How to Choose the Best Rolex Size for You (9 Tips)

Many people want to purchase a Rolex, but are unsure what size will suit their wrist the best, and what size of Rolex will be the most comfortable for them. To help out potential customers we’ve provided a list below that will help customers understand some things that they should keep in mind when purchasing a Rolex. This is no small commitment, so you should get the best one possible!

Rolexes vary in size from 28 to 48 millimeters in diameter, but some sizes work better for some wrists than others. Most women wear a 36 millimeter Rolex while men typically wear Rolexes that are 40 to 48 millimeters. Keep reading to find out what you can do to determine which Rolex you should purchase.

Find great deals on a wide selection of Rolex watches at Amazon here. If you purchase via this link we may receive a small share of the sale. 

If you’d prefer to hear us read this article, click the video.

Personal Preference

The size of the Rolex that you choose to purchase greatly depends on your personal preferences. If you like to wear a large watch and like the look of it on your wrist, then you should absolutely purchase a large watch, no matter what the specific size is. If you prefer wearing a larger watch or you have a larger wrist, then you should wear a watch that is 40-48 millimeters in diameter.

If you prefer wearing smaller watches, then you should get a Rolex that is 28-33 millimeters in diameter rather than a Rolex that is 34-36 millimeters in diameter. If you prefer wearing a midsized watch or have an average-sized wrist, then you will likely prefer wearing a watch that is 34-39 inches in diameter, but you likely won’t want to go much larger than that.

Ultimately, you will likely have to try on the Rolex watch that you purchase in order to determine if it is the right size for you, unless you have worn a Rolex or a similarly sized watch in the past and already know what size of watch you prefer to wear.

Your Comfort

The size of the Rolex that you purchase will be determined by your comfort level when you wear the watch. If you feel like you can comfortably move your arm around while wearing the watch, then you should be fine to buy it and wear it regularly. However, if you don’t feel comfortable wearing a watch that is 40 to 48 millimeters in diameter (as these watches are considered to be large watches) then you should consider wearing a slightly smaller watch.

Maybe you should try wearing a 34 to 36 millimeter watch, or a watch that is 28 to 33 millimeters in diameter. In the end, you should purchase a Rolex watch that is pleasant to wear and one that you are comfortable with. If possible, before you purchase a Rolex watch, try it on and see if it is comfortable and if the size looks good on your wrist.

The Model of Watch

The model of Rolex watch you choose to purchase will influence the size of watch you will wear because each model of Rolex has a range of different sizes available. This means that if you want to purchase a Rolex from a certain watch seller, you will have to choose from the watch sizes that they have available, and you may purchase a Rolex that is slightly larger than you may have expected to purchase.

If you want to purchase a specific model of Rolex, such as the Rolex Daytona, then you should check beforehand which sizes they are sold in, as well as the sizes of that model that watch retailers stock. When it comes to the Rolex Daytona, it only comes in one diameter size: 40 millimeters. If you wanted to purchase a smaller size, you would have to purchase a different model of Rolex, which can sometimes be frustrating.

However, most Rolex watches are made in a variety of sizes, so you should be able to find a Rolex watch that is a comfortable size for you. If you want to purchase a certain model of Rolex, then you should try it on before you purchase it and see if it looks good on your wrist.

Your Wrist

The size of the Rolex watch that you should purchase and will look best on your wrist will vary depending on the appearance of your wrist. If you have a round wrist then you will be able to wear larger watches, and it will not look like it is too large for your wrist. However, if you have a flatter or oval wrist, then you likely won’t be able to wear larger Rolex watches without them looking overly large and awkward on your wrist.

If you have a thin wrist, then you should wear watches between 28 to 36 millimeters in diameter. If you purchase a Rolex that is larger than that in diameter, then the watch will emphasize the thinness of your wrist and make it seem thin and frail, even if it isn’t. The watch might even seem to consume your wrist, so you should probably avoid wearing large Rolex watches (Source).

If you have wrists that are round or large, then you should purchase a larger watch, as you will likely not be able to find a watch that looks like it is overtaking your wrist. If you don’t want your watch to show under your sleeve, then wear a 40 to 44 millimeter Rolex. However, if you want to show off your Rolex and do want it to show while your sleeve is down, you should purchase a Rolex that is 44 to 48 millimeters in diameter.

A rule of thumb that you can keep in mind when purchasing a Rolex is that most watches stick out from the edges of a wrist, but if it sticks out too much it will look like your watch is dominating your wrist, and it will seem like you are trying to show off your new Rolex watch, even if you aren’t. Before you purchase a Rolex, look at how far it sticks out from the edges of your wrist and determine if it is too ostentatious.

