Small watches: 36 mm and under

The floor, and included as such. $29.95, in stock, 35.2 mm across, 38.2 mm lug-to-lug, 8.5 mm thick, 21 g, resin case and crystal, 7-year battery. Casio lists water resistance with no metre rating, so the table shows a dash; do not swim in it on the strength of the page. The A168W-1 at $39.95 is the same idea in a chrome-plated case at 36.3 mm and 50 g. Every other watch on this page costs at least twice as much, and the spec sheets say what the money buys: a metre rating, a metal case and, from $150, sapphire.

The F91W in a metal-look case, and the one to buy of the two if 21 g reads as flimsy: 50 g in chrome-plated resin, 36.3 mm across, 38.6 mm lug-to-lug, 9.6 mm thick, with the same 7-year CR2016 battery and an EL backlight, $39.95 and in stock. Casio lists water resistance with no metre rating, as on the F91W, so the table shows a dash. The AE1200WH at the same $39.95 is the alternative: 100 m, a 10-year battery and world time, in a case 5.8 mm wider. The trade is that $10 over the F91W buys plating and 29 g and nothing else the sheet can show.

The dress watch to buy under $300, and the only hand-wound watch in this data at the price: 34 mm case, 10 mm thick, 30 m, acrylic crystal, 18 mm lugs, polished steel, silver dial on a croc-embossed leather strap, $259. Timex describes the movement as a mechanical hand-wound with about 40 hours of reserve and does not name the calibre; no lug-to-lug is published. The 30 m rating and the acrylic keep it in the dress category. The alternative in the same family is the Marlin Automatic 40 at $299: 40 mm, 13 mm thick, 50 m, and $40 more. This is a 1965 reissue at the original's 34 mm, the smallest case on the page.

The smallest Vaer at 36 mm and 43 mm lug-to-lug, $319, and the one for a wrist under 6.5 inches or a shirt cuff: solar quartz, 100 m, 12 mm thick. The thickness is the price of a solar cell under a small dial, and it is 1.6 mm more than the 40 mm C5 on the same movement. The A12 at $1,099 shares the 36 mm and 43 mm footprint with a Sellita inside; the C3 is that case for $780 less, in quartz. The Nodus Unity at $675 is 36.5 mm and 43.5 mm on a Miyota 9015, if the movement matters more than the money.

The only automatic Brew makes and the smallest automatic under $1,000 on this site: $375, 30 x 34 mm, 10.55 mm thick, 50 m, sapphire, Miyota 6T27, on an 18 mm steel bracelet with quick-release and a folding clasp. The Tiger Eye has a genuine tiger eye stone dial; Tahitian Pearl, Mother of Pearl, Gold/Black and Silver/Black are the same price. The 6T27 is Miyota's small automatic, which is what allows 30 mm. Timex's Marlin 34 mm hand-wound at $259 is the other small mechanical under $400, 4 mm larger and 30 m. Buy the Lite for the size and the stone; a 30 mm watch is a choice, not a compromise.

The HMS to buy on a wrist under 6.5 inches, at the same €385 as its larger sibling. 36.5 mm across, 46 mm lug to lug, 10 mm of case under a 3 mm hesalite dome for 13 mm in total, Miyota 8315, 50 m, in Salmon, Silver Blue or Blue Gilt. Compare the 10 mm figure with sapphire-crystal rivals, not the 13 mm, since 3 mm of the height is crystal. For the same money the HMS 002 gives 1.5 mm more dial. The trade is the one the whole HMS line carries, hesalite where the rest of the range has sapphire, and it is the reason a Baltic automatic costs €385.

The Metric proper, and the reference for the range: $475, 36 x 41.5 mm, 10.75 mm thick, 50 m, sapphire, Seiko VK68 meca-quartz, 19.85 mm lug, on a steel bracelet with a folding clasp and micro-adjust. Bloom, PVD Black, Teal and Yellow, Star, Gold and Black, Retro and Steel are the same $475. The 19.85 mm lug is the figure to note before buying a strap. Against the Retrograph the $100 buys the VK68 by name, 2 mm less width and the bracelet. Against the Vaer RS1 at $279 the Metric is $196 more for a 36 mm case and the espresso-machine design the brand exists for.

