Unveiling the Unspoken Connection: The Impact of Dial and Crystal Size in Watch Dimensions

Most of us know that the dimensions of a watch can completely change how it looks and feels on your wrist. The dimensions like the diameter, thickness, lug width, and especially the lug to lug. But there’s one measurement very rarely, if ever, spoken about. That’s the dial and crystal size in proportion to the bezel and case. For example, a watch with a larger dial will visually feel like a larger watch compared to one with the same exact case dimensions except a smaller dial. An example of this is comparing the Citizen Promaster Nighthawk and comparing it to the Seiko 5 GMT. Both have a case diameter of about 42.5 millimeters. But because the Pro Master is pretty much all dial, visually it looks like a behemoth compared to the Seiko 5. Let’s take a look at one more just to kind of demonstrate this point. Let’s compare the Orient Star Classic here at 38.5 millimeters with the Seiko 5 sports GMT at 39 millimeters. The Orient has a much larger dial to case ratio, while the bezel on the Seiko results in a smaller looking dial and a visually smaller dial profile overall.