The Apple Watch comes in two sizes, small and large. Which one you choose will depend on how you want to wear it.
Apple has provided two sizing options for the Apple Watch — 38mm and 42mm. That’s consistent across across collections, from aluminum Apple Watch Sport to stainless steel Apple Watch to gold Apple Watch Edition. Some might consider the choice obvious, based solely on wrist size, gender, or some other factor. If you’re not finding it quite so obvious, here are some things to consider when picking the perfect Apple Watch size for you!
Height vs. width
Unlike traditional watches, which measure case size horizontally, Apple is measuring the Apple Watch vertically. The smaller of the two has a height of 38mm. The larger, 42mm.
While Apple hasn’t released any other official dimensions, based on proportions the smaller Apple Watch is probably close to 32mm wide. The larger, 36mm.
The differences might not sound like very much — 4mm here or there — but 4mm out of 40mm average is 10x of the measure.
The rounded rectangular shape of the Apple Watch doesn’t makes it hard to compare directly with traditional round watches, but in the traditional watch world, neither of the Apple Watches would be considered overly wide or high. Big watches are typically closer to 48mm.
Likewise, that might not sound like much, but at that scale millimeters can matter.
So, even if you think you want to go small, you can still consider both sizes, because neither is really that big.
Hers and his
Because there are two sizes, and because some of the bands Apple has shown off so far are unique to one size or another, some have tried to simplify the size discussion down to “hers” and “his”.
People come in all shapes and sizes, however, and so do tastes. Some women will want the bigger Apple Watch and some men, the smaller. Some people with small wrists will want the bigger watch and vice versa.
All this to say — get the size you want.
Band bias
Because Apple is, so far, only listing some bands at some sizes, if you have your heart set on a certain band, you may have to be willing to go with the size that matches it.
The Apple Watch Sport shows all sport bands for both cases. The Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition, however, currently list size-specific bands.
38mm-specific bands:
- 38mm stainless steel with soft pink modern buckle
- 38mm stainless steel with midnight blue modern buckle
- 38mm yellow gold with modern red buckle.
- 38mm and 42mm rose gold with white sport band.
- 38mm rose gold with gray modern buckle.
42mm-specific bands
- 42mm stainless steel with stone leather loop
- 42mm stainless steel with bright blue leather loop
- 42mm stainless steel with light brown leather loop
- 42mm yellow gold with black sport band.
- 42mm yellow gold with midnight blue classic buckle.
Band availability, of course, could change at any time.
Depth perception
Unlike the two heights, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between Apple Watches when it comes to depth. They all sit relatively high off the wrist. That’s because, unlike traditional mechanical or digital watches, the Apple Watch case has to hold a Retina display, the Apple S1 computer-on-a-chip, and the sensors on the back.
If you’re trying to figure out which Apple Watch will best fit under the tight cuffs of your shirt, they’ll all fit about the same.
Size vs. weight
If you’re primary concern about size is the weight that might come along with it, Apple isn’t just providing two heights to choose from — they’re providing three materials to choose from as well.
While the 38mm stainless steel Apple Watch will weigh slightly less than the 42mm stainless steel Apple Watch, the aluminum Apple Watch Sport will weigh much less — 30% less — than either.
Who should get the 38mm Apple Watch?
If you have a small wrist and want the Apple Watch to look small on it, if you have a large wrist and want the Apple Watch to look really small, or if you just like smaller watches in general, you should get the 38mm Apple Watch.
Who should get the 42mm Apple Watch?
If you have a small wrist and want the Apple Watch to look really big, if you have a large wrist and you want the Apple Watch to look as big as possible, or if you like bigger watches in general, you should get the 42mm Apple Watch.
Apple Watch
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSWq43X9S_M?rel=0&autoplay=0&wmode=opaque&controls=2&autohide=1&showinfo=0]
- Apple Watch event
- Apple Watch buyers guide
- Apple Watch FAQ
- Apple Watch news hub
- Apple Watch discussion
- WatchKit FAQ
- WatchKit best practices
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