cazalea
[Seiko Moderator]
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Care & Feeding of a Watch Collection 7: Bracelets & Straps
Welcome to the 7th post in our series on caring for a watch collection. This post is on a particularly exciting topic - bracelets and straps (and spring bars, and related accessories.) Whether you are seeking a new look, or more comfort, or have an expanding wrist, or want to go diving, you may have the occasion to change your watch's "shoes" -- watch fanatic slang for new strap (because straps are leather?) Sometimes a new strap saves a watch.
For example, this Citizen is a lovely watch that came on a miserably cheap clanking bracelet. I had been given it in a trade, and quickly realized what a piece of junk the bracelet was, and why the previous owner "threw it in for nothing". When I fitted this blue rubber strap on it, just on a whim, the watch came alive.
I suppose most of us have a few straps in the drawer, but some collectors (not me!) go overboard on straps. This local watch lover recently admitted to me that while he only has "a dozen or two" watches, he has "literally hundreds" of straps...
Bracelets and Straps
Many of us like to swap our straps and bracelets. Before we get too deeply into the subject of how that is done, let me illustrate some of the variants in my strap drawer garage. We have fabric, imitation leather, real leather, synthetic rubber, real rubber, composites, steel, titanium, gold and other materials to choose from. Colors and textures galore, of course. Not to mention perforations.
STRAPS
From left to right, 3 "ladies quick-change fashion straps", lizard dress strap, nylon NATO, canvas, gummy white rubber, tooled leather white stitched, carbon fiber (lookalike) with red stitching, Genuine Seiko diver strap
BRACELETS
From left to right we have a look-a-like Jubilee bracelet, then a genuine ROLEX Jubilee, Seiko, Casio, better left unexplained, 2 Speidel Twist-O-Flex, Seiko and Bell & Ross titanium.
In this final photo we have an assortment of proprietary straps and buckles - loathed by most watch collectors because they force you to go back to the manufacturer for replacement (which limits selection and increases the price). On the far left is a Gerald Genta strap which must be cut to fit (length) and has notches to fit the case. Next there is a Velcro dive strap with adaptors to fit an IWC GST case, and three different (!) styles of Silberstein straps; the last two have their own deployments and require cutting to fit. Not illustrated is the UN diver strap with titanium inserts AND requiring cutting.
Bracelets and Strap Storage
If you eventually gather a large assortment you need an efficient way to store them.
I prefer I keep all factory straps in zip bags, with the name of the watch they came from. I also keep my factory bracelets in a zip bag. Be very careful that you retain the end links and spring bars too, if possible.
When it comes to "aftermarket" straps and bracelets, I now keep all extra straps, bracelets, buckles and pins in fishing tackle boxes; sorted and labeled by size at the case end.
At the risk of being too specific -- if you want to try my system, the Plano Model 3600 tackle box is the one you want.
You can store other things in your tackle boxes ...
and you can gang them together for a strap-swapping party at a friend's house (isn't that what all watch collectors do in their spare time?).
I may appear to have too many but remember I worked for a watchmaker for awhile and his inventory has become mine.
These come in handy to help out friends and neighbors -- someone is always in need of a strap.
Here are the bracelets:
Changing and adjusting the bracelet
Sizing and Fit
There's no other way to say it - SIZE DOES MATTER when it comes to straps and bracelets. As I think about the subject, it reminds me of a story a friend told me:
"I saw this old Jaguar at the body shop for sale for $750. Even though it was in the 1970's this was a low price. So I thought I'd buy the car. The man in the body shop tried to talk me out of it, but I said to him, 'What could go wrong for $750? How can I lose?' Well now I know plenty can go wrong, and you can lose a ton of money on a $750 car."
Maybe I overstate the problem here, but you can go plenty wrong on straps and bracelets. The sizing is critical and you need to measure carefully with the right tools. No eyeballing it.
The relevant measurements are the width of the strap at the case end (shown below).
then you need to know the width of the strap at the buckle end:
Then you must be concerned with the length of the two different halves of the strap - their relationship will determine how the watch sits on your wrist. If too short or long the watch will feel uncomfortable, or the buckle will irritate your wrist as you type your PuristS posts are working at your desk.
