Top Best Watch Bracelet Tools [How to Adjust Watch Bracelet]
There are two primary types of watch bracelet tools depending on what you are going to do. Firstly, there are spring bar tools, and secondly, there are watch bracelet adjustment tools.
Note that whilst these are sometimes mixed up, they are not the same.
But regardless if you are looking for watch bracelet tools to remove the bracelet from your watch or tools to adjust the watch bracelet, this article will cover it all.
Watch bracelet removal tool (spring bar tools)
Watch bracelet removal tools are what are known as spring bar tools. These tools are made to help you remove the bracelet. Most watches use spring bars, which is a small metal bar with springs inside which can be compressed. When the springs are compressed, they become smaller, and can, therefore, be removed from the case holes, and when they are not compressed, they are large enough to keep hold the bracelet secure against the case.
To remove the bracelet when attached to the case, the spring bars thus need to be compressed and then removed from the case. The best way to do this is by using a spring bar tool. There are various different spring bar tools on the market that are designed in different ways. The most common spring bar tool is the pen-style tool which grips the spring bar one side at a time. The potential issue with removing the spring bars (and the bracelet) from a watch is scratching the back of the lugs. With low-quality spring bar tools, you risk slipping and thus accidentally scratching the case. Also, if you only remove the spring bar from one side of the case, the side that is compressed will cause pressure against the case and can also risk flying across the room once you get it out from the other side.
A solution to this issue is spring bar tweezers which allow you to grip the spring bar from both sides simultaneously. By doing this, you can remove the spring bar from the case by simply compressing it and sliding it out – without leaving any scratches and marks on the case. Therefore, in particular, if you have a more expensive watch that you care extra much about, using spring bar tweezers is the better option.
Tools for adjusting a watch bracelet (Screwdriver)
If you are looking to adjust a watch bracelet’s size, you need to either add or remove links. Depending on which type of bracelet you have, there are different ways to do this. Watch bracelets normally have removable links on them from the factory, and the bracelets are usually too large for most people to wear. Therefore you need to remove a few links in order to make it fit.
Generally speaking, more affordable bracelets use pins to keep them locked in place. If you have this type of bracelet, read under the text title. You can see which type of bracelet you have by looking at the sides of the links. If they have screw heads, you need a screwdriver. If they have pins, you need to hammer these out.
If you need to adjust your watch bracelet with screws, you need proper screwdrivers for the job. Note that not all screwdrivers are created equal. Cheaper screwdrivers tend to offer less precision and do not have as tough heads like premium screwdrivers. With that said, they can be bent, lose their shape, or even cause slipping – in particular, if you use them repeatedly.
Therefore, the best option is to opt for premium screwdrivers that have a higher quality and offer better precision. It is also important to have in mind that different bracelets use different sized screws. Make sure you have the exact size screwdriver for your screws so that you can get a perfect fit and remove the screw (and links) without damaging the screw head, slipping, or damaging the screwdriver. A good option is to buy a screwdriver set so you have a selection of screwdriver sizes to choose from.
Watch bracelet adjustment tool (Hammer)
If you have a watch bracelet with pins that keep the links in place, a screwdriver will not do the job. Instead, you need to hammer out the pins in order to remove the links (and the opposite if you are going to add links).
The most important part here is that you have your watch securely fastened so that you can hit the pin properly and not have the watch flip, but also to make it easier to hit the pins properly. It is also important that the pin with which you hammer to remove the link pins is the correct size and fits the link hole properly.
You can buy a pin hammer set which includes everything you need to remove the links (watch holder, hammer, and pins).
