« The Most Popular Models »
Since the turn of the millennium, big watches have been gaining ground faster than any other trend. Matched to the right wrist size, they give their wearer a stylish, masculine presence. But oversized pieces are also becoming increasingly important in women's watches. Let's take a journey through the world of massive timepieces and explore some of the most popular oversized collections for him and her.
Ultralight High Tech from Grenchen: Breitling
It seems almost unbelievable today, but when it was released in 1956, the legendary Navitimer Ref. 806, with its 40.9 mm diameter, was considered an imposing pilot's watch. More than 60 years later, the cards have been reshuffled: no longer 40 but at least 43 or 44 mm now marks the lower limit for big men's watches from Grenchen. Then as now, Breitling demonstrates that large dimensions primarily serve function and by no means have to be ostentatious statements.
This becomes especially clear when you look at the new Breitling Endurance Pro: Made from the brand's proprietary Breitlight material, it is extremely resilient, and thanks to its featherlight weight, its 44 mm diameter seems smaller than it actually is. Powered by the thermocompensated SuperQuartz caliber 82, the sports chronograph uses its generous surface for a futuristic dial with color accents, high black-and-white contrast, a tri-compax layout, and a pulsometer scale around the edge.
The latter is framed by a bidirectional rotating compass bezel.
Colorful rubber straps round off the sporty look of the Breitling Endurance Pro, available for under €3,000. Far less colorful but all the bigger is the Breitling Avenger Hurricane 12H: Also made of Breitlight and water-resistant to 100 meters, it dwarfs the Endurance Pro and replaces its quartz movement with the famous in-house caliber B01, offering a 70-hour power reserve.
Besides its 50 mm diameter, the matte black finish also contributes to the powerful, even almost intimidating presence of this automatic chronograph. The Breitling Avenger Hurricane 12H Ref. XB0170E41B1W1 on a black NATO-style rubber strap comes in at €7,410.
Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M Co-Axial Master Chronometer
Every watch fan knows the Omega Seamaster, but few wear the top of its food chain on their wrist. We're talking about the famous Ploprof, developed in 1970 for professional saturation divers and most recently given a thorough update in 2015. Measuring 55 x 48 mm and water-resistant to 1,200 meters, these divers are big men's watches by any measure, yet their complete lack of lugs makes them unexpectedly suitable for medium-sized wrists. Big watches for strong wrists? Not necessarily here – if you can wear a Rolex Datejust 41, you'll be able to handle this massive beast from Biel as well. Its signature features:
An oversized crown guard on the left, a balancing counterweight on the right, and the clearly visible helium escape valve. The current generation also features a titanium case, which significantly reduces weight compared with its steel predecessors. Five versions are available – including a two-tone edition with Omega's Sedna gold – all powered by the METAS-certified caliber 8912 with a 60-hour power reserve and magnetic resistance of 15,000 gauss. Prices for the Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M Co-Axial Master Chronometer start at around €11,000.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms X Fathoms
Any discussion of big watches inevitably leads to the 45 mm Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Positioned above the top dogs from Rolex and Omega in terms of quality, it made history in 1953 as the first modern dive watch and finds its most extreme form in the X Fathoms. Measuring 55.65 mm across and a hefty 24 mm thick, it redefines big men's watches and greets its wearer with a wealth of unique features. A mechanical depth gauge with maximum-depth memory, a retrograde 5-minute counter at 11 o'clock, a 120-hour power reserve – Ref. 5018 1230 64A makes it clear that it plays in a league of its own.
Big watches for everyday wear? Only on very sturdy wrists; otherwise, it's best reserved for professional use. Powered by the in-house caliber 9918B, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms X Fathoms reaches a maximum depth of 300 meters – which, incidentally, is not the main focus of the instrument – and, according to the manufacturer, costs €37,610.
Big Women's Watches: Newcomers from U-Boat and TW Steel
Big watches for strong wrists – hardly any brand has embraced this principle more fully than U-Boat. Led by eccentric designer Italo Fontana, the Tuscan manufacturer has been regarded as a pioneer of oversized dimensions since its founding around 20 years ago, and it doesn't stop at supersizing feminine timepieces either. The U-Boat Chimera 46 Sideview Ruby shows what the result can look like: Gigantic left-side pushers, a crown with a protective bridge, and an 18k yellow gold case with purple accents almost push the 46 mm diameter into the background. Even so, they do their job thoroughly and make the U-Boat Chimera 46 Sideview Ruby the ultimate eye-catcher.
Big women's watches like this aren't made for wide wrists at all – they're meant to overhang, to stand out, and to break with traditional notions of beauty. The same goes for the masculine editions from Lucca: Big men's watches like the U-Boat Classico 50 are the go-to choice when maximum attention is your top priority in buying a watch.
Italo Fontana faces competition from Amsterdam, where TW Steel has likewise focused on massive dimensions for him and her since 2005 – though not in the high four-figure range, but at affordable three-figure prices. Especially popular big watches can be found in the TW Steel Canteen collection, with diameters ranging from a modest 40 to a whopping 50 mm.
Available partially or fully gold-plated on request, these quartz models catch the eye above all with their enormous crown and oversized Arabic numerals, which make the date window at 3 o'clock look downright tiny. Big women's watches for little money – the TW Steel Canteen shows how it's done.
Chopard La Strada
At the other end of the horological price spectrum, jewelry specialist Chopard offers the exotic La Strada collection. Defined by its elongated tonneau case, the 44.80 x 26.1 mm line is conceived as a homage to Federico Fellini's 1954 film of the same name. Italian elegance that stands out from the crowd with lavish diamond setting and a banana-shaped curve, offering a fresh take on big women's watches.
Particularly striking are the large surfaces above and below the angular dial, which can also be set to sparkle with luxurious diamonds on request. It hardly gets more majestic and opulent than the Chopard La Strada. Price point: from around €16,000.
