Easily shorten or resize your watch band
In this article you will discover:
- Remove links from your steel watch strap
- Shorten your steel band with large links
- Adjust the strap with your own tools or an adjuster
- Adjustment of milanese watch strap
- Resize a stretch watch band
1. Adjust or resize your steel watch strap
The majority of watch bands that need to be adjusted or resized have a steel watch band. The links are connected with pushpins. Therefore it is necessary to remove these pushpins to shorten the steel watch strap. In below videos we show how to adjust your watch straps in two ways. It is important not to damage the band when removing the links. We recommend in the first place to shorten a steel watch strap with an adjuster, but you can always use common tools at home.
Important information for resizing your watch strap:
- On the inside of the band you will see some small arrows on some links. Only the pins from these links can be removed.
- The arrow points to the side where the pin should go out.
- Make sure when tapping the pin back, the split side of the pushpin goes in last.
Video to take out ‘normal’ links:
Video of resizing a watch band with large links:
How to adjust your watch strap with own tools?
- Examine the above points first as well.
- Put the watch strap with (aforementioned) arrows pointing down over a small hole or a thick piece of carpet.
- Beat with a small hammer on a pin to get the pushpin out of the watch strap.
- Try to remove on both sides of the watch strap an equally amount of links.
How to shorten a watch strap with an adjuster?
- Examine the above points first as well.
- Put the watch band with (aforementioned) arrows pointing to the slot.
- Turn the handle to push the pins out of the watch strap.
- Try to remove on both sides of the watch strap an equally amount of links.
2. Milanese watch strap adjustment
Increasingly we see watches with a milanese watch strap. But how can you adjust this watch band? Fortunately, you can do it in only 1 minute yourself! With these simple steps and below video is it easy to do it. Furthermore, it is important to make sure that the groove on the back of the clasp is lined up with the groove on the watch strap. Otherwise it is not possible to close the clasp properly. Watch this video for more info on how you can shorten a milanese watch strap.
Video to shorten milanese watch band:
How to adjust a milanese watch strap:
- Get a tool like a thin screwdriver and insert it in the little gap on the clasp.
- Gentle push down over the watch face, so the plate lifts up.
- Once that is happened you can slide the clasp up and down the watch band.
- Once you have the right size, just make sure that the groove on the back of the clasp is lined up with the groove on the watch strap. Otherwise you will not be able to lock the clasp properly.
- Last but not least, put the locking plate back down.
3. Shorten or resize a stretch watch band
There are many watches with a stretch watch band on the market, but how do you shorten this strap? In the following video we like to explain it to you in just 1.5 minutes. How to resize your stretch band with simple tools like tweezers and a small flat screwdriver.
Video to make stretch band smaller:
How to shorten a stretch watch band:
- Remember to work on soft ground.
- Take a small flat screwdriver and place it between a pin on the side of the watch band.
- Then remove the pins upwards.
- When that’s done, you also remove the pin on the other side of the band in the same way.
- Remove some links or add some.
- To get this pin back in the watch band, it is convenient to use tweezers, because it is rather small.
- First press the links to each other and then get the pin at the same time in both links.
- Then use for example the side of the forceps to push the pin all the way into the stretch band.
We wish you lots of pleasure with your adjusted watch! Furthermore, your jeweller can also adjust the strap for you.