The Metric in its Retro Black dial, reference METRIC-BLK, at the same $475, and the one row where the maker's product feed gives less than the product page: the Shopify listing states a 36 mm size and a price, and nothing else. The movement type in the table rests on the product being a Brew chronograph, not on the fetched text. A buyer should read it as the Chromatik in another dial, 10.75 mm and 50 m on the VK68, and check the product page before relying on that. The Super Metric at $475 is the same money with every figure stated. Same case, same price, different dial, thinner paper trail.

The Metric with the pusher done in anodised aluminium and a quick-release bracelet: $475, 36 x 41.5 mm, 10.75 mm thick, 50 m, sapphire, Seiko VK68, 19.85 mm lug, 316L steel. Royal Blue and Burnt Orange were in stock at check; Lumina Yellow and Electric Blue were sold out. On the sheet it is the Chromatik to the decimal, and the $0 difference is the point: choose between them by dial and by whether the bracelet's quick-release matters more than the Metric's micro-adjust clasp. The Dan Henry 1964 at $310 is the 38 mm meca-quartz alternative, with a mineral crystal and 2.15 mm more thickness.

Sold out at check, listed at $495, and the only Brew whose case is not steel: titanium in a gun-metal tone, which the maker says is 40% lighter than steel, on a titanium bracelet, 36 mm, meca-quartz (VK68 by the Metric line's spec, not stated on this page). Thickness, water resistance and crystal are not in the feed text, and the table does not assume they match the steel Metric. The $20 over the Chromatik buys the material and, for now, a wait. RZE's Valour 38 at $399 is titanium with every figure published, 38 mm by 45 mm and 100 m, if titanium is the reason and a chronograph is not.

$575 buys a watch built to a military specification, MIL-PRF-46374G Type II Class 4, with tritium gas tubes in place of paint, and the shortest case on the ladder. 34 mm, 41 mm lug-to-lug, 12.5 mm thick per the product page (the collection page says 11 mm), 16 mm lugs, Seiko NH35A, sapphire, a high-impact composite fibreshell case, 30 m. That rating means no swimming, and the 16 mm lug width narrows the strap choice. Marathon sells direct, so street equals list. The steel Officer's version at $675 is 36 mm, 44 mm lug-to-lug and 10.5 mm on a hand-wound Sellita SW210-1, parkerized, 50 m. For $50 more the Nodus is titanium, 100 m and 6 mm longer.

The thin automatic at €545, and the cheapest way into a micro-rotor in the range: the Hangzhou CAL5000a is how a self-winding watch under a domed crystal comes in at 9.9 mm. 36 mm across, 44 mm lug to lug, 30 m, high-domed hesalite; the MR Roulette variants list at the same price, on Italian calf leather with a straight beads-of-rice bracelet option. The alternative is the Prismic, the same 36 mm by 44 mm case, 0.7 mm thinner, under sapphire and on a Swiss hand-wound, at €445 more. What €545 gives up is sapphire and any water resistance worth the name at 30 m, and the product page still calls the watch the MR01.

The Traska for the smallest wrist, at $630: 34.5 mm, 41.5 mm lug-to-lug, 8.75 mm case height (the diagram gives no figure with the crystal), 19 mm lugs, Miyota 9039, 100 m, on a 19 to 15 mm tapered bracelet. Stone dials in onyx, malachite and lapis are $650. Against the Commuter 36 it is 2 mm smaller across, 2.5 mm shorter and $60 less, and it gives up the date option and the 20 mm lug the rest of the range shares, which matters if you already own straps. The alternative outside the house is the Lorier Falcon at $699 in 36 mm; inside it, the Commuter 36 at $690. Buy this one for 41.5 mm and nothing else.

The pick for wrists under 6.5 inches, 44 mm lug-to-lug being the shortest here, and the one to choose over the Hamilton beside it if the lume must work without charging. Marathon builds to a US military specification (the GPM is listed to MIL-PRF-46374G) and sells direct, so $675 list is the street price. Steel GPM: 36 mm, 10.5 mm thick, Sellita SW210-1 hand-wound, 50 m, sapphire, parkerized 316L, tritium gas tubes plus MaraGlo lume, on ballistic nylon. The 34 mm GPM in fibreshell composite is $575 on a Seiko NH35. The trade against the Hamilton at the same $675 is 2 mm of case and 1 mm of thickness; the return is tritium, which glows for years.

