Today, oversized luxury watches have become quite common; however, this was not always the case. From the time the wristwatch first became popularized, somewhere around the 1920s, its dimensions have been steadily increasing. Very slowly at first, with the earliest models for men starting at the 30mm-32mm mark, then sprouting over the years to a maximum of 36mm for the more formal pieces (40mm for tool watches), and sticking at that for most of the second half of the 20th century.
However, around the turn of the millennium things began to change, and luxury watch manufacturers started upping the scale of their watches dramatically. By the mid-2000s, it was not unusual to see bold, in-your-face designs topping the scales at 45mm and beyond, dragging the average size ever higher with them.
Today, the accepted median has risen to 40mm-42mm, but the race to create the biggest dinner plate-sized wrist adornment seems to be over, with many brands releasing pared-down offerings of some of their most popular models in the last few years. But while the trend may have come full circle, there is still an audience for oversized watches. The right one, on the right person, can look imposing without being too overpowering; however they all, certainly, make a statement.
Below, we will take a look at a few of our favorite oversized watches.
Breitling Emergency
This watch is seriously impressive, both in size and function. The brand introduced the Breitling Emergency watch in 1995, outfitting it with an innovative beacon device that sends a signal to the International Distress Frequency. While most wearers will never need such a device, it’s a fascinating and rare complication. If you’re exploring areas away from civilization and the reaches of your cell phone service, the Breitling Emergency could be the key to your survival should you find yourself in a perilous situation.
Looking at the bottom of the case, you will find a rather intriguing canister contraption. This tube is more than just an interesting design element that the brand created. It also houses the antenna needed to transmit a distress signal. Don’t be tempted to “test” this feature out, though. There are severe consequences for using it without need, including a pretty steep fine to the tune of $100k, payable to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Ultimately, Breitling discontinued the original Emergency collection in 2010. A few years later, the Emergency II took its place, featuring a higher 406 MHz frequency and 51mm case.
Rolex Deepsea
Rolex, traditionally conservative in the realm of oversized watches, has recently pushed boundaries with their Deepsea line. As of 2024, the largest offering in their catalog is the Rolex Deepsea Challenge (ref. 126067), boasting an impressive 50mm diameter. This model, introduced in 2022, is crafted entirely from RLX Titanium, Rolex’s proprietary titanium alloy, making it surprisingly lightweight for its size. The Deepsea Challenge is capable of withstanding depths up to an astonishing 36,090 feet (11,000 meters), far beyond what any human diver could endure.
Before the Deepsea Challenge, the largest Rolex was the 44mm Deepsea, first introduced in 2008. These models, including the original Rolex 116660 and its successor Rolex 126660, were designed to withstand depths of up to 12,800 feet (3,900 meters). They featured ceramic bezels, Maxi dials with larger markers and hands, and were available in various designs, including the popular James Cameron D-Blue dial editions.
The latest iteration of the 44mm Deepsea (Rolex 136660), introduced in 2022, brought subtle but meaningful changes. These include a slimmer bezel to better showcase the sapphire crystal, an 8% increase in the size of the Cyclops magnifier, and the removal of the Fliplock diver’s extension on the bracelet. The titanium case-back was retained, now explicitly marked as “RLX Titanium” to signify its use of Rolex’s proprietary titanium material.
Rolex’s Deepsea line, from the 44mm models to the new 50mm Challenge, represents the pinnacle of the brand’s diving technology and their willingness to push the boundaries of watch design and functionality. These watches continue to feature advanced technologies like the Ringlock System, a nitrogen-alloyed steel central ring, and a grade 5 titanium caseback, allowing them to withstand extreme pressures. Whether it’s the more wearable 44mm version or the extreme 50mm Deepsea Challenge, these watches showcase Rolex’s commitment to creating timepieces that can accompany explorers to the deepest parts of our oceans.
OMEGA Railmaster XXL
OMEGA’s Railmaster formed one-third of the brand’s revered ‘Master’ trilogy when it was first released in 1957. It was the watch built for scientists, in the same vein as the Rolex Milgauss or the IWC Ingenieur, and debuted alongside the now legendary Seamaster and Speedmaster.
Yet despite its inbuilt Faraday cage, designed to protect the watch’s caliber from the damaging effects of electromagnetic forces, it always languished behind its companions in both image and sales. While the Speedy and the Seamaster went on to become icons, the OMEGA Railmaster was often the forgotten OMEGA. It was so poorly received that it was discontinued in 1963 and wasn’t seen again for 40 years.
When the Railmaster made its comeback in 2003, it was at a time when OMEGA was setting about reinventing itself. At the heart of the brand’s turnaround were its groundbreaking Co-Axial escapements, seen as perhaps the most important development in mechanical watchmaking of the 20th century. The naturally paramagnetic components in its caliber took the Railmaster from its original 1,000 gauss protection to an incredible 15,000 gauss, doing away with the need for the soft iron cage altogether, while simultaneously shielding the movement from the kind of mammoth fields generated by an MRI machine.
The refreshed series was initially launched in three sizes; 36mm, 39mm, and 42mm, but just a couple of years later, the XXL emerged. This, to everyone’s surprise, and not a little confusion, measured in at an enormous 49.2mm.
Styling-wise, it took its cues from the entry-level OMEGA Aqua Terra collection, a simple, rounded case with a slight twist to the lugs. Visually appealing and remarkably easy to read, the time-only piece retained the same type of handset as the first of the 1950s models, except the minute hand received the arrowhead rather than the hour hand. A separate sub-dial at six o’clock counted off the seconds.
Inside was a manually-wound Caliber 2201 movement, just to add to the unorthodox nature of the thing. With that in mind, a 17-jewel pocket watch movement with a 53-hour reserve was probably the only mechanism that OMEGA could find big enough to fill the Railmaster XXL’s massive case.
