# How big does a 42mm El Primero wear?



## arcadelt

Hi All. I've done a rudimentary search, but couldn't readily find an answer to the subject question. Can someone who has both a 42mm El Primero and any of the following watches listed tell me how they compare in the wearing stakes (width, length and height):


* Omega Speedmaster Professional
* Breitling Old Navitimer II
* Rolex Submariner Ceramic
* Girard-Perregaux based on the 49585 40mm case


And while a suggestion to go and try one on at an AD would normally be appropriate and helpful, please refrain, as I live 400km from any AD and exercise this hobby remotely.


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## Solomente

They wear bigger than a speedy or submariner. 42mm with a very thin bezel makes them wear more like a 44. The thickness feels great though, fairly thin especially for a chronograph


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## arcadelt

Solomente said:


> They wear bigger than a speedy or submariner. 42mm with a very thin bezel makes them wear more like a 44. The thickness feels great though, fairly thin especially for a chronograph


Thanks. So do you think their 38mm model would wear more like one of the watches I listed?


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## WTSP

I feel that the 42 mm wears large, perhaps like a 44 mm, but it's also a matter of the number of refractive and shiny elements on the dial, as well as the super dome crystal. They feel too blingy, which is part of the reason I went with the 38 mm. 

What's funny is that to me the 38 wears like a 38. There's something about the way that the black minute ring encircles the dial. Also the overlapping subdials make it seem that they're pushing for space and held in by the minute ring, which makes the dial look very full without much empty space. As such the 38 looks like it's modestly proportioned. My 37 mm Class Elite looks bigger visually than the Original 1969 because it has so much open white space on the dial. The 42 mm has a lot of open space as well because the subdials are close to the center. 

As for the other watches that you mention I couldn't say as I don't own any. The closest that that I have is a Girard Perregaux Vintage 1945 model 2593, which is about 28 mm wide and has a black dial. Now THAT feels small. Moving to the 38 mm Zenith basically feels like moving from a regular square dress watch to a larger sport chronograph, but by the sizing standards of 30 or 40 years ago.


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## Solomente

arcadelt said:


> Thanks. So do you think their 38mm model would wear more like one of the watches I listed?


I tend to agree with WTSP. Strangely, the 42 wears like a 44 but the 38 doesn't wear like a 40. It wears like a 38. Couldn't tell you why but it just feels like that. To me the perfect size would be 40 but what do I know. A submariner feels a bit more substantial than the 38. Part of that could be the thickness and the fact that the only el primeros I own or have tried on were always on croc straps and the submariners I've tried are always on bracelets.


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## b-lot

WTSP said:


> I feel that the 42 mm wears large, perhaps like a 44 mm, but it's also a matter of the number of refractive and shiny elements on the dial, as well as the super dome crystal. They feel too blingy, which is part of the reason I went with the 38 mm.


I agree that the 42mm wears much bigger, although I wouldn't be able to say how much as I don't own any watch over 42mm. The Breitling SOH 42 which wears fine for me where I found the EP way too large. I can compare those well as I was wearing it when trying on the EP 42mm.



WTSP said:


> What's funny is that to me the 38 wears like a 38. There's something about the way that the black minute ring encircles the dial. Also the overlapping subdials make it seem that they're pushing for space and held in by the minute ring, which makes the dial look very full without much empty space. As such the 38 looks like it's modestly proportioned. My 37 mm Class Elite looks bigger visually than the Original 1969 because it has so much open white space on the dial. The 42 mm has a lot of open space as well because the subdials are close to the center.


I don't quite agree that the 38mm doesn't wear bigger, although the difference might be less. I can agree on the dial layout negating some of it, but there's still the thin bezel. And on top of that, even when compared to another 38mm chronograph with thin bezel (Strela 1254), it feels larger. IMO this is because it's relatively thin for a chronograph, so the proportions make it look larger as well. So contradicting the posts above, I'd say it probably wears like a watch somewhere between 39 - 40mm.


