goodbarista wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2024 9:15 pm
For comparison, I've also included a photo of my Laco DIN 8330 GMT (43.5mm wide, 49.8mm lug to lug) which I was given as a gift but have never worn as it is way too large. Gorgeous watch though but I will sell it at some point.laco_din8330gmt.jpg
Also a photo of my trusty SNK807 (37 mm w/ 43mm lug to lug).20241230_150317~2.jpg

Does it look like the Aquitaine with bracelet would sit well on a wrist my size? If you’ve worn the Aquitaine on the bracelet and have similar wrist dimensions, I’d love to hear more about how it fits and whether the bracelet balances the watch well. What do you all think about how it looks on the strap? I thought the leather was supple and looked very handsome, but I would like that bracelet too (if it fits). Otherwise, maybe I should consider an aftermarket Milanese?

I think you need to consider that the Aquitaine is not the watch for you as it will wear much too big especially on a bracelet which makes the effective wingspan even larger/longer. As mentioned in my earlier post, I have a larger than average wrist so often times 38mm and smaller watches are way too small for me and I think watches larger than 38mm are probably too big for you. There are so many more good options in smaller sizes these days you should have plenty of options to choose from especially at CW.

That Laco looks like a monster on you.
That Seiko sits really well on your wrist and should help you to determine what does, and does not, work for you.

My 7.75" (fall/winter) to 8" (spring/summer) flat/oval wrist on the 41mm Dartmouth v2 (same case/size as the Aquitaine) and the 38mm Cranwell.

UncleLoco wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2024 12:37 am I did a little photo shoot of the various strap configurations that I have. First three are listed purchase options with the Aquitaine GMT and the last two are other 22mm CW straps that work, noting that I generally prefer straps to bracelets.

Wow, what a great set of pics and post. Bravo.
You made me want this as my first/next CW (have a 42mm TP300 but not sure if it is a keeper or not).
It truly is a do anything go anywhere (GADA) watch with all those straps you purchased and use.

UncleLoco wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2024 2:23 am Thanks, @nycWATCHnerd. It was fun to compile the various strap configurations and was a good reminder to revisit the bracelet, which I don’t usually prefer. I could definitely be a C65 evangelist! This watch along with the Super Compressor hit all the right notes for me and are in near constant rotation on the wrist. Only my Marin Instruments Odyssey Diver gets as much use as the two C65s.

Can you tell that I like vintage inspired divers, lol?

Yes.

Interestingly, I would want the watch with a white date wheel and applied markers but it seems I may have missed my opportunity on that choice especially after reading this thread. My perfect pair might be these two which I think both look better not on the bracelet.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to respond to my post. I genuinely appreciate the effort you’ve put into helping me figure out the sizing and fit. It’s been incredibly insightful, and I’ve learned a lot from all your detailed replies.

@Bahnstormer_vRS, thank you for clarifying the male end link measurements on the Bader bracelet and how they increase the effective lug-to-lug to 50–51mm. That, along with the bracelet size minimum of 15.5cm, really puts things into perspective for my wrist size. I’ll admit I had seen the 15.5cm sizing guidance on CW’s site before, but I’d wilfully ignored it—holding on to hope that the watch would somehow work for me. However, after considering everything shared here, I can’t ignore it anymore, and it’s clear that the bracelet likely won’t work for my wrist. Since you mentioned that the Laco is a perfect size for your 19cm/7.5" wrist, I think you should really try one! It’s a seriously solidly built and rigorously tested watch—definitely the ultimate adventure timepiece alongside something like the Sinn 857 in tegimented steel. I’ve already put mine up for sale on Chrono24, so here’s hoping it ends up going to you!

@nycWATCHnerd, I really appreciate your honest feedback. You’re absolutely right—the Laco is way too large, while the Seiko fits much better. The wrist shots you shared of the Dartmouth v2 and Cranwell are super helpful, and they reinforce that the Aquitaine GMT might indeed wear too large for me, especially on the bracelet. The Laco would be a good fit for you too most likely .