Less important, but still relevant, is the thickness of the strap at the case and buckle ends, the size, shape, location and number of the strap's holes (for the buckle).
and next, you need to know if the watch strap is retained by spring pins (most common), screws, rods, pressed in pins and sleeves or whatever.
Finally, from bitter experience, you need to confirm the diameter of the spring pins. There are thin, medium and very thick spring pins. There are pins with no shoulders, single shoulders, and double shoulders (little ledges on the pin which make it easier to pry out of the case lugs).
Oops, and some are curved in order to help the strap fit closely to the case of the watch.
Here's my comparison chart (no I don't do this normally; it's just for the article); note that all dimensions are typically taken in mm (despite the archaic inches shown in the photo above)
| STRAP | C width | B width | L Length | S Length | Thick | Holes | Pins | |
| Reverso GMT | 20 | 18 | 120 | 80 | 5.5/2.5 | 8 Rnd | 1.8 S | |
| Gerber P10 | 22 | 20 | 120 | 85 | 5.5/3.5 | 7 Rnd | 2.0 S | |
| IWC Portofino | 16 | 14 | 105 | 65 | 3.5/3.0 | 6 Rnd | 1.8 S |
PROPRIETARY STRAP DESIGNS
When I started this post I thought the proprietary designs were a very small portion of the total watch population. But as I reviewed my collection, it seems they are more often encountered than I'd imagined. Here are some examples:
Bell & Ross cut-to-fit rubber strap with matching deployant buckle
Jorg Hysek one-off rubber strap and buckle retained at the case by aluminum inserts and screws
The strap is the most charming part of this watch; no surprise because the designer is known for his "desk furniture"
Gerald Genta specified a special strap cut with notches on case end retained by bronze screw-in pins, and cut-off buckle end retained in deployant by tiny screws. No adjustment possible; cut at your own risk.
Cartier strap with notches (not matching Genta) held by screws.
Strap has a very long wrap-around buckle end with no pin holes.
Chronoswiss strap held on by screws turning through either end of lug into a tube that fits through the strap, not regular spring pins.
Grand Seiko case with fitted case ends on strap precisely squeezing into long curved lugs (hence holes in the lugs for easier spring bar removal)
Vianney Halter case with tricky two-piece pivoting lug arrangement
Ikepod with NO lugs
Here are two more Ikepod cases which appear to be sans lugs, but actually there are tiny lugs through which a threaded shaft fits to retain the straps.
IWC Porsche Design watch has proprietary strap material, size, lugs and buckle
Bulova with wire lugs requiring a sewn-on strap or fold-over bracelet.
Bell & Ross cut-to-fit rubber strap with matching deployant buckle
Jorg Hysek one-off rubber strap and buckle retained at the case by aluminum inserts and screws
The strap is the most charming part of this watch; no surprise because the designer is known for his "desk furniture"
Gerald Genta specified a special strap cut with notches on case end retained by bronze screw-in pins, and cut-off buckle end retained in deployant by tiny screws. No adjustment possible; cut at your own risk.
Cartier strap with notches (not matching Genta) held by screws.
Strap has a very long wrap-around buckle end with no pin holes.
Chronoswiss strap held on by screws turning through either end of lug into a tube that fits through the strap, not regular spring pins.
Grand Seiko case with fitted case ends on strap precisely squeezing into long curved lugs (hence holes in the lugs for easier spring bar removal)
Vianney Halter case with tricky two-piece pivoting lug arrangement
Ikepod with NO lugs
Here are two more Ikepod cases which appear to be sans lugs, but actually there are tiny lugs through which a threaded shaft fits to retain the straps.
IWC Porsche Design watch has proprietary strap material, size, lugs and buckle
Bulova with wire lugs requiring a sewn-on strap or fold-over bracelet.
Vacheron Constantin "you're out of luck" integrated bracelet (call the goldsmith and laser welder if you gain 10 lbs)
BUCKLES
In this shot we have an assortment of buckles or clasps, in all sorts of designs and dimensions. Their common purpose is to hold the two ends of your strap together safely and comfortably, while offering some degree of adjustment. While it's possible to change buckles without changing your strap, in many cases you want the buckle to match the watch, so your options may be limited.
For consistency, you should aim to have the metal (or material) of your buckle matching your watch case. Thus a SS watch should have a silver SS buckle, a yellow gold case with a yellow gold buckle, a titanium case with a titanium buckle, etc. One exception is generally considered acceptable - a white gold deployant in lieu of a platinum one (due mainly to the cost of a platinum part).
