I think we had a common preference for larger watch in 1998-2015, at that time we are looking for bigger watches starting at 40mm, 41mm, 44mm, for Rolex. we had such a prejudice on some of the "Small watches" such as 34mm to 36mm. I can say the cut off line was 36mm, as anything smaller than 36mm is classified as "Small", 36mm-40mm is "medium", 41-47mm is "large", there is exception that size like Audemars Piguet T3 is giant of 54mm!
By that time 2008-2014, we could see ladies with smaller wrist would go for Rolex Yacht Master II or Deepsea sea dweller Cameron 44mm, and that was a hit.
Almost all the beautiful golden proportion dress watches in the range of 33-36mm were being boycotted as they say that is "too small" or even described as "dwarf ugly" so as their prices going low. If you were smart to buy off those good watches at that time, you are super rich now. As Breguet and Vacheron Constantin had made beautiful Tourbillon with 36mm in 2000. That was cheap to get by 2015 and now their price had been up at least 40%.
The time is changed and people is changing their taste and feel "bore"" wearing the bigger watches!
Starting from Panerai who used to make bigger watches started to slim down their watches in 2017.
By 2018 they launched a 45mm slimmer automatic 3 days watches limited 100 pieces, 1940 PAM00694, followed by 42, 40 mm for meeting the market demand.
Rolex launched a retro Explorer I with 36mm size 214270 in 2021 which is an iconic move of a traditional watch maker Rolex.
A price is reflecting the demand of the majority of watches collectors. the attached AP Perpetual Calendar is 36mm, I bought that in 2017 with $60,000 and I sold it to a gym manager with merely $57,000 in 2020. well, the people taste has changed rapidly and price of it rose significantly from $100,000 to currently $230,000. That is a great news for a small watch to come with, more people in favour of getting this beautiful watch.
In fact the most important thing is what you feel about the watch "appeared to be" on our hand.
Rolex Day Date 41mm is replaced with Day Date 40mm as their new Day Date line side by side with Day Date 36mm. Also we can see the vintage Day Date 36mm price is gong up, that means more people is looking for smaller diameter format of the Day Date
On the other hand, Vacheron Constantin launched a 2300V which is 37mm diameter line side by side with a larger line 4500V 41mm. to meet the demand for both larger and medium size of the watches.
Now I think this is the size changes to smaller diameter by 3mm.
Some of the watches with 37mm is not small at all.
Some of the watches with size 44mm is classified too large, really?
Again, size is one thing, matching your wrist is the another big thing.
More important is the dial design, some watches look as if it is very larger comparing with some watch with the same watch diameter of different dial design, also how the design of the lug width and bracelet would change the perception of how "large" or "small" the watch looks like.
Find a watch with the appropriate size is more important just the figure of diameter itself.
HK Snob
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