Got skinny wrists? Don’t worry, you can still wear a diver. Here are some great dive watches for small wrists.
For your convenience, here’s a quick list of small dive watches for any budget (low to high):
- Invicta 8932OB Pro Diver (38 mm)
- Seiko SKX013 (38 mm)
- Longines Hydroconquest (34 mm)
- Oris 73376524154MB (36 mm)
- C60 Trident Pro 600 (38 mm)
- Omega Unisex Seamaster (36 mm)
- Rolex Yacht-Master 37 (37 mm)
Contrary to popular belief, not all watches are suitable for all occasions.
Some watches are best worn with formal outfits, while others should be reserved for casual looks.
But there is one type of watch that is extremely versatile: the dive watch.
Our Pick
Short on time? Here are our top two picks for the best dive watches you can buy right now:
The relatively low price of this stylish watch might leave you with some extra cash to spend on an alternative strap or bracelet.
Since its introduction in 1953, this model remained largely unchanged and has become the quintessential dive watch.
Read on for more info and the complete list…
Why Dive Watches?
Dive watches (or “divers”) are perfectly suitable for business casual or smart casual attire, and they certainly won’t raise any eyebrows in casual environments.
You can even wear them with formal outfits like three piece suits (if James Bond did it, that’s good enough for us).
But there is one problem with dive watches that men with small wrists have to look out for: the fact that they’re often too big and bulky.
Dive watches are some of the coolest watches out there. They’re sporty, casual, rugged and durable.
There’s one watch, in particular, that made divers so incredibly popular over the last few decades.
The Quintessential Dive Watch
One can’t talk about dive watches without mentioning the Rolex Submariner.
Since its introduction in 1953, the model remained largely unchanged and has become the quintessential dive watch.
Besides the four-figure price tag, there is one problem though that specifically concerns men with small wrists:
The 40 mm (1.6”) diameter and the generally clunky dive watch design make it appear too big on most modest men’s wrists.
As mentioned in the TMM post about watches for small wrists, 40 mm is the absolute biggest watch diameter men with small wrists should wear.
Keep in mind though that applies only if the case and straps are thin. Clearly, the Rolex Submariner doesn’t fall into that category.
But dive watches are so classic, iconic and cool. Which is why James Bond has been wearing them for over 50 years.
Back in 1962 when the first James Bond movie hit the big screens, Sean Connery (portraying the famed secret agent) wore the aforementioned Rolex Submariner, as did many of his successors.
But Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton aren’t exactly small men.
They range in height from 6’1″ (Moore) to 6’2″ (Connery), and the Rolex Submariner looked perfectly proportionate on their larger-than-average wrists.
A New Watch for James Bond
When Pierce Brosnan (6’1”) took over the role of James Bond for Goldeneye in 1995, the lead actor wasn’t the only thing that changed.
James Bond was also wearing a new watch – the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M.
While the Seamaster can’t deny certain visual similarities with the Rolex Submariner, its diameter is actually slightly bigger at 41 mm.
That alone would make it even less suitable for men with small wrists. But don’t worry! There’s another option for us modest men…
Omega Seamaster 36.25 mm Diver 300M
Along with their 41 mm model Omega offers a 36.25 mm (1.4”) model of their Seamaster Diver 300M watch.
Together with the case, the straps were sized down as well and measure 18 mm (0.7”) on this model – perfect for smaller gents.
The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M is available with a blue and a black dial.
If you want a look that’s close to the Rolex Submariner, go with the black dial.
I prefer the blue one (which is also what James Bond wore in the movies) but you might want to make your choice of color depending on your skin tone.
Even Smaller Omega Dive Watches
If you’ve never worn a dive watch before, even the 36.25 mm model can feel big on your wrist, which might take some time to get used to it.
But remember that dive watches are bigger by design, and unless you have unusually skinny wrists you’ll be fine with a 36.25 mm watch from a style perspective.
If you still feel that the 36.25 mm model is too big for you, don’t worry. Omega offers an even smaller 28 mm (1.1”) model.
While some of the internals are different compared to the 41 mm and 36.25 mm models, the design is very similar.
Make sure to check out the 28 mm model in person, though, and don’t just order it online without having tried it on first.
It’s a very small watch, and you might find it too small or “feminine” on your wrist.
Longines Hydroquest
Before you run off to pick up the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M model of your choice, let’s talk about the price real quick.
