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HOW TO CHANGE A SEIKO WATCH BAND?
Seiko makes watches in so many different styles, from elegant dress watches to go with a suit to sport watches designed to go diving or accompany you on ski slopes. Every Seiko watch has its own unique design, look and purpose and therefore, Seiko attempts to create the perfect strap for their watches to fit that purpose. Each strap is different, and has different advantages and disadvantages, looks and feels to them, however, almost all Seiko watches can have their strap changed.
Some of their watches even come with two or even three different straps with them to give you the flexibility and choice to swap them out depending on what you are doing or what look you would like your watch to have. Most people will buy a Seiko and keep it on the original strap or bracelet it came on but we want to make sure you know how to change your Seiko strap so you can choose how you wear your watch. Today, we are going to look at the different ways you can change your Seiko strap and what types of straps you can change them for.
The first step
Metal straps are one of Seiko’s most common straps to find on their watches and typically they are the more expensive option. They can come in a variety of different metals though, steel is probably the most common but then you can have gold (rose, yellow and white). Of course, each of those metals will not only look different but feel different, especially in terms of weight! Metal bracelets are often the easiest to put on, once you have sized the bracelet to your wrist, it’s just a case of sliding your Seiko on and closing the clasp and as quick as that you’re ready to go.
However, that can also be a downside, you need to have links taken in and out which can take time and require skill, and even once it’s sized you may need to change it depending on the temperature as your wrist heats and cools causing it to expand or shrink. Certain Seiko bracelets have clasps that allow you to make these adjustments quickly but the vast majority of Seiko bracelets do not offer on-the-go quick adjustments! So, changing your bracelet for a rubber or leather strap can be quite attractive especially in Summer time when your wrist contacts in a cool air conditioned building and then expands when you walk out into warmer weather.
Source : Esslinger
Source : Monochrome Watches
Metal can give a casual, sporty or even dressy look not to mention it’s quite durable. Of course, being durable will also depend on the type of metal, for example yellow gold or plated gold will scratch a lot easier than steel, so when you change your Seiko strap, if it’s a yellow gold bracelet you want to take extra care. If we take a look at the gold Seiko 5 Sports watch, an iconic watch in Seiko’s collection, you would want to be careful not to scratch the watch case or bracelet too much as you could scratch away any of the plating.
However, if you wanted to change it out for another strap like leather or rubber for example, you first need to remove the bracelet from the watch. The first thing to do is turn the watch over and set it down on a soft material on top of a table so you don’t scratch the crystal. Then, use electrical tape to cover up the lugs so that when the spring bars come out, they don’t scratch the lugs.
You don’t need to do this if scratching your watch doesn't bother you, but if you like to keep your watch in the best condition you can then we recommend doing this to avoid accidental scratches, especially if your Seiko is made from precious metal or has a gold plating! Once you've covered up your lugs you can now use one of two tools to remove the bracelet, the first is with a spring bar tool.
This is probably the most popular and certainly cheaper way out of the two, you slide the tool in and use the fork end to push the spring bars inwards and then use your other finger to gently push up on the bracelet. Then swap over to do the same on the other side and voila! Repeat this process on the other side as well, regardless of whether your strap is metal, leather or rubber, this process is the same.
The second way is to use a tweezer style spring bar tool, whilst costing more, it avoids getting your watch scratched up because unlike the first tool, it pushes in both ends of the spring bar at once. All you have to do is simply line up both forks at each end of the spring bar, squeeze and pull up and that should remove your bracelet in one clean action. Not only is it quicker but you also have more control which helps avoid the spring bar accidentally springing across the room or scratching your Seiko’s lugs.
This process will be the same for rubber, leather and even nato straps as well. Once you have removed the bracelet, take out the spring bars from the end of the links and then you can put them through the holes in your rubber, leather or nato strap. However, if the spring bars that came with your bracket are too wide or thin, you may need to buy a new set of spring bars to make sure the new strap fits perfectly, don’t worry, they aren’t expensive or hard to find!
