It’s funny how things come back in the world of luxury, fashion and design. As someone once said, fashion is fleeting, but style continues forever. The same can be said about the watch, but to see many designs with a sweet spot 37-40mm case size, you just need to rewind 20 years. Then something happened in the 2000s and everything got bigger. Now we’ve seen returning to that sweet spot due to case size. Today, I look at an example of the IWC Flieger Chronograph 3706, a neo vintage watch design, to illustrate this cycle.
Case size is one of the most prominent topics in comments about the new Watch review. The number of times read “only at 40mm” or “if only the case was 2mm smaller” is similar comments exceed the count. I think this reflects our true passion for the watch community for what many of us consider to be the size of a sweet spot. With this year’s watch and wonder, we saw the prominent range of case sizes offered by the brand. For example, Tudor has decided to polish a 39mm watch (opalin dials on the Tudor Black Bay 58 and Tudor Black Bay Pro) while expanding its 43mm product.
IWC Flieger Chronograph 3706: Case Size Lesson
Certainly, other factors besides diameter can have a similarly significant impact on the watch’s experience. At least of these, lug-to-lag measurements are. A long lagtoo rug can distort the wearing experience and allow something to be unstable on your wrist. An overly thick or bulky case can make your watch look great.
However, the diameter of the case appears to be attracting the most attention periodically. That memo will help you look at the IWC Flieger Chronograph 3706 and explain the shift sand in case size compared to the wearing experience. The reason I chose this particular reference is because it reflects some of my thoughts on thickness and lugs and lugs.
Image: Watch Club
Lightning Summary
The 1990s (not the early 2000s) was when manufacturers began to increase the size of their sports watches. Panerai Watches first began to be sold to the public and attracted more attention thanks to the Sylvester Stallone. The lights started at 44mm. Tool watches above 40mm are beginning to become standard. By the early 2000s, sports watch sizes continued to grow. IWC introduced the 46mm big pilot watch. Tag Heuer has also released a Link series that includes a 44mm case. Rolex also introduced 41mm size DateJust and Day-Date models by the end of the decade.
By the 2010s, several well-known brands were leading prices in large cases. The Tudor Heritage Ranger is all 41mm dial watches with a 22mm lug spacing, much larger than the original that was supposed to be referring to. Panerai had 47mm radioactive properties, while Breitling had 49mm Navichmers. But things will change slowly.
Check these changes in IWC
The IWC Flieger Chronograph 3706 debuted in 1994. It will remain in production until 2005, but this is relatively long-term. However, then came the IWC Chronograph 371704 and instead, the case rose to 42mm in diameter. This comes with a 21mm lug spacing and a 51mm length. Like many other brands of the time, IWC was following the trends in larger watches.
IWC’s Flieger Chronograph 3706 features a 39mm case, smaller than its successor. The length is 48mm and the lug spacing is also smaller by 20mm. However, when I wear the 3706 I feel it suits the current taste very well. The 39mm case size feels like a sweet spot, and even considering its thickness of 14mm or more, it’s not too big or too small.
Modern taste has returned to a smaller size
There is currently no shortage of examples of watch companies that are reducing the size of their sports watch case. Longines has introduced smaller versions of its spirit collection, with the Tudor Black Bay 58 and 58 GMT reflecting the trend towards smaller sizes highlighted by the release of the Black Bay 54 last year. This 39mm diving watch shows that it’s not just the big players who have paid attention to the changing taste of the market.
It wasn’t long ago that the concept of a 37mm diving watch like the Tudor Black Bay 54 shocked the market. Now the concept is now normalized again. We also recognize that the preferred case size may shift depending on the type of watch in question. For example, a 34mm dress watch works well, while a sports watch works well in a 38mm or 39mm case. So, dear Fratelli, let’s keep that in mind as we consider what our optimal case size will be!
Where from here?
ILike the massive watch trends of the 2000s, this is a moment of fashion. We’re here to argue that what we’re looking at is a natural size correction for the average sports wrist watch. Rather than a fashion moment, I feel that medium-sized sports watches are the natural habitat of good style. In other words, they stand up as an attractive option beyond the changing sand of fashion.
Why do I feel this way? It’s not because they have small wrists (approximately 15.9cm), nor does it mean that they generally prefer small watch designs. No, I think that’s because there’s an increased elegance in the middle of the wrist or small watch, big or small. Looking back at the classic National Geographic films and old photos, you can see explorers and movie stars featuring 34mm watches. These look great! In the past, wearing a 34mm watch, even on large wrists, was once completely normal. Hopefully this trend will continue. It also shows that the case size will be further normalized.
Have you seen the brand doubled with larger case sizes?
Tudor recently announced an expanded version of the watch from two major lines. Both Tudor Black Bay 68 and Pelagos Ultra are 43mm cases. The brand has developed the habit of releasing watches that lead conversations about case sizes for enthusiast circles. First, I saw this on the 39mm Tudor Black Bay 58. This became a huge hit for the brand. Next, I saw the release of the Black Bay 54 in a 37mm case.
It is worth noting that Tudor will release two new watches with larger case sizes. Certainly, other brands continue to tend to make watches smaller, like the IWC with a 35mm Ingenieur. It will be interesting to see if there is a reversal of the trend to move to smaller case sizes. Only time can be seen.
The idea of ​​conclusion
Now, case size is almost entirely a personal taste issue. Without a doubt, many of you will have individual preferences. For me, the perfect case size is usually somewhere in the 34-39mm range. However, the “sweet spot” that is a compromise is between 37 and 40. The IWC3706 is an example of how watches from what we call the current Neo-Vintage era tend to be better than models that replace them. Those successors were either too big or too broad, at least for people with preferences like me.
That being said, Fratelli wants to ask what your idea is about the perfect case size. Do you think we will continue to see movement towards even smaller clocks as standard? Tell us what you think in the comments.
