How to Adjust Your Rolex Bracelet Clasp
Want to learn how to adjust the clasp on your Rolex watch?
Are you looking to adjust your Rolex bracelet clasp?
When you wear a wristwatch, it’s important that it sits comfortably on your wrist.
There are several types of bracelets on Rolex watches, and equally so, there are different Rolex claps. As such, there are different ways that you adjust your Rolex bracelet clasp on.
In this article, however, we’ll focus on Rolex’s Oyster clasp and how you can adjust that, but also share some other helpful and additional tips.
How to adjust your Rolex bracelet clasp
If you have a new Rolex, it probably means that you have the Oyster clasp – with some exceptions of course. Even with the new Datejust, you now have the Oyster clasp, even if it’s a jubilee bracelet.
The majority of Rolex’s watches are sold with the Oyster bracelet, and if you are looking to adjust the clasp of your watch and you have an Oyster clasp, you’ll be happy to hear that it can be done easily, without having to remove any links.
Using this method, you can make the bracelet a half link shorter or a half link longer. If you need your watch to be longer or shorter than that, you need to remove links.
The Oyster clasp contains a feature that not many are aware of, and this feature allows you to adjust the watch on the clasp to make it fit a bit shorter or a bit longer.
This method is, of course, well-received since it allows you to change your watch’s size on the go. It can be especially necessary if you are going from warm to cold temperatures and vice versa since your wrist will expand or shrink, and if you already have a tight-sitting watch when becoming warm, it will sit uncomfortably, and you want to make a quick adjustment.
Unfortunately many individuals who wear a Rolex too right or too loose which means that it isn’t as comfortable to wear. And many do so because they either don’t know that you can adjust the clasp and size of your Rolex, or believe that it is a complicated and tedious process.
How you adjust your clasp depends on which model you have and which year it is from.
Here’s how you adjust your Rolex clasp:
Adjusting your clasp is easy and effortless, however, you do need tools to do it.
1. First, you need a 1.6 to 1.8mm screwdriver for bracelet link screws. There are Rolex screwdrivers out there, on eBay, for example, however, these are quite pricey. Bergeron is a manufacturer otherwise well-known for making high-quality watch tools.
2. The slot you need to access has exactly 90-degree corners and flat at the bottom of the slot. A screwdriver should fit in the slot exactly, enabling you to push the spring holding the bracelet in place.
Bergeon 55-603 6899-S09 Rotating Stand
If you have a modern milled Rolex clasps
In order to adjust your Rolex bracelet clasp for this watch, you need to have a small spring bar tool.
If you have older folded stainless steel Rolex clasps, you can use a thumbtack or a toothpick to do this operation.
You also want to have Locktite 221 or 222 to use for your springboard.
Have in mind that when you are going to push in the Rolex spring bar, if you’re not careful, it may fly away, so be on a place where your springboard can’t escape so that you cannot find it.
Before you adjust your Rolex bracelet clasp, think about…
A Rolex watch sits most comfortably if the clasp hinge is center on your wrist, so before you change the size of your Rolex, you want to have this in mind.
Look at how your Rolex sits on your wrist and where on the wrist your clasp is located. You want to have your Rolex watch so that you can slip a finger under the clasp when you have it on your wrist.
For most Rolex watches, there are two ways you can adjust your Rolex watch’s size. The first is to remove or add links, and the other is with the 3-5 adjustment slots inside the clasp – which many aren’t aware of.
Additionally, there’s another method for Rolex Submariners and SeaDwellers, which is the Rolex Glidelock clasp, but you can learn more about that in our guide to the Rolex Gridlock clasp.
The traditional Rolex clasps have 4-5 spring bar adjustment holes. This is what you’re going to use when you adjust your Rolex bracelet clasp.
To adjust the size, push the spring bar inwards and release it from both sides of the clasp. While doing this, make sure that you don’t pull the link, since this can cause the springboard to fly away.
When you have released the spring bars on both sides of the watch, you can gently slide the end of the bracelet on the inside of the clasp to make the bracelet tighter or looser.
Adjusting newer Rolex clasps
If you want to adjust the newer milled Rolex clasps, you should use a spring bar tool.
These clasps have three adjustment slots inside the clasp which you’re going to use to adjust the watch’s size.
To adjust it, use a spring bar tool to release both sides of the spring bar, similar to above. When doing this, make sure you don’t pull the links. Now, slide the bracelet into the desired position and make sure the spring bar is attached in the holes.
The best way to adjust your Rolex watch to both fit your wrist but also to make the clasp centered on your wrist is to experiment between removing and adding links and adjusting the clasp slide feature.
It may take a while until you’ve found your perfect Rolex bracelet fit.
Try different combinations so that it sits comfortably at all times, not too tight and not too loose.
What about the President and Jubilee bracelets?
As mentioned, the new jubilee bracelet is fitted with the Oyster clasp, and this allows you to effortlessly adjust the Rolex bracelet clasp using the method gone through above. With Presidents bracelets, on the other hand, there’s no way you can adjust the size of your Rolex through its bracelet clasp, because frankly, the president bracelet doesn’t have a real clasp, rather a Rolex crown which you flip up to open the bracelet.
Jubilee bracelets, on the other hand, is possible to change the size of using the clasp. To do this, you simply follow the steps gone through above. with pushing in your pins and sliding the bracelet into different holes.
Conclusion
Having your Rolex watch set to a comfortable size is key. Both when it comes to how the watch feels on your wrist, but also how it looks.
It’s crucial that your watch lists comfortably and doesn’t get in the way or gets annoying. Fortunately, there are several ways to go about adjusting your Rolex watch, both by removing links, but also through the clasp. If you can’t do it yourself, the authorized dealer can help you adjust your Rolex.
