What size rectangular watch should I get?

The median rectangular watch in our catalog is 27.5 mm across with a 38 mm lug-to-lug and 7.4 mm thick. Lug-to-lug matters more than case size: for an ideal fit, keep it under 47.2 mm on a 6.5" wrist or 55.1 mm on a 7.5" wrist.

How much does a good rectangular watch cost?

The 52 current rectangular watches in our catalog run from $90 to $17,500 list, with a median of $2,000. The cheapest is the Casio LTP-B150D LTP-B150D-7B.

What is the smallest-wearing rectangular watch?

By lug-to-lug, the Cartier Tank Française Small WSTA0129 at 25.7 mm, followed by the Hamilton Boulton Small Second Quartz M H13321811 at 27 mm.

Are most rectangular watches automatic?

39% of the rectangular watches in our catalog with a known movement are mechanical (automatic or hand-wound); the rest are quartz or solar.

What size rectangular watch should I get?

Go by length, not width. A case length a few millimeters shorter than the flat top of your wrist looks right; most classic rectangular watches are 25 to 30 mm wide and 32 to 40 mm long.

Rectangular and square watches

Rectangular and square watches are the oldest alternative to the round case, and the most distinctive. Their size is given as width by length, and they wear differently: a narrow rectangle looks smaller than its length suggests, and a square case looks bigger than a round one of the same width.

Current models

Median case

27.5 mm

Median lug-to-lug

38 mm

Median list price

$2,000

What makes a rectangular watch

Size given as width × length; we list the width as case size and the length as lug-to-lug
Often thin and dressy, with Roman numerals and a railroad minute track
Usually quartz or hand-wound, because round movements fit a rectangle awkwardly
Some, like the Bell & Ross BR 03, are square sports watches

Cartier made the square Santos in 1904 and the Tank in 1917, and Jaeger-LeCoultre's flip-over Reverso arrived in 1931 for polo players. TAG Heuer's Monaco brought the square case to sports watches in 1969.

Case sizes

14–16 mm1
16–18 mm0
18–20 mm1
20–22 mm5
22–24 mm8
24–26 mm5
26–28 mm9
28–30 mm7
30–32 mm5
32–34 mm0
34–36 mm3
36–38 mm1
38–40 mm5
40–42 mm2

Case width of the 52 current rectangular watches in our catalog, from 19 brands. Of those with a known movement, 39% are mechanical.

Seiko Recraft Series Automatic (rectangular case) SNKP23 — Live eBay listings for picks below. Photos from eBay.

Citizen L Bianca EW5600-52D — Live eBay listings for picks below. Photos from eBay.

Best rectangular watches under $500

Watch	Case	Lug-to-lug	Thick	Water	Movement	List price	eBay median
Seiko Recraft Series Automatic (rectangular case)SNKP23	39.5 mm	—	11.8 mm	50 m	Automatic	$300	$300
Citizen L BiancaEW5600-52D	21.5 mm	—	—	50 m	Solar	$395	$276
Casio LTP-B150DLTP-B150D-7B	22 mm	31 mm	7.5 mm	—	Quartz	$90	$123
Skagen Hagen Three-Hand Black Stainless Steel MeshSKW6928	29 mm	36 mm	—	50 m	Quartz	$180	$235
Timex 1976 Lexington ReissueTW2Y56200	21 mm	35 mm	8 mm	30 m	Quartz	$159	$278
Bulova Sutton Rectangular96B442	29 mm	41 mm	6 mm	30 m	Quartz	$350	$249

Best rectangular watches from $500 to $1,500

Watch	Case	Lug-to-lug	Thick	Water	Movement	List price	eBay median
Hamilton Boulton QuartzH13431553	27 mm	32 mm	7.8 mm	30 m	Quartz	$845	$800
Söner Nostalgia CaesarMicrobrand	28 mm	40 mm	7 mm	50 m	Quartz	$765	—
Movado Heritage 1917 Quartz3650247	25 mm	34.1 mm	6.9 mm	30 m	Quartz	$850	—
Raymond Weil Toccata Rectangular 37 x 29 mm5425-STC-00300	29 mm	37 mm	6.4 mm	50 m	Quartz	$1,175	—
Frederique Constant Classics Carrée Small SecondsFC-235S2C6B	25.2 mm	36 mm	5.8 mm	30 m	Quartz	$1,395	—

Best rectangular watches from $1,500 to $5,000

Watch	Case	Lug-to-lug	Thick	Water	Movement	List price	eBay median
Cartier Tank Française SmallWSTA0129	21.2 mm	25.7 mm	6.8 mm	30 m	Quartz	$4,450	$4,940
Longines DolceVita 20.8 x 32L5.255.4.71.6	20.8 mm	32 mm	—	30 m	—	$1,650	$1,598
Rado True Square AutomaticR27077102	38 mm	—	9.7 mm	50 m	Automatic	$2,450	$1,828
Movado Heritage 1917 Automatic3650253	35 mm	45.2 mm	10 mm	30 m	Automatic	$1,595	—
Nomos Glashütte Tetra 27401	27.5 mm	38.5 mm	6.1 mm	50 m	Manual	$2,400	—
Bell & Ross BR 03 Black SteelBR03A-BL-ST/SRB	41 mm	41 mm	9.7 mm	100 m	Automatic	$3,990	—

Best rectangular watches over $5,000

Watch	Case	Lug-to-lug	Thick	Water	Movement	List price	eBay median
Cartier Santos de Cartier LargeWSSA0018	39.8 mm	47.5 mm	9.4 mm	100 m	Automatic	$9,200	$8,800
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small SecondsQ397848J	27.4 mm	45.6 mm	8.5 mm	30 m	Manual	$12,000	—

One watch per brand in each price range, ordered by how many are listed on eBay right now, a rough measure of what people buy. List prices are manufacturer prices in US dollars.

Shortest lug-to-lug

Cartier Tank Française Small25.7 mm
Hamilton Boulton Small Second Quartz M27 mm
Cartier Tank Américaine Mini27.9 mm
Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Small29.5 mm
Cartier Tank Must Small29.5 mm

Thinnest

Rectangular and square watches by wrist size

Cheaper alternatives to the icons

Questions

What size rectangular watch should I get?: The median rectangular watch in our catalog is 27.5 mm across with a 38 mm lug-to-lug and 7.4 mm thick. Lug-to-lug matters more than case size: for an ideal fit, keep it under 47.2 mm on a 6.5" wrist or 55.1 mm on a 7.5" wrist.
How much does a good rectangular watch cost?: The 52 current rectangular watches in our catalog run from $90 to $17,500 list, with a median of $2,000. The cheapest is the Casio LTP-B150D LTP-B150D-7B.
What is the smallest-wearing rectangular watch?: By lug-to-lug, the Cartier Tank Française Small WSTA0129 at 25.7 mm, followed by the Hamilton Boulton Small Second Quartz M H13321811 at 27 mm.
Are most rectangular watches automatic?: 39% of the rectangular watches in our catalog with a known movement are mechanical (automatic or hand-wound); the rest are quartz or solar.
What size rectangular watch should I get?: Go by length, not width. A case length a few millimeters shorter than the flat top of your wrist looks right; most classic rectangular watches are 25 to 30 mm wide and 32 to 40 mm long.