How to measure Wrist Size?
A major thing a lot of people overlook when it comes to a watch is its size.
It is a common perception that watches can just adjust to your hand not taking into account that even watches come in different sizes!
A lot of people seem to be unaware of this fact and blindly buy watches only based on brand, appearance, and price.
No matter how pretty the watch maybe, if it does not fit well and sit right on your wrist it can spoil your overall look and appearance.
Another reason for your watch to fit you is that you should feel comfortable with the watch, you should not have to worry about it falling out of your wrist just because it is too loose or cause marks and uneasiness because it is too tight around your wrist.
Thus, it is best to measure your wrist size before buying a watch.
Now it comes down to how you are supposed to measure wrist size, we will be talking about things to consider and how to measure a watch based on the different types of the watch as each differs from another due to the material the watch belongs to.
Measuring your wrist using a measuring tape
- Take hold of a measuring tape often used by tailors.
- Open your palms facing upwards, with no fingers bending and up straight.
- Wrap the tape around your wrist with the end of the tape as the starting point.
- Make sure the tape is not too tight or too loose, just a little space between the wrist and the tape.
- Mark the end point and convert the measurement into centimeters, millimeters based on the required measurement standard.
In case you do not own a measuring tape, you can use a string or loop to measure your wrist size instead along with a measuring scale.
Measuring your wrist using string or loop
- Take hold of a string or loop.
- Open your palms facing upwards, with no fingers bending up straight.
- Wrap the string or strip of paper around your wrist.
- Mark the end point of the string or loop using a marker or a pen.
- Keep the ruler on a flat surface and the string starting from marked zero.
- The measurement falling just along the marked point of the string or loop is the measurement of your wrist.
- You can change the measurement into any standard form based on the required unit of measurement.
There is no need to over-explain or complicate a simple process of measuring your wrist size! This is also the point method of measuring your wrist size. Now we will be talking about measuring your wrist size based on the different watch types.
Now that you are aware of your wrist size it is required to relate it in terms of the size of wristwatches and the straps of the watches.
Leather Strap
The simple rule of measuring a watch with a leather strap is that the length of the strap should be about 2 centimeters more than your wrist size measurement.
If you purchase a leather strap wristwatch that happens to be short on you, you will have to change it with a larger strap from a watch store or shop.
If the leather strap on your wristwatch is loose on your wrist, you can take it to any store or shop and ask them to create extra holes closest to your wrist with the help of a professional pin because if you do it yourself, it might not look very tidy and even.
Metal Bracelet
Out of all the types of wristwatches, metal bracelets are the ones that are generally worn looser than others.
This is so that the hard metal does not press and bite into the skin. The bracelet should be one centimeter bigger than your actual wrist size to give you the required fit.
When it comes to metal straps, they are easiest to fix according to your wrist size.
In the shop itself, if a wristwatch with a metal bracelet is too loose, the shop will simply cut out a few blocks of the metal bracelet to match your wrist size accordingly.
If the metal bracelet is shorter than your wrist size, they will add a few blocks of the same metal bracelet to give you the perfect fit.
NATO Strap
The rule for the measurement of a wristwatch with a NATO strap is that the strap should be 2 to 3 centimeters more than the actual size of your wrist.
The reason being the material of the NATO strap is twofold and takes up a larger circumference while tying it around your wrist.
The NATO strap is usually designed to be much longer in length compared to other straps of wristwatches because they have to be threaded into the actual dial from both ends.
In case the strap is loose on your wrist, usually, the extra length is threaded into the dial to provide you the perfect fit.
A NATO watch longer in length can always be reduced to a lower size but in the case of a short NATO strap, there is no other way of lengthening it other than changing the strap of the wristwatch altogether.
the bottom line:
You can easily measure your wrist size using the two methods that we have mentioned above.
the size of the watch strap should be decided based on your wrist size and the material of the bracelet.
If you walk into a store to buy a wristwatch, they usually let you try the wristwatches, so that you are sure of the fit and size.
In the case of purchasing it online, the size of the watch can be a little tricky as it differs from one brand to another, in such case you can easily measure your wrist size and compare it with the size chart.
