How to Choose a Minimalist Watch: The Complete Guide

A minimalist watch strips things back to the essentials: a readable dial, very few elements and well-judged proportions. But when there's so little detail, every detail counts. A case that's slightly too big or the wrong strap, and the whole watch loses its balance. Here's what to check, in order, to find the one you'll actually wear every day.

1. Case size for your wrist

This is the number one factor. Measure your wrist with a soft tape measure, just above the wrist bone, then use these guidelines:

• Under 15 cm: a 28 to 34mm case
• 15 to 17 cm: 34 to 38mm
• 17 to 19 cm: 38 to 42mm
• Over 19 cm: 42mm and up

These are guidelines, not rules. Minimalist watches often have a very open dial with almost no bezel, so they look slightly larger than a busier watch of the same diameter. If you're torn between two sizes, go for the smaller one. And make sure the lugs never extend past the edges of your wrist.

2. Thickness, the factor everyone forgets

A thin watch slips under a shirt cuff, catches less on sleeves and simply looks more refined. Anything under 8mm is generally considered a thin watch. Our thin women's watch is 6.5mm thick and the minimalist men's watch 7mm, so you can wear either to the office or at the weekend without a second thought.

3. Quartz or automatic?

Automatic movements appeal to enthusiasts for their mechanics, but they need to be worn regularly or wound, and they drift by a few seconds a day. Quartz, on the other hand, is accurate, only needs a new battery roughly every two years and is far more affordable. For an everyday watch, a Japanese quartz movement is a safe bet, and it's the one inside every watch we sell.

4. The dial: readability first

Minimalist doesn't have to mean hard to read. Check three things:

• Contrast between hands and background: dark hands on a white dial, light hands on black or blue
• Hour markers: four markers or simple batons are enough, as long as they're well placed
• The seconds hand: it adds movement and shows at a glance that the watch is running

As for colour, white is the most versatile, black the most understated, and midnight blue the most distinctive while still being easy to pair with anything.

5. The strap changes everything

The strap does much of the work in defining a watch's style. Leather is warm and goes with almost any outfit. Milanese mesh adds a smart touch and adjusts to the millimetre. A nylon NATO strap feels relaxed and copes well with summer. And wood offers a natural, featherlight look, as on our sandalwood watch.

The most practical choice is a watch with quick-release spring bars. This small lever on the underside of the strap lets you change it in seconds without tools. Also note the lug width, the gap between the lugs (often 20mm on a 40mm case), as it determines which straps will fit.

6. Water resistance: understanding ATM

ATM ratings are often misunderstood:

• 3 ATM: resists splashes, rain and hand washing
• 5 ATM: copes with showers and a short swim
• 10 ATM: suitable for swimming
• 20 ATM: for snorkelling

A minimalist city watch is usually rated 3 ATM, so take it off for the shower, the pool and the sea.

Our advice for a first watch

If you're unsure, start with a 38 to 40mm steel case, a white or black dial and a leather strap with quick-release spring bars. You can then change the look later with a second strap. That's exactly the idea behind our 40mm minimalist men's watch: a clean base you can adapt from season to season. For slimmer wrists, the 32mm women's watch follows the same philosophy in a more delicate size.