Whenever people talk about wrist size, they are generally referring to the measurement of its circumference. Although wrists can come in many different shapes and forms, knowing your exact wrist size can be useful because it allows you to easily have the strap or bracelet adjusted on your Formex watch to achieve a perfect fit. However, figuring out how to measure your wrist isn’t always the most straightforward task.
While human wrists are asymmetric and cylindrical, most measuring devices such as rulers and calipers are only capable of measuring things in a straight line. This can make the process of measuring your wrist slightly tricky, but there is actually a quick and easy way to get an accurate measurement of your wrist size by using nothing more than a few commonly available items that you probably already have sitting around your home or office.
What You Will Need:
The ideal tool to measure your wrist circumference is a flexible tape measure because you can simply wrap it around your arm and it will already have the necessary measurement scales printed on it.
However, if you don’t have a tape measure, you can also use the following 3 items to get an accurate measurement of your wrist size:
- Ruler (or other measuring device)
- Piece of string
- Marker, pen, or pencil
If a piece of string is not available, a thin strip of paper will also work, provided that it is long enough to fit completely around the circumference of your wrist.
More Than Just Measuring Circumference
The basic process of measuring your wrist involves wrapping the string or strip of paper around your arm and marking the location where the two ends meet. However, before you do this, there are a few important points to consider.
Placement on Your Wrist
Ideally, you should wrap the piece of string around your wrist in the exact same place on your arm where you plan on wearing your watch. Our arms do not remain the same circumference the entire way from our hands to our elbows, so whenever you are measuring your wrist, it’s important to take the measurement at the actual location on your warm where you will be wearing your watch.
Overall Tightness
As you wrap the piece of string around your wrist, it’s important to be aware of how tight you're making it. Your first instinct may be to wrap it rather tightly so that you can achieve an accurate measurement of your wrist size, but if you make it too tight, there will be no room for motion or to allow your wrist to swell as it naturally fluctuates throughout the day.
Strap or Bracelet Type
The type of Formex watch strap or bracelet that you plan on using can also influence how tightly you want it to fit your wrist. For example, you might want a leather or fabric strap to fit your wrist more tightly than a solid-link metal bracelet simply due to the weight and flexibility of the material itself.
Measuring Your Wrist: Step-By-Step Instructions
To accurately measure your wrist size, just follow these 3 easy steps. The Watchfinder & Co. has a great video instruction on YouTube and we've included the link below:
Wrap the piece of string around your wrist
First, take your piece of string (or strip of paper) and wrap it around your wrist in the exact location where you intend to wear your watch. Be sure to take into consideration how tightly you are wrapping it in relation to how you want your watch to fit your wrist.
Mark the location where the two ends meet
While the string is still wrapped around your wrist, use your pen or marker to indicate the location where the two ends meet each other, by drawing a small marking on the string itself.
Hold the string against your ruler
After you have placed a marking on the string, unwrap it from your wrist and hold it up against your ruler. With the end of the string lined up against the end of the ruler, the marking that you made on the string will correspond to your wrist size measurement on the scale of the ruler.