While the Seamster is definitely cheaper than the Rolex Submariner, it’s still a luxury watch that costs between $2,000 and $4,000.
But if the Omega Seamaster is (understandably) not in your budget, you might want to check out the Longines Hydroconquest.
Along with the standard 41 mm model, a smaller 34 mm (1.3”) model with a blue face and a 29.5 mm (1.2”) model with a black face are available.
The Hydroconquest is still a very high-quality Swiss-made watch. In fact, Longines and Omega both belong to the same parent company, the Swatch Group.
The Hydroconquest can be had for roughly $800 (or less) on places like Jomashop.
It’s still a lot of money for most men, but remember that the dive watch is the most versatile watch of them all from a style point of view.
And a quality dive watch will likely last you a lifetime.
Seiko SKX013
For a much more affordable option, look no further than the Seiko SKX013, a smaller version of the legendary SKX007.
Although this model has been discontinued, it’s still readily available from grey market retailers like Amazon and Jomashop.
The relatively low price of this watch might leave you with some extra cash to spend on an alternative strap or bracelet.
If you don’t like the somewhat flimsy stock jubilee bracelet that the SKX013 comes with, try a more robust oyster bracelet instead.
Strapcode has some of the best SKX013 replacement bracelets you can find right now.
Which Small Diver Will You Choose?
As you can see, there are plenty of high quality, stylish dive watches that look good on smaller wrists.
Which is your favorite? Do you own any of these? Let me know in the comments below!
Sorry, but “the fact that they’re often too big and bulky” rules dive watches out for wear with business attire or a suit jacket of any kind. There are lots of watches suitable for dress casual and lots for formal wear, but dive watches are most certainly NOT among them.
Hey Brock, this article is spot on.
i was thinking of getting a 33mm diver but am still slightly hesistant due to being used to wearing 40mm watches. i’ve just recently aquired some 35-37mm dress watches and chronographs which i find fit me like a glove. Since divers generally wear smaller due to the watch dial being smaller – my question is wether a 33mm diver would look abnormally small on my most modest 14.5mm wrist?
33 is definitely in the smaller side for a dive watch. I’d try it on before buying it, or at least make sure you could return it if you didn’t like it.
Zach, whats your 35-37mm chrono, been looking for sometime now. can’t make up my mind. thanks.
Rolex Submariner reference # 5513 measures at 38.7mm. Nice but expensive.
All newer refs up untill the maxi cased 114060/116610 are 40mm; the new mentioned above are 41 and a lot less slim-looking
Hey Brock! Great article! I might be wrong but didn’t the earlier submariners have a smaller diameter? Hopefully the large watch fad will begin to fade, and Rolex will start making divers with a smaller diameter.
Gonna have to disagree with the author on watch size. I think that most watch aficionados would tell you that the size of ones wrist (i.e. circumference) is more important than the size of the person. If you have a skinny wrist, then a wide watch can look too large; if you have a large wrist, then a smallish watch may look a bit too small and even give off a “feminine” or “kid-like” vibe.
I am 5’6″, am reasonably muscular and have a smallish wrist (6.5″ around.) I routinely wear 42mm wide watches; currently, I have a Seiko SKX009 and a Citizen NY0040. Both of these dive watches are about 42mm wide and could probably be described as “chunky.” Given the sporty nature of these watches, the look just fine on my arm. If I were to buy a “dress watch,” however, I would probably want something smaller and thinner.
There are, unfortunately, a number of variables that affect how large a watch appears on ones wrist: the width, the length (often described as the “lug-to-lug” measurement), the size of the dial (note that most dive watches have a relatively small dial because of the rotating bezel.)
Perhaps, the best approach would be to go our nearest Target, Sears or Fred Meyer jewelers and try on a few watches in different sizes.
Skx009 is 40mm diver as same as skx007.
Sorry to correct you Ferdy. The SKX0xx series are 42mm not 40, measured at the bezel. The bottom case is an extra .5 mm larger.
Skx009, or the 007 , are 42mm , they don’t make it in a 40mm.
Vintage SKX031/033 might be what u are looking for then; 40mm and they have a more luxurious feel to them as wel (applied logo and markers. 22mm lug width on a nato is a tad large though on a 40mm watch. But perfect on a tapering bracelet or tropic rubber for instance
If you can afford a Rolex, any 36mm Datejust will cover almost any circumstance (16233, 16234, 16013). For special occasions, I have a JLC Reverso Tribute Duo 2016 (it lifts you above the handful of Gold President snobs that are watch comparing). Otherwise, there’s a ton of Seiko’s that cover all social occasions, wrist sizes.