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## Chrono_Man

Here is my 42mm Chronomaster and it fits really well imo. It is about 12mm thick, and wears smaller than my speedmaster legend, slightly larger than my Daytona. All in all a great fit for my relatively small 7" wrist


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## EnderW

I agree w WTSP and Solomente - 42mm wears pretty large as there is no bezel and light dial makes it feel bigger still. Lugs are long as well (relatively speaking - about 50-51mm lug to lug).
I've tried 42mm ElPrimero and could not pull it off comfortably on my 6.25-6.5" wrist.

I've also worn Rolex SubC and it was just fine (diver bezel making dial much smaller).
I've also worn Omega Speedmaster Pro and it wore smaller that EP 42mm - at limits of my wrist, but still ok, unlike EP 42.

I ended up getting ElPrimero 38mm and it does not look small - there is a lot on the dial which makes it look bigger and 47mm lug-to-lug adds to overall feel.


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## elchicomalo




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## pravilik

Omega speedmastwr professional vs Zenith el primero tricolore


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## 991C4S

The lugs do look long giving it the perception of being a larger watch. Does anyone know the length lug to lug on the DJII?


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## Tony N

It does look a little larger, but not too much. I too think it is the lugs. Here is a side by side with the IWC Portugueser which is stated as 42.3 mm verses the Zenith 42 mm









Cheers
Tony


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## maik

How big something "wears" is somewhat subjective. Here are some factors influencing the feel:

Wears "larger":
Thin bezel
Close/small subdials
Long lugs
Light color dial
Low contrast dial features
In photos: close shot with wide angle lens (less than 50mm equivalent)

Wears "smaller":
Case extends beyond bezel (i.e. Speedmaster professional)
Large/Diving bezel
Dark ring around edge of dial (i.e. El primero 36000)
Arabic numerals
Crowded dial
From wearers perspective: wrist twisted/angled away from face
Curved lugs

I think what this amounts to is that different 42mm EP wear differently. Personally, the 42mm white enamel dial EP wears much larger than the 42mm tricolor.

And fwiw, 38mm EP vs 40mm Speedy (same bezel/dial size as 42mm pro)


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## Alex_TA

I understand correctly that in your opinion 38mm Tricolor wears the same size as 42mm Speedmaster?


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## maik

Alex_TA said:


> I understand correctly that in your opinion 38mm Tricolor wears the same size as 42mm Speedmaster?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Don't have a 42mm Speedmaster but have tried one on. Wears smaller than a 42mm EP for sure but seemed to wear bigger than 38mm EP.


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## Rdenney

Here are some comparisons:

45mm Concord Saratoga:









38mm Ebel Sport Classic Chronograph (El Primero):









44mm Baume & Mercier Capeland Worldtimer:









40mm Movado Datron (not the EP-powered original, but the same size as the original):









44mm Ebel 1911 BTR cal. 139:









36mm Heuer Carrera Re-Edition:









36mm JLC ref2953 (vintage with silver dial and very thin bezel):









And, finally, a recent 42mm Zenith Captain Chronograph:









Pictures from some distance are needed to gain...perspective.

The Zenith looks like the 44mm watches with smaller dials, but not like the 44-45mm watches with bigger dials or really bright bezels. It looks noticeably bigger than smaller watches.

Obviously, I have large wrists.

And to answer a specific question, the Zenith is 50mm, lug tip to lug tip.

Rick "who doesn't have the specified comparison watches, but maybe this will suit" Denney


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## elchicomalo

<= 6.5" wrist


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## Mirabello1

elchicomalo said:


> <= 6.5" wrist


the 38 looks so much better on you. If the lugs were re designed the 42 would be wearable for most people. I tried on the 42 and it was the long lugs that killed it for me.


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## Blueviewlaguna

My Chronomaster Bullit 45mm vs. 42mm Striking 10th on my 7.5" wrist.


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## Mirabello1

Blueviewlaguna said:


> My Chronomaster Bullit 45mm vs. 42mm Striking 10th on my 7.5" wrist.


Must be the picture but the 42 millimeter looks bigger on your wrist

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## paskinner

I have the elite classic Chrono.....which is also 42mm and looks bigger. Quite a lot bigger than my speedy pro. So, my suggestion would be to go for the 38mm. Nice size.


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## PetarN

Definately the 42mm El Primero looks optically larger on the wrist compared to the others that you listed, due to the veru thin bezel. But have in mind that the ceramic Sub feels definately more massive.


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