Can Women Wear Men’s Watches? [What you need to Know]

Over the long history of wristwatches, the size ideals and size standards for wristwatches have changed dramatically. The ”standard” size for men’s watches was less than 36mm back in the days, and for women’s watches, the ”standard” size was often about 20mm. Looking at wristwatches for men and women today, it’s safe to say that the view on what size a watch should be has changed substantially.

This leads us to a question that we hear women ask quite frequently: can women wear men’s watches?

The answer to that question is yes! In fact, chances are, you’ve seen plenty of women wear men’s watches. In addition, many female celebrities have also caught on with the trend of wearing men’s watches. Just take a look at Charlize Theron wearing a Rolex DeepSea SeaDweller 44mm which is the largest watch in Rolex’s collection:

When it comes to watches, fashion, and accessories, there is generally no right or wrong. Only general guidelines for making sure what you are wearing looks as good as possible. And the size is an important factor of that.

The most important part when wearing a watch is that you are comfortable with what you are wearing. And if you want to wear a men’s watch, by all means, go ahead. In recent years, more and more women have started to wear men’s watches, and it is a growing trend that will likely only get bigger.

What is the difference between men’s and women’s watches?

In the watch industry, you could say that there are men’s watches, women’s watches, and unisex watches. Some manufacturers strictly specify if their watches are for men, women, or are unisex, other manufacturers do not put as much focus on defining for whom they are for.

In general, the difference between men’s and women’s watches is their size. But because the lines of what is considered a women’s or men’s watch have been blurred out more and more throughout the decades, it is no longer as clear-cut as it used to be.

There is another key difference between men’s and women’s watches and that is design. Watches made specifically for women usually often have a more feminine design whilst men’s watches, in general, look sportier and more masculine. Women’s watches, for example, often use a lot of gold and gemstones to give them a more elegant appearance. But at the same time, there are both very feminine women’s watches and sportier women’s watches, so if you are focusing more on design rather than size, it doesn’t matter too much if it’s men’s or women’s watches.

What size on the watch should a woman wear?

More traditionally, women’s watches are considered to be 36mm or less. 36mm is generally considered a ”unisex” size in the watch world, and even 34mm equally so. Some people prefer to wear smaller watches, and others enjoy larger watches.

The reason why there have always been ”men’s” and ”women’s” watches is quite obvious. Women naturally have smaller wrists, and therefore, it makes sense that many women want to wear smaller watches that sit better on their wrists. Today, the most common women’s sizes are 31mm, 34mm, and 36mm. Some women even want watches as small as 28mm. But the growing trend of men's watches amongst women also means that more and more women opt for watches that are 40mm and upwards. Naturally, if you have smaller wrists, and wear a 40mm+ watch, it will usually look oversized on the wrist. But since this is a growing trend, people will no longer really raise their eyebrows when women wear larger watches.

In fact, it is not uncommon to see women wear the Rolex Daytona or Rolex Submariner, which are both 40mm. And if you have seen women wear these, you would probably agree that they do not look terrible or unreasonably big.

There is no fixed answer to what size women should have for their watch. As we have always recommended, you should choose the watch that you like the most. If you, as a woman, want a smaller watch, 36, 34, or even 28mm will work great. However, if you prefer a larger size, you can wear a men’s watch, 40mm or upwards. The general recommendation when it comes to watch sizes is that the lugs, the ends, of the watch should not protrude from the wrist.

Naturally, men’s watches will protrude from women’s wrists, so this would break this recommendation. But interestingly enough, it is more ”accepted” from a fashion standpoint that women wear too large watches than it is for men to wear them. The trends have changed, and whilst a 36mm watch has, for a long time, been only a men’s watch, it is nothing strange today to see a woman wear a 36mm watch.

Interestingly enough, manufacturers have also caught on with the oversized trend for women’s watches. With that said, manufacturers have started to design oversized women’s watches with the style of feminine watches, and with the size of men’s watches. This is the brands’ answer to the increasing demand amongst women for larger watches and this is a great thing as it means you can get the style of a woman’s watch, but with the size of a men’s watch.

There are more watches for women to choose from

Apart from the fact that the trend amongst women for larger watches, one important reason why more and more women wear men’s watches is that there is simply more to choose from. By all means, the options for women’s watches today are huge, and there are women’s watches in all price ranges and different designs. But generally, the watch industry for men is bigger, which also means that there is more to choose from. In addition, when women can choose between both men’s and women’s watches, you have more than twice the amount of watches to choose from, so you can find the one that suits your taste and preference the absolute best.

Men’s watches on women create a statement

If women’s watches’ smaller and elegant size creates more of a feminine appearance, men’s watches on women create more of a statement. The combination of masculine styles on women is one of the reasons why this trend has grown bigger. And it does really makes for a unique style and look. When women wear men’s watches, it stands out from the ordinary and the result is a look that stands out from the ordinary and appears powerful and style-conscious.

Conclusion

All in all, the answer to the question is yes - women can wear men’s watches. In fact, women who wear men’s watches are a growing trend that has only gotten bigger over the years. Historically, the size ideals for watches have been much smaller than what they are today. And the size trends of wristwatches have only gotten bigger over the decades.

Whilst it would have been completely unthinkable that women would wear men’s watches back in the days, it is not the case today. If you are a woman who wants to wear a men’s watch, the most important part is that you like it and how it looks on your wrist. And if you do, by all means, go ahead!