When Bigger is Better: Large Luxury Watches for Men 45mm and Beyond

IWC Portofino

Coming in at 45mm, the IWC Portofino ref. 5101-03 is the smallest of the bunch, but it would most certainly be considered a large luxury watch for men. Echoing the style of an old-school pocketwatch, the steel IWC Portofino ref. 5101-03 sports the familiar expansive dial, leaving plenty of room for the customary gold Feuille-style hands, gold stick indexes, running seconds subdial, power reserve indicator, and date window.

In addition to its striking looks, the IWC Portofino ref. 5101-03 boasts an impressive eight-day power reserve thanks to the manual-wound IWC Cal. 59210 ticking within–which can be viewed via the exhibition caseback. Completing the large yet elegant men’s wristwatch is a classic brown alligator strap with a steel buckle.

Omega Railmaster XXL

Flaunting a massive 49.2mm case, the Omega Railmaster XXL ref. 2806.52.37 offers plenty of wrist presence. However, due to its slimmer profile, it wears very comfortably without unnecessary bulk. A tribute to vintage Omega watches from the late 1950s, it maintains the retro-styled 3/9/12 numerals along with triangular indexes. On the black dial there are also the characteristic Omega broad-arrow style hands accompanied by a running seconds display at 6 o’clock.

If you flip the watch around, you’ll see the manual-wound chronometer-certified Omega Cal. 2201 mechanical movement, offering 53 hours of power reserve. Finally, the Omega Railmaster XXL is finished off with a graceful brown alligator strap fitted with a steel deployant clasp.

Breitling Chronospace

Among Swiss watchmakers, Breitling is famous for their wide assortment of large luxury watches for men–plenty of their models span 45mm and above. One of them is the ultra-sporty Breitling Chronospace M78365. The giant 48mm stainless steel case, coated in PVD black, wears even bigger due to the duo of chronograph pushers flanking the winding crown. On the dial of this big Breitling watch is a mix of analog and digital components. Along with the center house and minute hands, the Chronospace provides a ton of functionality including day, date, alarm, second time zone, UTC world time, countdown timer, and chronograph.

While the Breitling Chronograph runs on a quartz movement, this is no ordinary battery watch. Breitling’s SuperQuartz movement is COSC-certified and offers impressive accuracy, precision, and battery life. Matching the black case is the black steel bracelet with a deployant clasp.

Panerai Radiomir 1936

When Officine Panerai finally became available to the public in the 1990s–it was only available to military forces prior to that–the most eye-catching characteristic of the watches was their mammoth sizes. Panerai’s bold size and strong design codes caught the eye of none other than Sylvester Stallone. Once the mega Hollywood star was seen wearing the massive men’s watch, Panerai’s popularity shot through the roof and today the Swiss made Italian watch brand offers some of the most coveted oversized watches out there.

Launched in 2006 as a limited edition model, the Panerai Radiomir 1936 is a tribute to the first Radiomir issued to the Italian Royal Navy in 1936. The Panerai Radiomir 1936 PAM00249 includes a hefty 47mm stainless steel cushion-shaped dial, along with the customary wire lugs and oversized crown. The majority of Panerai watches feature a stark black dial with oversized indexes, but this one is distinct because of its California-style dial, characterized by mix of Arabic numerals, Roman numerals, and baton hour markers. Similar to vintage Panerai watches, this modern PAM00249 runs on a hand-wound mechanical movement. Since only 1936 pieces were ever made of the Panerai Radiomir 1936 ref. PAM00249, this is one of the most collectible large luxury watches for men out there.

If you’re on the hunt for an oversized men’s watch, then you’re in luck. Browse our extensive collection of pre-owned timepieces at Gray & Sons and you’ll be sure to find plenty of fantastic large luxury watches for men available.