TOP 6: Big and elegant women's watches

Tags: Photo Gallery | Women's | Classic | Fashion | Traditional

21.2.2023 | 5 MIN

The trend of modern big watches having the upper hand is something that has been prevalent in the watch industry from the turn of the millennium. Why? And what does having a big watch really mean? Today, we're going to dive deep into it. We chose the top elegant and affordable women's watches above 38 mm / 1.5".

(1) Festina Boyfriend

The Festina Boyfriend is our favourite one on this list. And why? There's "nothing interesting" about it, one might think. But that's exactly why it is the favourite. There is nothing that would stand out on the Festina Boyfriend, nothing that would catch or even fish for your attention – that's where their charm lies. The charm of timelessness which goes with anything.

Need something that goes with jeans and little black dress? The elegance of the simple, polished dial and its thin minimal lines will only highlight your outfit of the day. The bigger size of 38 mm / 1.5" will give it a whiff of modernism. The gentle, braided steel bracelet on this minimalistic watch is the imaginary cherry on top.

If silver is not really your colour, you can also opt for the Festina Boyfriend versions in gold or rose gold.

When speaking of the size of a watch, we speak of the diameter of the case. Traditionally, when it comes to the average women's wrist (around 16 cm / 6.3"), we usually consider watches up to 38 mm / 1.5" to be of the ideal size. However, the trend of big watches goes against this stream and advises us to choose watches from 38 mm / 1.5" up. That being said, there are still some simple rules to be aware of whether a size of a watch for your wrist is "in" (let's use the term oversize) or just too big and not fitting well.

(2) Guess Nova

The Guess Nova watch is on the list not only because of its eye-catching yet elegant and simple golden design, but also more importantly because its size of 40 mm / 1.57" is perfect for lovers of big watches and for ladies with wider wrists.

The luxurious look of the Guess Nova is completed by the small diamond at the 12th hour marker – which will make you wonder at the surprisingly affordable price. How did the producer achieve such a low price? It is thanks to the simple silicone strap, which perfectly complements the design of the watch.

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Determining whether a watch is oversize or not fitting well is very individual, and stating all average numbers would be rather pointless. Why? It depends not only on the size of the wrist, but also on its shape. In any case, you definitely need to try the watch on to see how it looks. Does the watch fit your wrist nicely? Do the lugs fit your wrist well or do they stick out? If they don't, then it fits the trend of the oversize style and its "rules". But is there space between the bracelet and your wrist? That's bad news…

(3) Chronograph Festina Boyfriend

With the size of 39 mm / 1.54", robust and sporty looks, the Festina Boyfriend secured its place on this list.

But the sportish style and fashionable size is not the only thing that will make you fall for the Festina Boyfriend. The thing that will make you fall for this piece is the diamond. It nicely brings out the dial's nacre background. Doesn't matter what the light conditions are, the dial will always be a unique treat to look at. These elegant elements combined with the sub-dials of the timer and the robust bezel are in an unprecedented, beautiful contrast which is perfect for energetic women who dress in sportish-elegant style.

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Why are oversized watches so popular with women? There is no clear answer to this question, however, people generally think that as women's societal position started rising to the same level as men's, they adjusted to originally men's watch sizes (there are also rumours that this had a direct reaction – a leap of the size of men's watches). A bigger watch also optically slims down women's wrists. When put into contrast with a big watch, women's wrists look small and delicate. Who wouldn't want that?

(4) Bering Classic

The Bering Classic's design, which is characteristic for the Bering brand, is in the Scandinavian-minimalism style.

The dark blue shade, having the most important role in this clean design, has almost an enchanting effect. The dark shade strongly contrasts with the simple hands and minimalistic Bering logo. The sharp edges of the polished case go hand in hand with the unusual geometric attachment of the Milanese loop.

With its unisex size of 39 mm / 1.54", it is popular with not only women, but also with men. A piece purely for ladies was also released in the size of 31 mm / 1.22", a more usual size for women:

When did the trend of big watches start? We shouldn't forget that trends are present not only in the women's world. On the contrary, in the watch industry, it is usually the men's world that has the overall majority – and so the history of this modern trend is mostly about men's watches.

Up until the '90s, the usual size of men's watches was around 37–39 mm / 1.46"–1.54". The numbers kept going up, up to the size of 41–44 mm / 1.61"–1.73", and peaked around 2015 when the size of 45–48 mm / 1.77"–1.89" was nothing out of the ordinary.

Today, the numbers are going back down, and many brands are even returning to smaller watches in retro waves.

(5) Wenger Metropolitan Donnissima

The Wenger Metropolitan Donnissima, its diameter of 38 mm / 1.5", fashionable and minimalistic look appeal to women who fell for the charm of big watches.

The adequate silver look combined with the beautifully chosen Milanese strap is the most elegant choice to go with this steel watch. The design itself is clean, only with the decorative heart stamp and Swarovski crystals at the 3rd position added.

Why did the trend of big watches start? At the end of the '80s and the beginning of the '90s, having survived the devastating tsunami of cheaper quartz watches, the classic mechanical watches began to come back. Swiss brands managed to do so by marketing their mechanical watches as luxurious goods and contrasted their pieces with the cheaper quartz models, which were usually only meant to be functional.

This means that people wanted others to know that they were wearing these watches. And so the cases grew bigger and bigger…

(6) Invicta Lady Angel

The Invicta Lady Angel is actually decent and small… when it comes to Invicta. The brand is known mostly for its massive and diabolically complex watches. This piece really seems like an Angel among all those models. When it comes to classic women's watches, the size of 38 mm / 1.5" is above average though and when it comes to the body of the watch, is it not a light trinket either. And so the Angel has officially been added to this list.

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The silver Lady Angel is an elegant/sporty watch with functional elements which make them a great day-to-day watch. It will look amazing with a casual as well as a more elegant outfit. The robust steel case and bracelet made the weight jump up a little, making it perfect for women who need to feel a great piece of quality steel on their wrist. The weight will also remind you that no, you did not forget your watch on the nightstand! The dial also shows functional day-date sub-dials and a 24-hour hand.

One of the first brands to start making their watches larger was the famous Rolex brand. It gradually inspired other watch-making brands. This was the very beginning of the modern trend of large watches.