How to measure wrist size for watches

Knowing how to measure wrist size is an essential part of the watch-buying process. After all, you want your watch to fit properly—especially if it cost you a lot of money.

Though most watchmakers and specialist jewellers will offer wrist-measuring as part of the service when buying a watch, it’s still good to know how to do it yourself at home.

Using a tape measure to find your wrist size

The easiest way to measure wrist size is with a tape measure.

1. Rotate your arm outward with your palm face up and open your hand

It’s important to measure your wrist when it’s at its largest, as this will ensure the best possible fitting for your watch.

Generally speaking, your wrist is at its largest when your arm is rotated outward, your palm is faced up, and your hand is open. If your wrist is facing inward or you’re making a fist, you’ll get a smaller reading and could therefore risk getting a watch that’s too tight.

2. Place the end of the tape measure in the middle of your wrist

Position the end of the tape measure roughly where you’d wear your watch, in the middle of your wrist.

3. Wrap it around your wrist and take the measurement

Wrap the tape measure around your wrist once and take note of the measurement where it meets the end-point of the tape in the middle of your wrist.

You should wrap the tape firmly so that it fits snugly around your wrist, but it shouldn’t be tight. If your skin is bulging out the sides of the tape, then you’ve wrapped it too tight.

How to measure wrist size without a tape measure

If you don’t have a tape measure—fear not. You can still measure your wrist size.

There are several other items you can use to measure wrist size, and although they might sound pretty random—the chances are you’ll probably have at least one of them lying around at home.

You can also measure wrist size with:

• a piece of string
• a garden tie
• a sheet of paper

Use any of the above in the same way you would a tape measure. However, you will still need a straight-edged ruler to read the measurements afterwards.

Other things to consider when taking your wrist measurement

Measuring your wrist size is a fairly simple task on the whole. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

When you measure your wrist matters

Firstly, your wrist will be slightly bigger at night compared to first thing in the morning. This is because your body retains water throughout the day.

The position of your hand can affect your wrist size

Your wrist is also larger when your palm is open, but as we mentioned earlier—this is generally preferable when taking measurements, as it’ll account for things like size fluctuation.

Remember that different watch brands will have varying size gradings

Although this is more of a consideration for when you’re actually buying a watch, it’s still worth keeping in mind when taking your measurements.

The strap you choose can affect the size you’ll need

For example, if you choose a metal strap it’s generally considered a good idea to add 1cm to your wrist measurement and if you choose a leather strap you may want to add 2cm. This is due to the difference in how stiff the materials can be and therefore how much room you’ll have to make sure your watch fits comfortably.

Specialist watch insurance through Ripe

Once you’ve found your correct wrist size, investing in a watch can be a large investment. That’s why you might want to consider taking out insurance to protect your precious wristwear.

Specialist watch insurance through Ripe covers your watch against theft, loss and damage in the UK and worldwide. Plus, you can tailor your policy to your specific needs, so you’ll never pay for cover you don’t actually need.

All policies also come underpinned by the Ripe Guarantee, which means you won’t find the same level of cover for a better price anywhere else on the market.

Get an online quote in minutes and see how Ripe can help you.