Thanks Mark, that's a very helpful comparison! I suspect some of my difficulty getting used to the barrel case is due to usually wearing a '62 chronograph, which of course is quite thin and light.

Thanks again for your help,
RV

: Hi Rafael.

: While the barrel cased Carreras are only slightly thicker than the
: other automatic Carreras (a matter of a couple of mm), the
: perceived thickness is much more. This is probably because about
: 2mm of the 1153 case is the rounded perspex, whereas the 110.573
: is pretty much steel all the way up (the mineral glass is barely
: proud of the case at all).

: I took a rough and ready comparison shot (which turned out rougher
: than I'd hoped, my camera does not like photographing anything
: close up, even in macro mode) of a 110.573 and an 1153:

:

: Hopefully, it's still enough to show that the barrel carries its
: centre of gravity much higher than the 1153, making it feel very
: different on the wrist. I find the 1153 and derivatives to be
: immediately comfortable, whereas a 110.573 takes some getting
: used to and can feel top heavy. In the end, you do get used to
: it but, if I had to choose one for comfort, I would take the
: 1153 every time.

: Mark