Watch Lug Width Guide: How to Measure Your Watch for a New Strap

Before buying a replacement watch strap, you need one number: your watch's lug width. Get it wrong and even the best handcrafted leather band will not fit. Here is how to measure it in a few minutes, plus the most common lug widths by watch type.

20mm 22mm 24mm and 26mm black leather watch band width options

WHAT IS LUG WIDTH?

Lug width is the distance between the two "horns" on your watch case where the strap or spring bar attaches — not the diameter of the watch face. It is usually measured in millimeters and is almost always an even number: 18mm, 20mm, 22mm, 24mm or 26mm.

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR WATCH IN 3 STEPS

  1. Remove the current strap if you can, so you can measure the gap between the lugs directly.
  2. Measure inside edge to inside edge of the lugs with a ruler or digital calipers, not the outside edges.
  3. Round to the nearest even number — most straps are made in 18mm, 20mm, 22mm, 24mm and 26mm widths.

If you cannot remove the strap, look up your watch's model or reference number — most manufacturers publish the lug width in the technical specifications.

COMMON LUG WIDTHS BY WATCH TYPE

  • 18-20mm: slim dress watches and smaller vintage pieces
  • 20-22mm: most everyday sport and field watches, including many Seiko, Citizen and Fossil models
  • 22-24mm: dive watches and larger field watches, including many Luminox models
  • 24-26mm: oversized cases such as Panerai Luminor, Bell & Ross, U-Boat and similar large-lug watches

Apple Watch is the one common exception — it does not use a traditional lug width at all. It uses its own 38/40/41mm or 42/44/45/49mm case-size system, so if you are searching for a "24mm Apple Watch band," what you actually need is a band sized to your Apple Watch case, not a lug-width strap.

ONCE YOU KNOW YOUR SIZE

Black hand-stitched leather watch band Full-grain leather watch strap for large watches Vintage leather Apple Watch band

Want to know why leather outlasts silicone in the first place? Read leather vs. silicone watch bands: which lasts longer.

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