As an attention-grabber packed with the latest technology, and coming along when it did – when the trend for huge watches was reaching its peak, the XXL was all set to reverse the Railmaster’s ailing reputation. Except, not so much. With OMEGA also updating the rest of its range, the scientist’s watch found itself in the familiar position of the underachiever, and it was retired from the lineup once again in 2011.
Although the Railmaster has since risen from the ashes a second time, coming back in 2017 as part of the OMEGA Seamaster collection (giving us the awfully titled, Seamaster Railmaster line) the XXL didn’t make the cut. These days, the range tops out at 40mm, keeping more in line with modern tastes. However, as a niche example of an already niche watch, it remains an interesting and especially handsome oddity and one of the most notable oversized watches throughout OMEGA watch history.
OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean Chronograph
The brand released the OMEGA Planet Ocean series in 2005. Compared to the Seamaster Diver 300M, the Planet Ocean boasts greater water resistance of up to 600 meters and is, overall, more robust. The collection is quite varied, featuring several metal finishes, bracelet types, dial and bezel colors, movements, and case sizes. One that we feel deserves a spot on our list of bigger-is-better watches is the OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean Chronograph.
At 45.5mm in diameter and flanked by chronograph pushers on one side of the case and a helium escape valve on the other, this OMEGA certainly takes an impressive stance on the wrist. It’s also packed with everything one could ever hope for in a watch. Features include a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, a unidirectional bezel, and a chronograph movement with a stopwatch functionality. Options vary from traditional stainless steel to the more opulent gold OMEGA watch models and those sparkling in diamonds.
IWC Big Pilot Watch
The IWC Pilot’s Watch has been a pillar of the brand’s catalog since the 1930s. The “Big” Pilot’s Watch with its oversized case followed shortly after in the 1940s. At the time, its design was purely functional, featuring an oversized crown that is easy for pilots to grip while wearing gloves and a large, luminous display on the dial. The triangle seen at 12 o’clock is an original design element from the 40s as well that was developed to help pilots properly position their hands at a quick glance.
The large crown and big case size offered by IWC Watches are robust sophistication at its best. If your goal is to make a bold statement without appearing too contrived or over-the-top, the IWC Big Pilot is the watch to wear. The collection is versatile, from modern iterations of the collection on metal bracelets to those that adopt a more retro design. You also have your choice of case size, from 43 to the heftier 46mm. The current collection also includes a handful of dial color options and metal finishes.
Breitling Avenger Hurricane 12H
It’s no real surprise to find a Breitling head up a list of oversized watches. Beloved by both military pilots and Special Forces, the Swiss manufacturer rarely releases anything shy and retiring out of their Grenchen-based fortress.
The Avenger Hurricane 12H was released in 2017, a follow-up to the even more soldierly-inspired Hurricane from the year before, which featured a 24-hour numeral display. The 12H is a little more conventional and civilian friendly, meaning that this Breitling Avenger watch includes an hour hand pointing at the three o’clock indicating that it actually is, in fact, three o’clock and not 06:00.
One thing that the Breitling Avenger Hurricane 12H isn’t, however, is small. There are two sizes available: a positively minuscule 45mm version, and a just about manly enough 50mm variant. Both are made from Breitling’s own patented material, Breitlight – a high-tech polymer reputedly six times lighter than steel and more than three times lighter than titanium, while being considerably harder than both.
The use of Breitlight makes the amply proportioned piece surprisingly wearable, although this is certainly not one for every workplace. Sitting at the thick end of the spectrum at 17mm in height, it won’t be slipping discreetly under any shirtsleeves either.
The dial, in either Volcano Black or a bright Cobra Yellow, is extremely legible – as you would hope, considering the amount of real estate at hand. The trio of sub-dials sit in acres of space, with the 30-minute register given a touch of colored accenting to help with readability. The tip of the chronograph seconds hand is similarly colored; orange on the black version, and red on the yellow one. Additionally, a small date display window sits at the 4:30 position.
Encircling it all is a familiar-looking Breitling unidirectional bezel, with its four rider tabs at the 15-minute markers. The dial is covered with a sapphire crystal treated on both sides with an anti-reflective coating to provide it with excellent legibility at any angle.
Inside is where the biggest difference lies between this one and the original version. Swapping the older watch’s Caliber B12 for the wonderful in-house Caliber B01 gives the Hurricane 12H a column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch, which eliminates any sign of judder on the central seconds hand whether starting, stopping, or resetting. It also has Breitling’s own self-centering system and a shock-absorbing escape wheel to make the whole watch more resistant to impacts. To top things off, the 28,800vph, 47-jewel movement also offers a 70-hour power reserve.
In case you were in any doubt, this is a watch aimed at the testosterone-dripping action man. It even comes with an exclusive military textile fiber strap, with a rubber inner lining. Additionally, the chronograph pushers and crown are covered with a non-slip material so they can be easily operated while wearing gloves.
Overall though, especially for a watch measuring 50mm, the Hurricane 12H is not especially blatant. The stealth-like case material helps it remain relatively incognito and the black dial version in particular does a good job of staying covert – a perfect choice for all Navy Seals and office-based, Seal-wannabes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, whether bigger is better ultimately depends on personal style and comfort. For those with larger wrists, a well-proportioned luxury watch not only offers a bold aesthetic but also ensures the right balance between functionality and design. The key is to find a timepiece that complements your wrist size while reflecting your personality and taste. From oversized dials to robust cases, the luxury watch market offers an array of stunning options that marry form with function, ensuring that larger wrists never have to compromise on style or sophistication.
