How To Style Small Watches

In the world of horology at present, there is perhaps no topic quite as big as the one surrounding small watch energy. Although timepieces with “standard” case sizes clocking in at 40mm and above (“standard” is a term contentiously used by the industry at large and not freely coined by this writer of her own free will, thank you very much) are still a crowd pleaser and a trusty favorite for watch collectors, we see a trend towards smaller watches becoming increasingly prevalent – especially within the sphere of the fashion folk.

Seen on the sartorially devout for the past couple of years or so, it was a stylistic choice that first started out as a quiet murmur and has now crescendoed to a deafening roar – small watches have come out to play. From reaching into the archives of brands through vintage models (which traditionally have been crafted with smaller case sizes) to blurring the lines of watch brands and their gender-differentiated “Ladies” models, the sprawling array of timepieces increases tenfold when “standard” models are no longer considered the standard. 

For those who are looking to add a small watch to their collection, styling them does not really require any different considerations from how you would style any larger pieces. However, due to their size, smaller models inevitably carry a very different aesthetic and the essence of the watch is spoken in volumes through the way that it is worn by its wearer. 

If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to style your small watch, we take a closer inspection at the versatility in which they can be worn in both formal and informal occasions. Whether you’re looking to lean in to the traditions of smaller watches with a more dapper look, or you are more enamored by the concept of dichotomy and prefer to pair your luxury timepiece with an exceptionally casual look, it all boils down to one thing at the end of the day: wear your tiny watch with confidence. Read on to explore some of our favorite ways to style small watches.

Lean Into It

Keeping in mind the history of vintage watches, lean into the smaller case sizes with more formal wardrobe pieces such as suits, dinner jackets or blazers. One of the best examples that I’ve seen of this is Bad Bunny (who happens to be the owner of a truly covetable small watch collection) wearing a TTRO, or Teeny Tiny Royal Oak as coined by Brynn Wallner of Dimepiece, who actually sold the rapper this watch via her Dover Street Market Los Angeles collection with Foundwell. 

Captured onstage at a recent concert, Bad Bunny wears a cropped jacket, white button shirt and black baseball cap, his compact steel Royal Oak perfectly wrapped around his wrist and sitting just above his shirt cuff. Here, I am a big fan of the tension between all the different elements of his outfit, seemingly disparate but somehow still coming together cohesively. 

Jaden Smith was also photographed in a similar spirit back in 2019 when he paired a zip-up blazer jacket and slogan T-shirt with what appears to be a yellow gold Lady Datejust. Opting for a more maximal selection of jewelry, Smith’s watch is complemented by an opulent array of iced out bracelets and rings. You can get a similar look with this Rolex Datejust 26 Yellow Gold Diamond Champagne Dial.

Along the same vein, for those who want an even more debonair look, you can go full dapper with your small watch. Lensed for Cartier by Julian Ungano, Austin Butler was captured wearing a rich burgundy suit, bowtie and all, paired with a Cartier Tank. When opting for a contemporary take on the classic suited look, you cannot go wrong with a timeless Tank Louis Cartier 25. If you’d like to lean into a more rococo vibe for the dapper aesthetic, consider this ornate Patek Philippe Ladies Yellow Gold Grey Dial beauty.

It might be counterintuitive to wear a small watch as a statement piece, but it is precisely because of its unexpected size that the watch is able to capture attention. The watch provides an unpredicted contrast and flips normal presumptions on their heads, about the way that watches should be worn and also the “conventional” size of watch that men should wear. 

Opposites Attract

As a further play on contrast and dichotomies, one of the best ways to style a luxury timepiece is – in my humble opinion – to pair it with your most lowkey outfit. In direct contrast to the refined aesthetics of smaller watches, try wearing yours with casual looks instead: jeans and a T-shirt, or a white tank top with trousers. 