Dear friend, you forgot SEIKO and CITIZEN divers, and your review is simply incomplete without mentioning these staple divers.
Any specific models?
Seiko makes a TON of different dive watches. Some of their more popular dive (or dive-style) watches include: SKX007, SNZH55 and the SNZF17. All three have a black dial and black bezel; all three come in other color combinations as well.
Citizen has a few divers in their Eco-Drive line. The BN0000-04H is one of their smaller dive watches.
(Copy and paste any of the above model names into Google or Amazon to see pictures and prices.)
Of course you should have mentioned the Seiko SKX013 the 38mm version of the SKX! It has a 36mm bezel and fits perfect on my tiny 5.7″ (14.5cm) wrist!
Also, I think the SKX is better looking than the Seamaster 300 or the Hydroconquest, which I personally both dislike the looks of in general.
Too bad, since I came across this article by googling small divers, so I hoped for some more and other options. These ones I was already aware of. Just like the smaller Oris Aquis. I am sticking to my SKX and I will keep praying that Sinn will start make some smaller versions with classic black bezels…
Tudor Black Bay 36mm could be a tip as well, looks nice, but misses the typical bezel and has no date.
Lastly I have never seen anyone calling it watches for smaller or short men lol. Very weird. This is talking watches for smaller wrists of course.
I agree. The Citizen BN0191-55L and BN0151-09L are amazing watches for the value
Great article Brock. I have a smaller wrist too. Tag Heuer has some comparable styles (TAG Heuer Men’s CAN1011BA0821 Aquaracer Blue Dial Watch) in the $1K to $1.7K range.
I happen to own a Submariner – ref# 14060, while a 40mm bezel width, the watch is smaller than the new model ref# 114060 which has a much larger squared off case. I also have a montblanc 38mm sport diver that fits my 6.75″ wrist perfectly. I have also owned a 36mm Seamster Pro 300 and found it somewhat small, likely referenced by the fact I’ve owned quite a few 40mm watches.
There are a plethora of correctly sized 38mm watches for smaller wristed men, in all price ranges. I’d also like to point out it’s not just the bezel size that affects comfort, any lug to lug (total length) over 47mm can pose a problem. For me the sweet spot is 45mm, I can stretch it to 48mm maximum. Choosing a 18mm through 20mm lug width over 22mm+ will also have an effect of the appearance.
Personally I think a formal or dress watch should also be carefully chosen. Dropping the size to 36mm or 38 will give a desired look. Sorry but I disagree with wearing a dive watch on formal or business occasions, I’m aware it’s common practice however, not correct.
One does not need to spend a lot for a few watches that will fit the appropriate occasion.
Thank you for mentioning the lug to lug aspect. Do you have any recommendations on watches with a small lug to lug distance?
Andrew, sorry for the delay. A short lug to lug size would be in the 44 to 45mm range. As an example I try to limit the lug to lug no longer than 47.5mm. Ask the seller, whether they be a private or a dealer. I do with every watch I purchase.
Good guide here.
My father has a Rolex Submariner that I will be inheriting and it looks a little clunky on my wrist but it’s hard to find fault with having a submariner on your wrist, lol.
Any smart watch for small wrist
I’d probably go with the 38mm Apple Watch.
Good choices, Dave! How about Christopher Ward C60 Trident though? They’re Swiss-made, praised in watch lovers community (even though their new logo turns many people off, afraid of they’re going towards a different direction) and they have it in 42mm & 38mm. I’m planning to buy this. Someday, oh someday..
Nice addition! That’s a great looking watch. Glad they have a 38mm version.
Yeah a nice dive watch is on my “someday” list too.
Omega and Rolex, if you’re reading this, you know where to find me!
Tudor BB58 would be right up your alley
Great article and really helpful Brock! I’ve been in the market for a smaller watch and I think I might pull the trigger on the Longlines watch in blue until my paycheck gets big enough for that Omega haha!
Yeah man…me and you both!
I wish Citizen would make a 40mm Eco-Drive. I really like the BN0191-55L and BN0151-09L but they’re 45 and 43mm respectively. There’s a lack of sub $250 40mm quartz divers