Buckles are usually retained on the strap by a spring bar with no shoulders. If you take yours apart to move it to another strap, be careful not to lose it; you're sure to need a trip to the watch repairman.
Here is my buckle case.
Because the buckle-end width of a new strap may not match your old one, you might have to swap buckles. Or if you want a deployant (fold-over buckle) you might need to change your strap.Try to get both from the same source so if there's a fit problem you can get it sorted out with a minimum of hassle. Even if the widths match you still may have issues with the pin, or the thickness of the strap end. Or where it lands on your wrist. It's best to try one on, if you can.
I recall buying a Grand Seiko deployant clasp for about $200, waiting a couple weeks from delivery from Japan, then my frustration when I discovered it was exceptionally thick and awkward-fitting on my wrist. Luckily I was able to sell it quickly with no loss. I did the same with a Sinn deployant which might have even been more uncomfortable than the Seiko.
ASSORTED BUCKLE WRIST SHOTS
WristScan is a favorite forum on PuristS, and we have many thousands of photos of watches on wrists. Buckles on wrists? Not so much. While sorting through my photo database, I decided to pull out some wrist buckle shots (no these are not indexed; I had to look for them.) I hope you enjoy the variety represented here.
Grand Seiko leather strap and original buckle
Reverso Grand GMT deployant on Paris-boutique ABP dual stitch water buffalo strap
Purist's ABR alternative choice silicon rubber strap and nylon buckle
Purist's ABR alternative choice silicon rubber strap and nylon buckle
Hirsch lizard replacement strap and matching gold-tone buckle
Seiko Flight Master titanium bracelet appearing here simply because it's a beautiful thing, and to transition us to bracelet buckles.
Seiko Credor SS bracelet with deployant and Credor deployant on factory strap
Grand Seiko bracelet with deployant buckle and release buttons
Swiss Army dark coated titanium bracelet
AP Royal Oak SS and gold bracelet
Bell & Ross with rubber and titanium deployant
Chronoswiss "beads of rice" bracelet
Seiko Giugiaro Edition "Fingerprint Magnet" buckle
Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chrono 40th Anniversary SS bracelet
Seiko 6106 factory bracket with flip-over clasp
Do we really want to get into the changing process? If so, we'll have to discuss the required tools. Here's my all-purpose strap changing kit (minus the parts).
(PS - the tool on the top right is a magnetic strip / floor sweeper, for finding those spring bars that fly out and disappear)
Just let me know and thanks for reading so much.
PSS - a special salmon strap says Happy Birthday to Paul Gerber!
This message has been edited by cazalea on 2015-03-05 18:59:49 This message has been edited by cazalea on 2015-03-15 09:03:05
More posts:
Care & Feeding of a Watch Collection 7: Bracelets & Straps
Welcome to the 7th post in our series on caring for a watch collection. This post is on a particularly exciting topic - bracelets and straps (and spring bars, and related accessories.) Whether you are seeking a new look, or more comfort, or have an expand...
How I envy your series !!!!
Mike, Your entire series should be merged into a single post and made permanent. I truly admire your sense of organization and how you summarizes ideas and facts. Keep going. I'm "drinking" your words. Cheers, Nilo Note: you can put me into the group that...
Wow another great post.
Needs a few reads to absorb the whole thing. I wish I was a little more organized. Bill ...
Bill, you must have Zip-Loc stock
I\'ve never seen so many bags... On the other hand, my local West Marine store thinks I must be an awesome fisherman, with all the tackle boxes I\'ve bought. We each have our methods, don\'t we? Cazalea
Funny you said tackle boxes.
It is what I use. So we share methods. My omega bracelet box. Bill ...
Great post! Question about the Chronoswiss
Sorry to doubt you but are you sure the Chronoswiss has springbars? That would be quite unusual for the regulator. (first one I've ever seen with that) It even loosk like I can see the screw/tube peeking out inbetween the strap and the lug.
You are absolutely right, and I was wrong about the spring bars
I threw myself off when I was lining up my massive Chronoswiss collection, I saw the spring bars in the original strap and thought " Hmm, I thought the screws were functional, (Why else would I have taken the picture years ago of the screwdrivers lined up...
