A few specific Omega Speedmaster questions?

[RichB]

Chaps, my Speedmaster Automatic Reduced arrived today and I'm pretty chuffed with it, better than I was expecting. Anyway I have a quick question;

How do you remove the bracelet? This is the first watch I've owned with a bracelet. There are no holes on the outside of the case and it's not obvious how you access the pins. (see pic below)

p.s. Someone on TZ-UK suggested I look for specific Omega Forums, anyone got any suggestions?

Thanks Rich...

[bry1975]

Hi,

The best way is to mask the watch lugs and back and carefully using a blunt screwdriver compress the springbar another way would be to wear a heavy leather glove and BEING CAREFUL use a stanley knife works a treat as the blade is thin and wedge shaped.

If it's still difficult you can always gently bend the endpiece tabs upwards being careful not to distort the endpiece part.

MAKE SURE THE ACRYLIC GLASS is well protected from scratching or other damage.

Edited by bry1975 on Tuesday 22 February 14:00

Edited by bry1975 on Tuesday 22 February 14:01

[bry1975]

I hate those Bergeon springbar tools as the tip is very brittle and also expensive!

Bry

[RichB]

Oh and... does the hand winder have an over-ride mechanism to prevent it from being over-wound? Reason I ask is that after I unpacked it this morning I left it on my desk, then I noticed it had stopped. I guess the only power it got was from the automatic winder while in the post. I just would it on the crown but it just kept on turning (with a moderate resistance). It's started again so obvously I've wound it but I was just confused that the winder didn't come to a stop.

[bry1975]

Auto movements have a slipping clutch that prevents the mainspring from being overwound!


Bry

[LukeBird]

It won't come to a stop when winding, but you can't overwind it so fear not.
It probably needs somewhere around 40 winds to get it fully wound.

[RichB]

Thanks chaps...

[RichB]

Well here it is, and I blame you lot for this. I was quite happy with my Fossil for every day and my JLC for dress then I started reading this section of Pistonheads and look where you've got me!

I changed the bracelet for a Hirsch croc strap in golden brown which I think suits it. And after buying a pin-tool off eBay for the princely sum of £3.95 I found it was too fat to get in beside the bracelet so I used my trusty scalpel. Having been a bit of a modeller I am quite confident using these and to tell the truth the pins were out in a jiffy! No, blood and no swearing, indeed I thought it was going to be difficult (having read elsewhere about how to hold the watch and where to press) and to be honest it seems like common sense.

A bit of a polish, and here it is. I've since blacked in the "me" of tachymeter and it looks great.

p.s. thanks to whoever it was who talked about the price of these, I manged to get one for 1/4 of the price of the first one I saw

Edited by RichB on Thursday 3rd March 09:49

[bry1975]

Some springbars are a cinch to remove some not so.

[RichB]

Been wearing this for about two weeks now and it's gained 10 seconds so that's less than a second a day. That's pretty good isn't it?

[LukeBird]

That's pretty damn good!
Certainly within COSC specs.

[Chicane-UK]

Mind if I ask what sort of figure you paid and where you picked it up from?

[JAM35F]

NeMiSiS said:

The correct tool looks like a very small flat blade screwdriver with a V cut into the end. This slides over the first raised collar on the springbar and you simply compress the bar and lift the strap from the lug.

Bry is right about the masking tape, one slip = a scratch.

What do you mean by compress? Apply pressure away from the lug hole towards the centre of the strap? Do you need to do this both sides or will releasing one side only release the strap?

How do you then replace a strap and the spring bar using these tools? Just bought one to use on a citizen divers strap and don't want to break anything on my first attempt.

[Riff Raff]

JAM35F said:

What do you mean by compress? Apply pressure away from the lug hole towards the centre of the strap? Do you need to do this both sides or will releasing one side only release the strap?

How do you then replace a strap and the spring bar using these tools? Just bought one to use on a citizen divers strap and don't want to break anything on my first attempt.

With some bracelets, using a single springbar tool is asking for trouble.

What you need is one of these. They are really expensive, but you don't end up with scratches all over your lugs and bracelet.

https://www.watchtool.co.uk/bergeon-6825pf-fine-pl...

[JAM35F]

Bit more expensive than a £2.95 spring bar tool! Shame as I wanted flexibility to change my divers straps regularly.

[Riff Raff]

JAM35F said:

Bit more expensive than a £2.95 spring bar tool! Shame as I wanted flexibility to change my divers straps regularly.

As I said, it depends on the bracelet. If you are trying to remove a bracelet with really close fitting end links - like for example on a modern Rolex - the problem you have is that the end links can't twist between the lugs, so they need to come out straight upwards. There are little tabs that stop you pushing straight down. You might theoretically be able to do it using two springbar tools, but you fing you need three hands, and the chances of scratching something are pretty high.

Removing and refitting straps can be done with a single springbar tool, provided that you can get a bit of twist in the end so you can free one side of the bar at a time. Sometimes you can do this with a bracelet, but I find not very often. But I'm not a trained watchmaker either!

The tool I linked to is a Bergeon - which is a top quality tool. There are cheaper ones, though I've always found that you get what you pay for with watchmakers tools. My first springbar tool was a really cheap one, and it didn't last five minutes. I bought some Bergeon ones, and not only are they a delight to use and robust, the tips are replaceable. Others MMV of course.

[JAM35F]

I bought a bergon spring bar tool in the end, it was the most expensive on ebay at £6 compared to the others at £2 ish. Figured it wouldn't snap straight away. It's citizen and Seiko rubber dive straps I'll be changing so hopefully they won't be as close fitting as a high end watch like a Rolex and will have a bit more space for me to work with. Will give it a go anyway. Thanks for your advice, most appreciated.