When purchasing a Rolex, take a look at the lugs and bezels and determine if they stick out too far from your wrist for comfort. If you purchase a watch that has lugs and bezels that stick out really far, it’s likely that these will become damaged, especially if you purchase a watch that is large in diameter when you have a small wrist. You really don’t want your Rolex to become damaged if you can avoid it!

Heaviness of Watch

When you are purchasing a Rolex, put it on if possible and see how much it weighs. The last thing you want is to purchase a really heavy watch that becomes uncomfortable to wear over time. Although watches don’t seem like they weigh a lot at first, their weight can begin to wear on you as the day goes on.

You use your arms all day, and if you constantly have something that is slightly heavy on your wrist, your arm will be tired at the end of the day. If you only plan on wearing your Rolex during events or parties (so only for a few hours at a time) then you don’t have to worry about the weight of the Rolex you choose to purchase as much, because you won’t wear the watch long enough for the weight to start making your arm tired. Instead, focus on the tightness of the wristband on the Rolex watch.

How Tight the Wristband Is

When looking for a Rolex to purchase, try some models that you are interested in on and check how tight or loose the wristband is for you. Most watch wristbands are somewhat adjustable nowadays, and oftentimes you can add extra links to make it looser or remove links to make it tighter. However, sometimes resizing like this is just not possible. When you are looking at Rolex watches to purchase, try them on and put your arm completely down, but be careful and don’t let it fall off.

If the watch slips a little bit, but doesn’t start to go over your hand, then it fits correctly. If you can’t put on the watch, or it leaves a red mark on your wrist once you take it off, then it is too tight and you should look at options to make the wristband larger if you really like the watch and want to purchase it.

Find great deals on a wide selection of Rolex watches at Amazon here. If you purchase via this link we may receive a small share of the sale. 

How the Watch Looks on Your Wrist

When you’re looking for a Rolex to purchase and are trying some models on, make sure you look at how the watch looks on your wrist. Here are some questions that you should ask yourself when trying on Rolex watches:

  • Does this watch look good on my wrist?
  • Does the watch take up my entire wrist?
  • Does the watch overtake my wrist?
  • Is it too large for my wrist size and shape?
  • Does it stick out too far from my wrist for it to be comfortable while wearing it?

A poorly fitting watch doesn’t do anyone any good, no matter how expensive it is.

Where You Will Be Wearing the Watch

Where you will be wearing the watch will influence the size of the watch you wear. If you are going to a formal event, and you are a woman, you likely won’t wear a large Rolex watch because it will overwhelm the outfit and distract others from the other accessories you are wearing.

However, if you are a man and are going to a formal event, you may want to wear a large Rolex watch because you want others to see it from underneath your suit. Meanwhile, if you are going to a sporting event or are going to be playing a sport, then you will want to wear a larger Rolex so you can see the time without stopping. However, most people don’t wear the largest Rolex watches while doing sports because it gets in their way.

Current Popular Styles

The styles and sizes of Rolex watches that are currently popular will likely heavily influence the size of watch you wear. Oversized watches are currently in style, so you will likely wear a Rolex watch that is quite large if you follow the trends. If you do, then it won’t seem odd or out of place. However, styles change frequently, so periodically check what is currently the fashion when it comes to Rolex watches, and make sure that even if your watch is large, it isn’t taking over your wrist. If you do that, then you should be good to wear whatever size of Rolex watch you want to.

Rolex watches are timeless, which is perfect because they are used to tell time! However, this means that you can wear nearly any size of Rolex watch, even after styles of watch have changed, and you will still be in style or will be wearing something that is similar to the currently popular styles. Overall, you can wear any type of Rolex because they are technically unisex, although there are styles advertised for men and other styles that are advertised for women.

Women typically wear Rolex watches that are 24 to 34 millimeters in diameter, and men typically wear Rolex watches that are 36 to 48 millimeters in diameter. However, you can wear any size of watch as long as it is comfortable on your wrist, it doesn’t overtake your wrist, and the fit isn’t too loose. The last thing you want is your new Rolex to fall off of your wrist because the band wasn’t the right size for your wrist.

If your Rolex falls off your wrist, it can break and you will have to have it repaired. At the end of the day, watches (especially Rolex watches) are luxury accessories that are meant to complement the outfit that you are wearing. Wear a watch that accentuates your outfit, and decide on the size of the watch you will wear based on the size of your wrist. However, you can wear almost any model of Rolex watch and still be stylish, so purchase a Rolex based on how much you like it.

Find great deals on a wide selection of Rolex watches at Amazon here. If you purchase via this link we may receive a small share of the sale.