Stretch could be dangerous..

[Robbby]

http://nickhacko.blogspot.de/2009/05...for-rolex.html

[JohnBoy]

Good points made in this article! It reinforces the causes for wear that many of TRF members keep posting about. Thanks for sharing!

[azguy]

Serious stretch in those pictures......

[Goiguidoc]

Very interesting article.

Thanks!

[esspee1200]

Very very nice read!

[Wolfgang427]

Very good reading indeed though I have seen people wearing bracelets worse then those pictured.

[Jagatai]

Oh wow

[subtona]

nice article ... in my experience, a bit over the top.

for what it is worth,
i wore my TT submariner from 1991 to 2011, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week (with the exception of 2 months while a wrist injury was healing)... the bracelet was stretched but it never fell off or broke.

i did in that time change the spring bars every 5 years or so and i washed the watch, when i washed myself, using the whatever soap was available.

most important, i used it for every activity I engaged in: skiing/ rock climbing/ scuba diving/ traveling /backpacking /cycling / home renovations and every day at work often in extreme environments.

ps the only time it broke, is when i took it out of the draw and wound it (it had been sitting while i recuperated) .. . as i wound it, the date wheel shattered and splashed against the crystal.

so the moral of the story is do what you like, just don't store the watch in a draw.

[JohnnyS.]

Please pardon my ignorance; but I still don't understand how wearing a bracelet loose can cause it to stretch, and wearing it tight does not cause stretch. It really seems like it should be the other way around.

[linesiders]

Not an issues on a NATO strap ;)

Originally Posted by JohnnyS.

Please pardon my ignorance; but I still don't understand how wearing a bracelet loose can cause it to stretch, and wearing it tight does not cause stretch. It really seems like it should be the other way around.

When it is loose enough, parts can misalign and actually gain leverage on another part and snap / wear / stretch more.

[Andad]

Originally Posted by JohnnyS.

Please pardon my ignorance; but I still don't understand how wearing a bracelet loose can cause it to stretch, and wearing it tight does not cause stretch. It really seems like it should be the other way around.

'stretch' is an incorrect term to use because of course stainless steel wont stretch. You will cut off your circulation before you will damage the bracelet.
As the links and pins wear the bracelet gets longer hence the 'stretch' description.
A loosly worn bracelet allows the links to move/rotate on the pins more than a tight bracelet will and this will cause more wear. A bracelet that is not cleaned regularly will end up with oils and grit in the links and this makes a nice grinding paste.
Clean links on a bracelet that is a snug fit will give you the best longevity.

As far the advert is concerned it seems to me to be aimed towards us bringing our watches to him every 3 years for a clean and service which is a load of old cobblers IMO as the examples given were more of a scare tactic than factual in most cases.

As for the number of Rolex watches that he knows of that were lost in Sydney Harbour.

What was interesting was one question on the blog did not seem to have been answered since March 2010 - could this be correct?

Anonymous said...
Hi, I really like your blog. Can you elaborate how to change the wire that is connecting the clasp to the bracelet with fliplock. It seems to be riveted and RSC do not service bracelet. They advice you to change a new clasp.

March 2, 2010 2:08 PM

Yes it is riveted and needs a watchmaker to repair it although there are some two piece aftermarket st/st rivets that might do the job if you are a keen DIY.

[Jason71]

I always scuba dive with a NATO and I check/change my springbars on a regular basis. Never had a problem

[Xander]

I've always suspected that clean vs dirty had a much bigger effect on the longevity than loose vs tight. I worked in a jewelry store that would ultrasonic customers jewelery as a courtesy, and you would be amazed a the nasty stuff that would come out of "clean" jewelry.

[damiand]

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing

[james89]

what I don't get is that why Rolex bracelets usually have the "stretch" issue. I hardly ever hear it from any other brands.

This is just my very humble opinion. While I understand that Rolex bracelets are well made, and have been proven very reliable for past decades, but for something that costs thousand of dollars, I would expect the "stretch" issue should have been fixed a long time ago. Again, that is just my humble opinion.

[K.W]

Originally Posted by james89

I would expect the "stretch" issue should have been fixed a long time ago. Again, that is just my humble opinion.

[james89]

Originally Posted by K.W

umm I'm a ?

[Michael M.]

Yikes...that's a lot of stretch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[onkyo]

Great advise ... replace worn parts!

[ncstate1201]

great article. I think this may be reinforcing my love of maratac, leather, and rubber straps.