@UncleLoco, I have to say, every single one of those straps looks bloody fantastic on the Aquitaine! It’s incredible how versatile the watch is, the ultimate GADA watch imho. Would make a great Bond watch I think. I was actually hoping to get the Hybrid Rubber strap with the red accent (link here) because I think it would pair beautifully with the red GMT hand and the red GMT lettering on the dial. Fingers crossed it will be in stock again and we get to see it on your Aquitaine! Regarding the date wheel, I think black is not the right choice actually. The best choice IMO would be a colour matched wheel the same cream/Old Radium colour as the lume, maybe also adding a frame to the date window, but then cost would go up a bit I guess.

@rkovars, thank you for your optimism about the watch ! But I think I’ll have to agree with the others. I’m going to hold off on the Aquitaine GMT for now . As heartbreaking as it is (and trust me, my heart is shattered—sob sob ), I have to admit the watch is probably too large for my wrist, especially on the bracelet . It’s such a travesty that it isn’t available in a smaller size. I truly love the design and character of this watch, and I’m holding out hope that CW might release a smaller version of the Aquitaine GMT in the future—perhaps a 38–39mm variant that could be my perfect match.

On that note, I’ve already passed on feedback to CW suggesting that a smaller Aquitaine GMT would be a blessing for all the small-wristed folks out there. I’ve seen many a forum post from people who bemoan that they’d love to buy the Aquitaine if only it were available in a smaller size. Hopefully, CW’s design team is listening, and we might see something in the future to address this demand .

Thank you again for all your advice and support. For now, I’ll just wait and see what CW has in store for us in 2025. I'm sure we'll see some very interesting new releases soon .

Wishing you all a fantastic start to the new year!

goodbarista wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:02 pm @nycWATCHnerd, I really appreciate your honest feedback. You’re absolutely right—the Laco is way too large, while the Seiko fits much better. The wrist shots you shared of the Dartmouth v2 and Cranwell are super helpful, and they reinforce that the Aquitaine GMT might indeed wear too large for me, especially on the bracelet. The Laco would be a good fit for you too most likely .

...As heartbreaking as it is (and trust me, my heart is shattered—sob sob ), I have to admit the watch is probably too large for my wrist, especially on the bracelet . It’s such a travesty that it isn’t available in a smaller size. I truly love the design and character of this watch, and I’m holding out hope that CW might release a smaller version of the Aquitaine GMT in the future—perhaps a 38–39mm variant that could be my perfect match.

As they say, when one door closes another one opens...

Put this behind you and focus on finding that very special watch that fits you well. There are so many options from CWL (and other brands) that you will probably find something even better for you.

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2024 1:06 amAnother factor is, will you be able to size the Bader bracelet down to your 15.2 - 15.3cm wrist? If you take the guide of the 'Bracelet Resize' option on CW's website I'll advocate not; as the smallest they offer is 15.5cm. There is though the fudge factor of what position is the ratchet micro-adjustment set at to achieve this.

@Bahnstormer_vRS I noticed something interesting regarding bracelet resizing. If you add a watch with a leather strap to your cart and then select the option to add a bracelet, the site allows resizing down to 13.5cm. Selecting this option shows the 13.5cm bracelet size in the cart:


However, when purchasing a watch directly with the Bader or Consort bracelet, such as the Sealander (36mm), Cranwell (38mm), Trident Pro (38mm), or Dune (38mm), the smallest available bracelet resize option is 15.5cm. This appears to be the case for all models except the 12 and 12X models (all sizes), where the resize option allows down to 13.5cm.

This discrepancy is a bit odd. Even if I were to buy the smallest available CW watch (that isn’t a 12 model) on a bracelet, the resizing option would still cap at 15.5cm. While I imagine the CS team could help resolve this, I thought it was worth mentioning in case other small-wristed folks are worried about bracelet sizing. That said, I suppose it is easy enough to resize any watch yourself provided you have the right size of screwdriver and some patience!