With a few simple steps and the specialized tool kit, you can replace your watch strap right at home.
When you make a sophisticated appearance at the office or show your dynamism while hanging out with friends, your watch always serves as the accessory that asserts your unique personality and makes you stand out. In watch design, the strap plays a significant role in the overall value. Therefore, using only one type of strap can be boring or a worn-out, faded strap after a period of use. Thus, refreshing or replacing it becomes necessary.
There are several popular materials for making watch straps, such as leather, metal, rubber, and synthetic fibers. We have an article introducing these types of straps, which you can view here. Each type of strap has its own charm, but here we only focus on metal straps and leather straps, the two most common types.
In watches that use metal and leather straps, the dial and the strap are typically connected by a removable spring bar, allowing you to easily change the strap when it gets damaged. There are some very unique types of spring bars, but we only cover the two common ones today: smart spring bars and standard spring bars. Below is an illustration:
Regarding the characteristics of these two types of spring bars, the smart spring bar (QUICK RELEASE SPRING BARS) only requires you to gently pull it with your hand to install or remove it in seconds. Meanwhile, with a standard spring bar, you need specialized tools to change the strap.
Specialized Tool Kit for Changing Watch Straps
Next, we provide a detailed guide on the steps to replace your strap:
Step 01: Choose the Correct Strap Size
The first thing is to accurately select the size of your watch strap. This is very important. Please carefully examine the measurement instructions in the image below to choose the correct size for your needs.
As shown in the example image, this strap is sized 20-18mm, meaning that the width of the part attached to the watch face is 20mm, while the width at the end that connects to the watch buckle is 18mm.
Step 02: Identify the Watch Strap Spring Bar
As mentioned above, if the strap already integrates a smart spring bar, you can quickly replace it in just a few seconds. This smart spring bar is typically only integrated into premium leather straps. The replacement process is quite simple; just use your fingertip to gently pull the spring bar to remove or attach the strap. Below is an illustrated guide:
Guide to Replacing Straps with Smart Spring Bars
If your strap set only uses standard spring bars, then you will need to follow the next steps.
Step 03: Prepare the Tools for Replacing the Strap
Do you think that just a screwdriver or a pointed object is enough to replace your watch strap? In reality, if you use random household items that you think might work, you may encounter trouble, and worst-case scenario, the watch face and strap could get scratched. Therefore, to safely replace your watch strap, you need to prepare specialized strap replacement tools. And you will receive this tool kit as a gift when you purchase watch strap products at SAIGIO.
Step 04: Prepare a Lining Cloth
Prepare a towel or soft fabric, lay it on a flat surface and ensure there are no foreign objects on it. Then, place the back of the watch face down. Note that all operations should be performed on the backside of the watch, which helps protect the watch face from any scratches if you slip.
Step 05: Remove the Old Strap
Use the V-shaped end of the tool to press between the watch strap and the lug. The tip of the spring bar has a spring and a small ledge that serves as a fulcrum for the tool. Thus, when inserting the tool, rest it on this small ledge, gently pull the spring bar toward the strap to compress the spring. Once you see the spring bar tip detach, simply remove the strap by hand. Repeat the same process for the other side.
It is recommended to use specialized tools to remove the watch strap
Step 06: Install the New Strap
First, attach the spring bar to the new strap. Next, note that the inner side of the lug has a small hole to secure the end of the spring bar. Then, insert one end of the spring bar into the watch lug first. For the other end, gently compress the spring and insert it into the remaining hole. And with that, you have completed the steps to remove and install a new watch strap.
How to Attach a New Strap to the Watch Face
Replacing your watch strap at home is easy; simply follow the above steps to give your watch a fresh look with the strap you love.
