5 Our Top Picks of Essential Tools For Watches

Having a different style in wearing watches can be as easy as changing the straps. Only a little change from a brown leather strap to stainless steel bracelet would create a totally distinctive appearance. Besides, swapping a watch strap is a relatively easy task and can be done at home. Yet, you still need to know the list of watch strap-changing tools to make the task easier and safe.

As brief information, a watch strap is placed between the lugs and held in place by two small spring-loaded bars. Therefore, removing the strap using a tool will make the process easier. This is where spring bar tools come to the rescue to help change the watch strap.

A spring bar tool is a thin, forked-shaped end tool that can be used to apply pressure to the flanges of the spring bar. These days, there are quite many variations for you to choose from, and below we’ve gathered some that might pick your interest.

Table of Contents

How to Change a Watch Strap

Before getting into the recommendation, let’s get you familiar with how to change a watch strap. It’s indeed quite an easy task yet definitely a difficult one if you are clueless, right?

Get Ready with the Equipment

The first thing to do is prepare the tools, such as spring bar tools, soft pads, and indeed the replacement strap. You can also add a barrier as an optional requirement. It can be anything with a flat-bottomed desktop, such as a piece of paper.

You also need to set the workspace to change the watch strap. Make sure to put the watch on a sturdy level surface for stability. Lay out the soft pad under the watch to avoid scratches. Now, you’re ready to change the watch strap.

Remove the Strap

Moving on to the main step, you need to remove the spring bars in the first place. It refers to a small piece of metal used to hold the watch strap in place. A watch typically has two spring bars but it’s also common to have four or even six of them. Be aware that it’s so easy to lose them due to their size. Therefore, place them on a barrier to prevent losing them.

In removing the spring bars, hold the watch case using your non-dominant hand. Take the spring bar tool and hold it like holding a pencil. Pry out one end of the spring bar gently and move it out from between the lugs. Do the same to the other strap. Now, your strap piece is free from the watch case.

Install the Replacement Strap

The last step is installing the replacement strap. Start by inserting a spring bar into one of the replacement strap pieces. Carefully place them because the spring bar ought to protrude equally from both sides of the strap.

After inserting the spring bar into the replacement strap piece, loosely insert one protruding end of the spring bar into one of the lug holes and rest the other spring bar on the top of the opposite lug. Use the spring bar tool to help you compress it easier.

In case the spring bar doesn’t snap into the lug hole and doesn’t fly off, try to put it down and carefully move the strap around. Find the lug hole and listen for a “click” signal to make sure it has snapped into the lug hole.

Tools You Need in Collecting Watches

There are abundant options of spring bar tools available in the market that are worth looking into. Below, we have gathered some that might be your best buddy to swap your strap.

Dievas Heavy Duty Spring Bar

A sturdy spring bar tool by Dievas made of 316L Stainless Steel. The Heavy Duty Spring Bar comes in a double flange design to help you with better strap installation and removal. It features a 1.00mm tip length and 0.80mm tip diameter that provides a better snap into the watch case.

Not only that it is affordable but if you need a watch strap-changing tool for assurance, this one will be it. It also comes in three sizes 20mm, 22mm, and 24mm.

Gnomon Screwdiver & Spring Bar Tool

An all-rounder tool is definitely everyone’s favorite. The same also goes for Gnomon Screwdiver & Spring Bar Tool which offers a multi-purpose spring bar tool. This tool would be a practical one when it comes to changing a watch strap or adjusting a bracelet. It looks like a pen measured at 13cm with a different tip on each end.

One end is equipped with a 1.6mm flat screwdiver to help resize the bracelet and change strap buckles with a screw link. On the other end is the fork tip to change your watch strap with ease.

Worn & Wound Strap-Changing Multi-Tool

Looking for another ergonomic watch strap-changing tool? Let us present one by Worn and Wound that features two capped ends. The design was intended to advance the standard strap-changing tool with more functionality – but still makes it look slim and handy that you can just slip it into a watch roll.

Each tip features a standard tool to change your watch strap as well as a screwdriver – it takes the form of a poker or a fork. You can use the poker in drilled lugs, fork in standard lugs, and screwdriver for lug bars, bracelet links, bezels, and others where you can find screws.

Everest Premier Bracelet/Spring Bar Tool & Installation Set

Everest offers quite a luxury watch strap-changing tool as presented in the Oyster Tool Kit. The brand mentioned that it’s a travel spring bar tool kit, specifically for Rolex and Tudor owners.

It helps them to install and safely remove their watch bracelet. The tool makes a convenient kit for traveling as it can easily slide into a briefcase or watch case. The kit also features an easy install or removal of 1.6mm screws.

Crown & Buckle Keyring Spring Bar Tool

Are you a traveler or businessman who loves simplicity? The Crown & Buckle Keyring Spring Bar Tool is a good companion for your fresh new look on watches. It might be quite a hassle to bring several watches during travel as they need proper care but bringing some straps would be a nice alternative – you can still get a different look on different occasions.

Therefore, you need a spring bar tool that is handy and convenient for travel. This tool can be attached to your keyring, allowing you to easily swap in the middle of your vacation. Unscrew in the middle, and you’ll get a forked bit that threads into the handle to change the strap. This is a good watch strap-changing tool on the go.

Final Thought

Changing a watch strap is one of the easy tasks in taking care of timepieces. Not to mention that swapping the strap can give a fresh new look to the watch. As explained above, it’s possible for anyone to learn how to change a watch strap. Above all of that, a spring bar tool is the one device that will make the job much easier. So, have you considered which one picks your interest?

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