Within the realm of those in the know, watch lovers do not need to be ostentatious about their horology to capture the attention of other admirers. With nought but a simple mirror selfie, Timothée Chalamet was able to start a widespread conversation on not small, but tiny watches. In the image, he is seen wearing an itty bitty Panthère de Cartier (Mini Model, of course) paired  with all-black look – black Nike tee, black trousers, black sneakers. He could easily have worn this outfit to either go buy a Slurpee or to go have lunch with Haider Ackerman but nonetheless, it is peak effortless cool.

To hammer this aesthetic home, we could not write about disjunct looks without mentioning Guram Gvasalia’s double Cartier Crash moment. Shared via Instagram, the VETEMENTS Creative Director wears not one, but two, Crashes on his wrist. Although the situation has undoubtedly been embellished for the sake of social media, we could not help but take notes on the sartorial juxtaposition of a simple grey crewneck sweater (yes, I know this particular one is VETEMENTS, but you get the point) and classic blue denim. 

Championed by both Steve Jobs and suburban dads alike, the archetypal normcore look is the classic IYKYK contrast to pair with a watch as epic as the Cartier Crash. To recreate this look, the simplicity of classic wardrobe staples such as crewneck sweatshirts, knit sweaters and blue jeans can be paired with a variety of small watches, such as this 30mm Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Two-Tone. The omnipresent Cartier Baignoire is also a versatile daily watch that can be styled with a range of outfits that sprawl from normcore to more-core.

On the other side of the subdued minimalist aesthetic is, of course, the flamboyance of a maximalist look – think bold patterns, sheer tops, textured pieces, vibrant colors. Tyler, The Creator is undoubtedly a frequent upholder of this style, known for wearing head-turning outfits, paired with an extensive collection of small watches. In a rare sighting, the rapper is seen in his hallmark leopard print, but sans Cartier watch. Here, he dons a mostly brown-toned look with a Louis Vuitton by IWC from the late 1980s. 

When it comes to pulling off a maximal look, it’s helpful to consider a small watch as more of an accessory that complements the overall aesthetic. Similar to how layers of jewelry serve as embellishment that ties the entire look together, so too can the right small watch create a cohesive vision for an outfit that is a bit on the louder side. 

Worn to the Givenchy Spring/Summer 2024 show, Dwyane Wade’s look (styled by the incomparable Jason Bolden, who himself has been photographed recently wearing a gold Panthère de Cartier with a cozy Fear of God sweater) was exemplary of how to execute a maximal look with restraint and class – each element has been carefully selected and contributes to the overall aesthetic of the look. 

Wearing a statement pink vest constructed out of a cotton candy-like fabric, paired with white denim and black loafers, Wade wore a chunky Tiffany & Co. Graduated Link Necklace and on his wrist, a Tiffany & Co. Cocktail 2-Hand Women’s Watch. Although most of the items on their own are fairly flamboyant, when worn together in a single look, the elements mesh beautifully well and in combination create a striking maximal look. If this outfit was worn with a larger watch, the effect would undoubtedly not be the same – wearing a more delicate watch was an excellent style choice. 

Confidence is the Best Accessory

When all is said and done, at the end of the day, the only thing that truly matters when wearing a small watch is confidence. Regardless of whether you have a partiality for suits or crewneck sweaters or sheer tops, the best styling accessory is pure, unfiltered confidence.

When you’re unafraid of going against the grain, defying expectations of what a “regular” men’s watch size should be, that’s when the fun actually starts. The styling possibilities for smaller case sizes lays out an entirely new world of timepieces at your fingertips. By ignoring gender expectations, you start to realize that there really isn’t such a thing as a “ladies’ watch” anymore – there are only watches with smaller case sizes and those with larger ones. 

With watches like this Franck Muller Cintrée Curvex or this Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori with a Diamond Black Dial, there are so many interesting shapes to explore in the world of smaller watches. Whether worn with your favorite jewelry pieces or on their own, a renaissance is coming to light within the world of watches in which traditional notions of who should wear which watch sizes are becoming all but moot.