Source : Watch Obsession
Source : Hodinkee
Once you have got your spring bars fitted into your leather or rubber strap, you now simply reverse the process. With the spring bar tool, push one end in first and then compress the other end and gently push it in until you feel and hear a small click. That way you can be sure your new strap is securely attached to your watch. With the tweezer style spring bar tool, simply compress both ends of the spring bar and carefully slop the strap in place, then move it around slowly until you hand and feel a click like with the spring bar tool.
Once you have done this for both straps, you’re good to go! One quick tip, before putting your new strap on, make sure it is the right way round on the watch to avoid having to take it off and put it back on the right way around. Quickly look at an image of your Seiko watch with the type of strap you're putting on so you can see which part of the strap to attach to which end of your Seiko.
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Another way to change your strap
Another way to change your strap can be done with no tools at all. This is because some Seiko models have the quick release spring bar system that holds the strap or bracelet to your case. All you have to do is pull down on the small lever and the strap will come out. One classic example of this is with the famous Seiko presage cocktail timepieces.
They include a bracelet or leather strap but only the leather strap features a quick release spring bar. This means once you have removed your metal bracelet you can add your Seiko leather strap on within a few seconds! This is great for those who have a few different Seiko leather straps or aftermarket ones featuring the quick release system. You can also buy the quick release spring bars cheaply as well, however, with the small lever on it, you should first check whether your strap can accommodate it or not.
Source : Worn and Wound
One additional way to do this is to take your watch to your AD or a local watchmaker/ shop and get them to change it for you, this is great if you really don’t trust yourself to do it or have the tools…yet! You don’t need to worry what type of strap you're changing to and from as the watchmakers at your AD and even assistants are usually all quite experienced at both adjusting and changing straps. Especially when it comes to Seiko as it is a brand that almost all AD’s will sell so all members of staff will likely have had plenty of experience changing Seiko straps. However, they may charge you to do it and it is quicker to change it from your home since you won’t need to travel to a watchmaker every time you want to change your strap.
The easiest of all straps to change is from one nato strap to another. Nato straps are probably one of the most secure and easy straps to use. Because each spring bar is connected to a separate loop going around your wrist, if one spring bar breaks, whilst your watch will be flapping around, it will still be connected by the other spring bar unlike a normal strap or bracelet. Once you have got your Seiko with just the spring bars attached, all you have to do is simply slide the strap over the top of one spring bar, pass it underneath the case and over the top of the other spring bar. It’s that simple. To change them, reverse the process and then do it again to attach the new one. One thing to bear in mind when it comes to nato straps is after wearing them frequently for a year, the signs of wear and tear will show which can make for an excellent rugged sports watch look. However, if keeping a clean brand-new look to your watch is something important to you then make sure to look at other options like rubber or metal bracelets.
The value of a luxury watch
As far as rubber straps go for your Seiko, you’re in luck if you own one of Seiko’s most popular watch, the presage because ZEALANDE make a perfectly fitted rubber strap for it! The ZEALANDE strap hugs the Seiko presage case perfectly giving that perfect contrast between elegant dress watch and sporty rubber which helps put the emphasis and focus of attention on the beautiful Seiko case.
That said, do not worry if you don’t have a presage, the ZEALANDE universal rubber strap comes in 20 and 22 mm width which can fit almost all the lugs width offered by Seiko. You can definitely be sure that you can find the perfect rubber strap that's been designed for comfort, stylish looks and durability from ZEALANDE!
And Voila! If you're looking to change out your watch strap from one style to another, you can use a simple spring bar tool or a tweezer style spring bar tool to make the strap changing process that bit smoother. Or, if you’re lucky no tools needed other than the quick release spring bar in which case your finger will suffice! And if you’re not feeling up for the task or simply don’t want to do it yourself, just head out to your AD or local watchmaker and they should be able to help you out.
Now that you know the different methods to change your Seiko’s watch strap, you may be more tempted to. If you like the lightweight yet durable sporty look and feel of rubber then you’re in the right place! Here at ZEALANDE we can offer you a variety of different swiss made rubber straps designed for many different watch brands and models. You can select different colours for different looks and once fitted you can size it perfectly to your wrist.
