The one-finger test
Fasten the watch and slide your index finger between the strap and the top of your wrist. It should go in with a little resistance. If two fingers fit, it's too loose and the watch will spin and slide down over your hand; if you can't get one in, it's too tight.
Heavier watches need to be a touch tighter so they don't flop around; light watches on fabric straps can be a little looser. Metal bracelets warm up and loosen slightly on the wrist, and wrists swell through the day, so judge it in the afternoon rather than first thing.
Getting a bracelet right
- Remove links in equal numbers from both sides of the clasp so the clasp sits centred under your wrist.
- Use half-links, if the bracelet has them, for a small step.
- Fine-tune with the micro-adjust holes in the clasp, or a quick-adjust extension if your bracelet has one.
Step by step in how to resize a watch bracelet. On a leather strap, pick the hole that passes the finger test; if you're between holes, a strap with a deployant clasp or a different length may fit better.
Will the watch itself fit?
Tightness is about the strap; whether a watch fits is about its lug-to-lug. If the lugs overhang the top of your wrist, no strap adjustment fixes it. These are the largest lug-to-lug lengths that still fit each wrist well:
| Wrist | Top of wrist | Max lug-to-lug |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5" (14 cm) | 43.3 mm | 39.3 mm |
| 5.75" (14.6 cm) | 45.3 mm | 41.3 mm |
| 6" (15.2 cm) | 47.2 mm | 43.2 mm |
| 6.25" (15.9 cm) | 49.2 mm | 45.2 mm |
| 6.5" (16.5 cm) | 51.2 mm | 47.2 mm |
| 6.75" (17.1 cm) | 53.1 mm | 49.1 mm |
| 7" (17.8 cm) | 55.1 mm | 51.1 mm |
| 7.25" (18.4 cm) | 57.1 mm | 53.1 mm |
| 7.5" (19.1 cm) | 59.1 mm | 55.1 mm |
| 7.75" (19.7 cm) | 61 mm | 57 mm |
| 8" (20.3 cm) | 63 mm | 59 mm |
| 8.25" (21 cm) | 65 mm | 61 mm |
| 8.5" (21.6 cm) | 66.9 mm | 62.9 mm |
Don't know your size? Measure your wrist with a strip of paper.