The dress Nodus and the one for the smallest wrist, sold out at check in all 3 dials: Vitreous Pink and Yellow at $675, Pearl White at $725. It is 36.5 mm, 43.5 mm lug-to-lug and 11.3 mm thick, rated 150 m, on a Miyota 9015 Premium, the only one in the range and thinner and higher-beat than the TMI calibres in the Sector lines, under a fixed bezel with a polished ceramic insert, over a vitreous enamel dial. It is 1.5 mm smaller than the Sector II and 3.5 mm shorter. For the same money the Sector Deep Pioneer gives 500 m and a GMT hand and was orderable; nothing else in the house gives enamel.

The thinnest RZE and the one for a small wrist, out of stock at check: $689, 36 mm, 42.3 mm lug-to-lug, 9.5 mm thick, 100 m, Miyota 9039, UltraHex titanium, on a titanium bracelet with the QUIKCLIQ deployant. At 42.3 mm it is the shortest automatic on this page by 2.7 mm and fits a 6-inch wrist. Lorier's Falcon at $699 is 36 mm by 44 mm and 8.8 mm on the same 9039 in steel; Traska's Commuter 36 at $690 is 36.5 mm by 44 mm and 10.5 mm in hardened steel. The RZE is 1.7 mm shorter than either and the only titanium of the 3; the Lorier is 0.7 mm thinner.

The Commuter to buy if 44 mm lug-to-lug is the limit and you want a date: $690, 36.5 mm, 8.75 mm case (10.5 mm with the crystal), 20 mm lugs, 100 m, with a 9039 no-date or a 9015 date at the same price. Stone dials are $710. The 20 to 16 mm bracelet has a six-position quick-adjust clasp. Against the Commuter 38 the case is 2 mm smaller and 2 mm shorter for $10 less, on the same thickness and the same movement options, so the choice between them is wrist and nothing else. The Lorier Falcon at $699 is 36 mm, 44 mm and 8.8 mm, $9 more, unhardened and without the date.

The Lorier to buy at $699 if it will live under a cuff: 8.8 mm of case plus a 1.6 mm domed crystal makes it the thinnest watch the brand makes and one of the thinnest 100 m automatics on this site. 36 mm, 44 mm lug to lug, Miyota 9039, Ref. 278081, a fixed polished bezel, and a bracelet with a push-button quick-adjust clasp. The alternative for the same $699 is the Falcon, the same case to the tenth of a millimetre, the difference being the dial, the bezel finish and the clasp. The trade against the Neptune at the same price is 100 m and a bezel that does not turn.

The sports watch at $699, and on the numbers the pick for a wrist under 6.5 inches: 36 mm, 44 mm lug to lug, 8.8 mm of case plus a 1.6 mm domed crystal, 100 m, Miyota 9039, Ref. 325080, on a three-link bracelet with screw pins. The prior Falcon Series III was on Hesalite; this one is sapphire. The alternative for the same money is the Neptune, which adds 100 m and a rotating bezel for a case 3 mm larger, 2 mm longer lug to lug and 1.5 mm thicker. The trade is that the Falcon and the Astra are one case, so the choice inside the pair comes down to the dial and the clasp.

The PRX for a wrist the 40 mm one overhangs, and $55 less for the same movement. 35 mm, 10.93 mm thick, the same Powermatic 80 with its 80-hour reserve and Nivachron spring, 100 m, sapphire with AR on the underside, on the integrated bracelet, $795. Tissot publishes no lug-to-lug for either size, and the 11 mm attachment means the bracelet is the strap. The Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 38 at $845 is the alternative with a published 47 mm lug-to-lug and a strap that changes. The PRX's trade is its sibling's: the case is the bracelet, and the maker will not say how long it is.

