One of the most common questions for any new watch wearer is: how tight should my watch fit?

The golden rule is that your watch should not slide more than an inch up or down your wrist when you move your arm. This is especially important for bracelet-style and oversized watches which will look exaggeratedly large if the watch does not fit correctly around your wrist.

And for wearers who frequently don long sleeves—for example, if your office’s dress code requires a suit—you want your watch to fit slightly more snugly. It is unflattering for your cuff or suit jacket to get caught atop the watch; you want your sleeve fall and actually cover the majority of your watch when you stand with your arms at your sides. That said, if your watch is leaving an imprint or an angry red mark, it’s too tight.

Alternatively, watches that are too loose will slide and wind around your wrist. This increases the chances that you will scratch the watch crystal or damage the watch.

Finally, when it comes to wearing your watch on the left or right, it is most common to wear the watch on the wrist of your non-dominate hand. So, Righties usually sport their watch on their left wrist and Lefties on their right.