The Rise Of The Mini But Mighty Watch Trend

After several years seduced by the oversized allure of ‘boyfriend’ watch styling, the mini watch is making a comeback, big time…

The rise of the mini watches: Bazaar Arabia shares everything you need to know here.

It was only in the Bazaar Arabia April issue of this year—just five print editions ago—that we explored the bold proportions of ‘boyfriend’ watches. Chunky, wear-them-like-his-shirt style timepieces that could be borrowed from the watch box of your other half, while still adding a dash of glamour to dress-down days. The watch world, however, gets tipped upside down every April, as the world’s press, collectors, and industry insiders come together in Geneva for Watches & Wonders.

Effectively the fashion week of fine timepieces, this trade show unveils the novelties of the year ahead for the most illustrious watchmaking maisons, and it can move the needle overnight in terms of trending models. This year’s flip? We yoyo-ed from souped up, oversized silhouettes to petite yet punchy pieces—mini watches are back, big time.

Why Mini Watches Are Here To Stay into 2025…

It would be remiss to assume that this means oversized watches are out—a fine timepiece should last a lifetime or longer—but it’s hard not to have your head turned when the major maisons take trends in a new direction. This isn’t an either/or situation; more a call to arms to expand your collection to include both. “I’ve always said it, wear what you like and never jump on any trend,” says Reve Dagher, a keen collector and the digital creator behind @istealwatches. “I have myself, however, been a victim of the trend of big, unisex watches. Personally, after being into huge watches, I am now leaning towards downsizing.”

For Reve and other horological purists, ‘mini’ means a dial of 30mm or under, and she already owns a few tiny titans—a 26mm Chopard Happy Diamond watch, a 30mm Panthère de Cartier, and a 27mm Baume & Mercier Linea Double Tour. “Happily, we are really seeing the return of small watches. I call them mini but mighty!” she quips. “This reflects a shift towards more understated, minimalist luxury items,” she adds.

There’s no getting away from the fact that a miniature dial, momentarily peeping from under a sleeve, is less in-your-face than a gold and diamond goliath, and while fine watches don’t follow seasonal ready-to-wear trends from the runways, they are still crafted by designers in touch with the mood of the creative world at large. Perhaps right now, jumbo displays of wealth don’t feel on point, and smaller styles are more in tune with the practical tailoring, heritage fabrics and understated evening wear that is set to define the AW24 season. “I would definitely wear them with a dress or just a white T-shirt and jeans,” says Reve. “Nothing screams cooler than a mini gold watch with a casual outfit.”

There are plenty of 2024 novelties that suit this aesthetic. Despite being the most diminutive of all the models unveiled at Watches & Wonders, Cartier’s Tank Louis Mini arguably stole the show, and it came just one year after the maison’s mini Baignoire did the very same, suggesting that Cartier is resolute that its small dials are in high demand. The new Tank Louis—measuring just 24mm x 16.5mm—is available from September, and is joined by an update to last year’s mini Baignoire; its metal bangle has been swapped for a series of chic leather straps in autumnal hues that match their dials—aubergine, black and chocolate brown. Looking at the black model, it feels pretty impossible to imagine a woman whose wardrobe it wouldn’t complement—this is the LBD of the watchmaking world.

Chanel’s Premier Ruban Couture Watch channels a similar aesthetic with its black lacquer dial and chic mini case—inspired by the bottle stopper of its iconic No. 5 fragrance—imaginatively set upon a double tour black strap, which references the ribbon-like tape measures used by the maison’s legendary founder. Bulgari has similarly tapped into LBD design codes, updating the Bulgari Bulgari collection with a 26mm model featuring a yellow gold case, black opaline dial and black alligator strap. First launched in 1975, the Bulgari Bulgari is now on the cusp of its 50th anniversary, and the new model feels like a timeless tribute to the next 50 years. The 26mm size was introduced at LVMH Watch Week 2024 alongside a mid-sized model measuring 38mm, with the mini iteration intended to give “an irresistible watch-as-jewellery vibe.”

There is, inevitably, this jewellery association with small watches. It’s widely understood that the first women’s wristwatch was made in 1810 for Caroline Murat, the Queen of Naples, and it was modelled on a pocket watch, attached to a bracelet. Then came the 1920s, and tiny, elegant and bejewelled watches that suited the Gatsby-esque aesthetic of the Art Deco era became the norm, and it wasn’t until the 1960s that more oversized, cuff-style watches began to filer through.

Petite dials and quartz movements have remained heavily associated with jewellery artisanry, and maisons often rely on them for their ambassadors’ red carpet appearances— from Kaia Gerber wearing Omega’s 24mm De Ville Prestige Dewdrop to the 2021 Met Gala, to Nicole Kidman wearing a custom, emerald and diamond-set De Ville to accept her AFI Lifetime Achievement Award this summer. There were several petite jewellery novelties that channelled this ‘evening watch’ aesthetic for 2024, notably Chopard’s L’Heure du Diamant Rose Gold Malachite; resplendent with a diamond-set bezel and diamond hour markers.

There are, of course, some rare hybrids of the two. In June, hot off the heels of Watches & Wonders, Audemars Piguet announced a major remodel of its iconic Royal Oak, capturing both the precious, jewellery feel of a small timepiece, while still retaining its modern, gender-fluid edge. At just 23mm, the Royal Oak Mini is a notable departure from the timepiece’s previous proportions, but its angular, solid silhouette remains perfectly preserved.

Ultimately, when it comes to choosing the watch size to suit you, it comes down to a gut feeling around what feels right on the wrist. “I think there is a time and a place for mini watches, but for me it’s just not daily wear,” says Misha Daud, a prominent watch collector known for her Instagram feed @watch_fashionista, who tends to find mini watches too twee, but agrees they have their moments to shine.

“Mini watches are right for when the occasion calls for it, but it doesn’t have to be evening-only. Sometimes a big Rolex Daytona or a gold Rolex Day Date or a gold Patek Philippe, they’re such statement pieces, you don’t necessarily want to wear those to certain events,” she elaborates. “For me, I definitely prefer to wear a diamond Cartier Baignoire in the evening, I also have a mini diamond Cartier Tank Americaine with a diamond bracelet—these are best saved for evening. It would be difficult doing a supermarket run in that. Well, not difficult, but not really smart.” We’ll let you be the judge of that.

Lead Image Courtesy of Instagram/ @istealwatches