Sold out at publication, an edition of 250 sold through Grand Central Watch alone, so the $799 is the price of a watch that now changes hands second-hand or not at all. 36 mm in bronze, case, bezel, crown and buckle, a Miyota 90S5 under an acrylic crystal, on Horween shell cordovan. Lorier's product page returns a 404, and no lug-to-lug, thickness or water rating was fetched, so the table carries three dashes. For the same $799 the Hyperion in the main list is steel, sapphire and a true GMT with every figure published. The Roosevelt's trade is acrylic on a dress watch, and the fact of its being gone.

The smallest watch here, and the one Vaer not assembled in America: the A12 page states assembly and testing in Switzerland, where the $989 G5 on the under-$1,000 list says USA. 36 mm, 43 mm lug-to-lug, 10.4 mm thick, 20 mm lugs, Sellita SW260-1, 100 m, domed sapphire with internal AR, Super-LumiNova W20 in 25-plus layers, $1,099 with a single-pass Recon nylon strap and a second strap of your choosing. The lug-to-lug is 2 mm shorter than the Farer Resolute III's. Sold out on the check date. The S5 Dirty Dozen is the same dial family in a 40 mm quartz case at $199; the $1,099 buys the Sellita, the Swiss line and 4 mm less case.

The cheapest Farer at $1,165 (£1,045) and the smallest, and the one for a wrist that finds 38 mm large. A 35 mm cushion case the brand states at 38 mm lug to lug, 10 mm thick, 18 mm lugs, Sellita SW210-1 hand-wound, 50 m, exhibition back, no lume listed. The Furneaux, Belzoni and Benham Black are the same watch at the same price with different dials. The alternative in the hand-wound dress row is the Solander at $130 more, 3 mm larger in diameter and 2 mm thinner. The trade at $1,165 is 18 mm lugs, which narrow the strap choice, and a 50 m rating.

The thinnest Baltic at 9.2 mm and, from €990, the first with a Swiss movement. 36 mm across, 44 mm lug to lug, ETA/Peseux 7001 hand-wound, 30 m, double-domed sapphire, a case of 316L steel and grade 5 titanium polished above and circular-brushed below, on Italian calf leather or a steel mesh bracelet, in Salmon, Purple or Green (Grey Blue was out of stock at check). No lume is listed. The alternative for €445 less is the MR Classic, the same 36 mm by 44 mm footprint, 0.7 mm thicker, under hesalite, on a micro-rotor automatic. The trade for going Swiss is winding it yourself, and 30 m means keeping it dry.

The one to buy for a wrist under 6.5 inches, and at $1,290 (€1,090) it costs no more than the 6190: 35 mm, 41.5 mm lug-to-lug, 9.6 mm thick, 200 m, Soprod M100 with COSC, 1.8 mm double-domed sapphire, a wide fixed step bezel with applied cardinal points, Super-LumiNova C3, on the Bonklip 7505 bracelet with a Safe-Lock clasp. 200 m at 35 mm is rare at any price. The 7505-2 lists at the same price and the 7505 TXD at €1,190. Against the 6190 it is 3 mm smaller, 5 mm shorter and 0.8 mm thinner on the same movement; the trade is dial area, and nothing else certified in this data set comes in this size.

The Twelve at $1,495 on the integrated bracelet in its smallest size, and the shortest watch on the page: 40.8 mm lug-to-lug on a 36 mm case. 9.95 mm thick, Sellita SW200-1 with a 38-hour reserve, 100 m, sapphire with AR, a twelve-sided fixed bezel, Grade X1 lume; the sterling page lists a rubber version at £885. All three steel sizes are $1,495 and 9.95 mm; only the length changes, 40.8, 43.3 and 44.5 mm. The Vaer A12 at $1,099 is the alternative at 36 mm: 43 mm long, 10.4 mm, Swiss assembled, on a strap. The Twelve's trade is $396 for the bracelet and 0.45 mm.

