To most watch aficionados, watches are more than just devices that tell times; it is much more than that, and it is, in fact, a sort of fashion statement as well. It says a lot about you by the type of watch you wear. A lot is revealed about your style and personality by the type of watch you wear. This is why watch bands or watch straps are such an important part of the watch puzzle. Watch strap give your watch a kind of personal touch, and they also give your watch a completely new look.
Often, you need to change the strap of your watch. There can be various reasons for this. The most common ones have been listed below:
- You want to change the look and style of your watch
- To get a more comfortable strap
- The original strap has degraded due to regular wear and tear
There are a few key things that you need to be wary of owning a luxury watch. The first one is to use a watch strap removal tool for taking the old watch strap off and then to install a new one. It is very important that you use a proper removal tool to undertake this task as you do not want to cause any sort of damage to your valuable timepiece.
Depending on the type of watch you want to replace the strap off, you need the right kind of watch strap removal tool for the job. If your watch works via the click system, then you will not need any tools. If the watch you are working with has spring bars then you will need to use a changing tool that comes with a fork. For watches that comes with steel pins, you will need to get your hands on a watch strap removal tool that has a pin in it.
Checklist for Using Watch Strap Removal Tool
Gather Necessary Tools and Supplies
The very first thing on the checklist is a pretty obvious one. Before you start the task of changing the strap of a watch with a watch strap removal tool, you need to make sure that you have everything you might need to complete the job. There isn’t a worse feeling than starting the job and then finding out that you do not have everything you need to do the job properly. This is why it is essential to make sure you have all the right tools and supplies with you before starting to change watch straps. Here is the list of things you ought to make sure you have before you start the process:
- Spring bar tool
- Replacement strap
- Soft pads or microfiber cloth
- A piece of paper.
Prepare Your Workspace
This is another very important part of the prep process before starting the actual work of changing watch straps. You need to make sure that you have a proper workplace where you can change the watch strap using the watch strap removal tool.
One of the first and foremost things you need to take care of is to make sure that the space you are working in is properly lit. The components of watches are not the biggest things in the world, and you will be doing yourself a disservice if you work in a space that is not properly lit. You need to understand that you will be handling very tiny objects, so the last thing you want to do is work in a space with poor lighting.
Secondly, you need to make sure that your workspace is properly sanitized, clean and not messy. You can, in fact, make use of a soft cloth or mat to place the watch and the different components in. This will make sure none of the different parts of the watch gets dirty during the process of changing straps.
Inspect the Watch and the Strap
Another thing that needs to be done before the actual work begins is to make sure you are aware of what type of watch you are working with. Not all watches operate in the same way, so you need to know what type of watch you have in your hands. You also need to make sure you know the kind of watch strap you are dealing with and also how it is attached to the watch itself. The attachment mechanism will have a lot of bearing on how you go about doing this task.
Using the Watch-Strap Removal Tool Correctly
There are several steps that you need to follow in order to make sure that you are using your watch strap removal tool correctly. These steps have been listed below:
- Identify where the steel bars are
- Knowing how to properly insert the tool
- Compressing the spring bar
- Take out the old strap
- Repeat the entire process for the other side of the watch
Steps to follow when re-attaching the strap
- Positioning the strap properly
- Proper spring bar insertion
- Compression and insertion
- Checking if the fit is correct
Remove the Old Strap
You will need to get rid of the old strap before you can put on a new one. The main thing here is to get rid of spring bars. When you get rid of these, you will be able to take out the old watch strap easily. The ends of your watch’s spring bars have springs in them and also a type of metal rod with double flanges on each of its sides. The ends of these spring bars are what is attached to the small holes within the lugs of your watch case.
Hold the spring bar tool with your strong hand and try to hold it sort of like a pencil. You need to make sure that the fork end of your tool is placed properly between the strap’s side and between the lug. You then need to carefully take out the spring bar in the lug hole and then pull it out.
Attach the New Strap
Here is the list of things to be done in order to install the replacement strap properly:
- The new strap pieces will need to be fitted with spring bars
- The spring bars should be reinserted within the lugs. Spring bars typically expand once they are removed and become wider. You will need to compress it in order to make it fit properly into place.
- The ends of the spring bar need to be aligned properly within the holes of the lugs.
Double-Check the Attachment
After all of the above has been done properly, make sure you double check to see if the new watch strap has been attached properly.
The last thing you would want with your newly fitted watch strap is to have it come off at the wrong time. So, double check and see if the new strap has been attached properly.
Clean and Maintain Your Tools
After all of the above has been done and everything is completed, make sure you clean and properly store your tools. These tools are not cheap, and if you ever need to change watch straps again, you do not want to buy an entirely new removal toolkit again. So, properly clean and maintain your tools.
So, as you can see, changing watch straps do not have to be that difficult. You just need to follow the steps listed in this article and you will be able to change your watch straps easily. It is important that you realize that doing things in the wrong way can seriously damage your watch. So, make sure you use a good strap removal toolkit and that you use it in the manner mentioned in this article.
F.A.Q.s
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How long should a watch strap last?
If you wear the same watch daily, the average time leather straps will last is between six months and about a year. If your watch strap is made of artificial leather, then the same type of usage will give you about three months of usage.
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Are all watch bands removable?
Yes, all watch straps can be taken off and changed pretty easily.
