;
 

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If I were younger (71) I would have preferred the 38mm but, these old eyes appreciate the slightly bigger screen of the 42mm.
 
I have the 38mm with a rugged case on it to save it from scratches and cracks in the gym. Plus I don't want to have to think about being gentle with a watch.

With the "bulky" case on I feel like it's the size of a 42mm plus it gives that g-shock look that I actually prefer over the stock apple watch look.
 
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