The stone-dial Prismic is a different watch rather than a dial option: the movement changes to a La Joux-Perret D100 hand-wound and the price to €1,450 for the Pietersite, €1,300 for the other stone dials. The case is the base Prismic's, 36 mm, 44 mm lug to lug, 9.2 mm thick, steel and grade 5 titanium, 30 m, double-domed sapphire, on a brushed steel mesh bracelet. The alternative at close to the money is Farer's Solander, the same D100 at $1,295 (£1,150) in a 38 mm case 1.25 mm thinner. The trade against the €990 Prismic is €460 for the stone and the calibre; the size and the rating do not move.

The thinnest and smallest watch on the list, and it carries a COSC certificate and a 100 m rating at 8.2 mm, which few makers manage at 35 mm. 41 mm lug-to-lug, 18 mm lugs, Soprod M100 chronometer, 1.3 mm bevelled sapphire with inner AR, double-step bezel, no lume stated, grained calfskin with the brand's Stadium buckle, $1,760 as the maker's store shows it to US buyers (€1,490). The 1174-2 and Lin dials are the same price. Made in Switzerland per the brand. The NOMOS Tangente 35 at $2,330 on the under-$2,500 list is the other 35 mm hand-wound dress case: 6.2 mm, the brand's own calibre, 50 m. The Serica has twice the rating and the certificate, for less.

The Tangente's sibling, $2,290 on the US store, $40 less than the Tangente 35 and 0.1 mm thicker at 6.3 mm. 35 mm, 45 mm lug-to-lug, 18 mm lugs, NOMOS Glashütte's own hand-wound DUW 4001, 50 m, sapphire, steel back, no lume. The international page shows €1,820. It is here rather than on the main list only because two NOMOS were already there; on every figure but the dial it is the Tangente 35, and the Tangente 35 is the reference. The Club Campus at $2,070 is the same calibre at 100 m for $220 less; the Ludwig is the one at 6.3 mm.

The reference NOMOS Glashütte design, 6.2 mm thick on the hand-wound DUW 4001, $2,330 on the US store (€1,860 on the international page). 35 mm, 45 mm lug-to-lug, 18 mm lugs, 50 m, sapphire, steel back, Shell Cordovan strap. No lume. The Ludwig 35 is the sibling on the same calibre at $2,290 and 6.3 mm; both are the thinnest entries on this page by 2.3 mm over the Club Campus. Second NOMOS here because the Club is the sport line and the Tangente the dress line, at different prices. The Club Campus at $2,070 is the same calibre with twice the rating for less; the Tangente is the one at 6.2 mm. The Club Sport neomatik 37 with the automatic DUW 3001 is $4,140 and in the notes.

A 36 mm field watch with a 46.5 mm lug-to-lug, which is long for the diameter, at £1,792 before VAT (£2,150 with it) on vertex-watches.com, 14 in stock on the check date. 11 mm thick, 18 mm lugs, Sellita SW260-1 with small hacking seconds, 100 m, double-domed box sapphire, moulded blocks of X1 grade C3 Super-LumiNova, brushed 316L with a screw-in crown, and three straps in the box: an expandable metal one and two NATOs. The anOrdain Model 1 above starts at £1,790 before VAT, the same money, for an enamel dress dial at 50 m; the Vertex is the tool watch with the rating, and the longer case.

The anOrdain at its cheapest, $2,630 on the maker's US pricing for the 36 mm medium with the hand-wound Sellita SW210-1; the G101 automatic and the A1 cost more, up to £2,745 on the feed. 43 mm lug-to-lug, 11 mm thick, 18 mm lugs, 50 m, sapphire with three-layer AR, brushed 316L steel, Super-LumiNova on thermally treated steel hands; the 39.5 mm large is a separate size. Racing Green and Flax are the same price. The Model 1 Porcelain below is $376 more for the glazed dial at 38 mm. The Longines Master Collection at $2,550 is the big-name alternative, with no dial like this and no dimensions.

The mechanical-quartz Tank Must Large, $3,900 at Mayors because cartier.com/en-us redirects the reference to a page that errors. 33.7 by 25.5 mm, 6.6 mm thick, 30 m, Cartier's high-autonomy quartz, steel, on leather; the case column carries the 33.7 mm length. Crystal, lug width and lume are not on the retailer page. The SolarBeat above is $500 more on cartier.com itself for the same case and thickness with a photovoltaic movement and a non-animal strap. The Grand Seiko SBGX261 above is $1,200 less for a quartz rated to 10 seconds a year and 100 m. The SolarBeat is the same shape with a price the maker will confirm.

