Small Watches Are Back, But Microbrands Got There First
The watch industry has finally remembered that wrists are not dinner plates.
After years of oversized cases, slab sided divers and chronographs large enough to qualify as listed buildings, smaller watches are back. Or, more accurately, everyone has decided to admit that smaller watches never really went away. They just stopped shouting for attention, which is very much the point.
Microbrands, naturally, got there early.
While many mainstream brands were still producing 43mm steel sports watches with the subtlety of a patio heater, microbrands were quietly exploring 34mm, 36mm, 37mm and 38mm cases. Not as novelty sizes. Not as “ladies’ options”, whatever that increasingly useless phrase is supposed to mean. Just as good proportions.
Because that is what this is really about. Proportion.
A 36mm watch can have more presence than a 42mm watch if the case is well designed. Lug length, bezel width, dial opening and thickness matter more than raw diameter. Enthusiasts know this, which is why microbrands have been able to build entire followings around watches that fit properly rather than simply announce themselves.
Lorier is a great example. Its vintage leaning designs make sense in smaller sizes because that is where the charm lives. A Lorier Falcon or Neptune does not need to dominate the wrist. It needs to feel balanced, familiar and easy. Like a watch you found in a family drawer, except it actually works and does not smell faintly of old leather and regret.
Baltic also understands the assignment. The brand’s best pieces often live in that sweet spot where vintage inspiration meets modern wearability. The watches are compact without feeling delicate, nostalgic without becoming fancy dress.
Then you have Fears, whose Brunswick 38 is a masterclass in restraint. It is not trying to be a sports watch, a tool watch or a conversation piece at a craft beer festival. It is simply elegant. At 38mm, it gives the design enough room to breathe without turning into a silver serving tray.
Farer has also played well in this space. Its smaller watches still carry the brand’s love of colour and detail, but the reduced sizing keeps everything charming rather than chaotic. A loud dial in a huge case can feel like a nightclub flyer. A loud dial in a compact case can feel like taste.
This shift also says something about the modern collector. People are becoming more confident. They no longer need size as proof of seriousness. A smaller watch can be masculine, feminine, neutral, dressy, sporty, casual or formal. It depends on the design and the wearer.
Good.
Because the old rules were boring.
The renewed love for smaller watches also connects with a broader return to personal style. People are dressing with more texture, shape and vintage influence. Big watches often fight that. Smaller watches complement it. They slide under cuffs. They sit naturally. They suggest the wearer has discovered the joy of not overcompensating through case diameter.
Microbrands benefit because they can respond faster than big brands. They do not need to convince six regional sales teams that 36mm is viable. They can simply make the thing, show it to enthusiasts and let the market decide.
And the market has decided.
Small is back. Although some of us would argue it never really left.
Winding Things Up
The return of smaller watches is not a trend so much as a correction.
Microbrands recognised earlier than most that comfort, proportion and charm matter more than wrist presence measured in square footage. Brands like Lorier, Baltic, Fears, Farer and Maen have shown that a compact watch can still feel substantial, stylish and deeply satisfying.
Big watches will always have their place. Preferably on big wrists. For everyone else, it is nice to see sanity returning one millimetre at a time.
References and Images Used in Order: