05 THE ART OF REDUCTION

Finding rugged tool watches that don’t look disproportionately large has always been a challenge for those with smaller wrists. Thankfully, the options are growing and, surprisingly, Panerai is one of the watchmakers offering more diminutive tickers. Better known for hulking 45mm and 47mm watches, the Italian brand is rolling out a range of Luminor 3 Days Automatic watches in 38mm cases. These are the first Panerai watches to go below 40mm, and are now the smallest ones it has made. Breitling also has a 38mm watch this year – the Navitimer 1 Automatic 38 – and it’s marketed towards women.

But even those who can pull off larger sizes may find daintier dimensions more appealing because it recalls a simpler time. Indeed, the supersizing of watches is a relatively recent trend, and those made decades ago rarely pushed past 40mm in diameter. The Rado Captain Cook didn’t in 1962, and
its limited edition reissues from last and this year, known as the Captain Cook MKII, still retain its 37mm size. Omega had the same idea when it unveiled the Seamaster 1948 Limited Editions with elegant 38mm stainless steel cases that have domed, silvered dials.

Tudor even went as far as to launch a completely new collection – the 1926 – to honour the simple elegance of years long past. Designed for men and women, it comes in a range of dials, materials and sizes, with the smaller ones at 39mm, 36mm and 28mm.