The one quartz entry and the thinnest watch on the page at 6.6 mm, $4,400 on cartier.com/en-us. A 33.7 by 25.5 mm steel case, 30 m (3 bar), SolarBeat photovoltaic quartz, on a non-animal strap; the table's case column carries the 33.7 mm length. Cartier's page does not name the crystal. The US SolarBeat large is now reference WSTA0122; the WSTA0059 that older lists cite appears only on the UK and Swiss sites. The mechanical-quartz Tank Must Large is $3,900 at Mayors, an authorised retailer, because the cartier.com page for it errors: same case, same 6.6 mm, no solar cell. The Santos de Cartier Medium at $8,400 is the Cartier automatic, on the under-$10,000 list.

The rectangular Fears, £4,350 including VAT and £3,625 excluding it, and the most expensive Fears on the page. A 22.6 by 33.5 mm Swiss-made 316L case with a 40 mm lug-to-lug, 8.4 mm thick, 20 mm lugs, 30 m, Sellita SW1000-1b automatic with 46 hours, sapphire with ARdur on both sides, a hobnail dial made in Germany, Barenia leather and an FKM rubber strap; the case column carries the 22.6 mm width. The Cartier Tank Must SolarBeat above is the other rectangle here, 1.8 mm thinner and quartz. The Brunswick 38 is £750 less excluding VAT for a round hand-wound Fears. The shape is what the money buys.

The floor of the Rolex catalogue at US list, $6,750 on rolex.com/en-us, and the figure is list: what an authorised dealer has and quotes is another matter this page does not price. 36 mm, 100 m, calibre 3230 automatic, Superlative Chronometer, about 70 hours, sapphire, Oystersteel, domed bezel. Rolex publishes no thickness, lug-to-lug or lug width. The Oyster Perpetual 41 is $7,050 as reference 134300; the 124300 page most lists link to now says it is not available. Against the Tudor Black Bay 58 above at $5,350: 3 mm smaller, rated 100 m shallower, no bezel to turn, and a Superlative Chronometer where Tudor states COSC plus METAS. The $1,400 between them buys the crown.

The second Rolex, in a different family, and $1,150 over the Oyster Perpetual 36 for an identical size, calibre, rating and steel; the page's difference is the dial and a smooth bezel in place of the domed one. 36 mm, 100 m, calibre 3230, Superlative Chronometer, about 70 hours, sapphire, Oystersteel, $7,900 on rolex.com/en-us. No thickness or lug-to-lug, as with the Oyster Perpetual. The Explorer 40 (224270) is $8,350, and so is the Datejust 36 on a Jubilee with a smooth bezel and the 3235 with a Cyclops, so $8,350 buys either the larger field watch or the date. The Submariner Date at $11,350 is over.

$8,350 on rolex.com/en-us for the Datejust 36 with the silver dial, a smooth Oystersteel bezel and the Jubilee bracelet, reference 126200, the same price as the Explorer 40 above. 36 mm, 100 m, calibre 3235 with the Cyclops over the date, Superlative Chronometer, about 70 hours, sapphire. No thickness or lug-to-lug published. Against the Oyster Perpetual 36 at $6,750: $1,600 more for the date, the 3235 in place of the 3230, and the Jubilee; the sheet shows nothing else. Against the Cartier Santos at $8,400: $50 less, and Cartier the one that publishes a thickness (8.82 mm) and states no certificate.

The Modello Cinque in the MoMA edition is 75 pieces, mostly sold out, and the maker showed no price on the check date: the Shopify feed returns a variant price of zero, which is what Unimatic does after a sell-out. The last provenance is that feed, read on 20 September. 36 mm, 11.05 mm thick, 300 m, Sellita SW200-1 with 38 hours, double-domed sapphire with AR, a black compass aluminium insert with silver trims, C1 lume, two straps in the box. At 36 mm it is the smallest diver on the page by 2 mm. The UC1 at $760 on the under-$1,000 dive list is the Unimatic you can order.