Submariner 126610ln Bracelet Screw Pins

[ecrosenbaumiii]

I got a new Submariner 126610ln and the seller damaged 2 of the bracelet screws. Only noticeable under 10x, but I am still unhappy. Are the screws from previous submariners the same size? Where do i buy replacement screws for the the 126610ln?

Many thanks!

[joli160]

Under 10X everything looks damaged, bit OCD perhaps ?

New screw pins from AD or RSC. Generic aftermarket is rubbish

[RichM]

Bring the watch with you to the nearest AD. Have them order you a pack. I think them come in packs of 5. Take them home and change them yourself.

[tomallen]

Originally Posted by Rich Mickol

Bring the watch with you to the nearest AD. Have them order you a pack. I think them come in packs of 5. Take them home and change them yourself.

I agree with this, and you should also get a proper fitting jewelers screwdriver.

[j-watch]

Originally Posted by joli160

Under 10X everything looks damaged, bit OCD perhaps ?

New screw pins from AD or RSC. Generic aftermarket is rubbish

Truer words have never been spoken!

I also like, "once seen, it can not be unseen".

Gotta admit, I suffer from a bit of OCD as well. I gave up worrying about the screws a long time ago though. Probably lost that concern during my Panerai phase in the 2000's.

[214270Explorer]

Ham-Fisted AD idiots. Been there. This is SOoooo common at AD's !!!! Providing it was an AD who did it.
I have since learned to do it myself; it is easy. If you can change out a spark plug on a car engine, replace a house door hinge, or screw-mount a sign to your house, you have all the skill you need. What you mostly need is CARE and an understanding that you have to properly HEAT the screw sockets to soften the loctite (when used by a manufacturer) so that the pins/screws come out EASILY. Like butter, if you do it correctly.

What you need:
A "proper" size screwdriver (buy from a watch parts tools company such as esslinger.) An improper or cheap <bad quality> driver will be a waste of money and you will damage the bracelet for certain. "A proper tool for a proper job"
A good heat source (a "true" heat gun not hair dryer), a cigarette lighter, or a very hot soldering iron with a large or medium tip. You need about 350 degrees of heat (do not place into an oven!)
A good bracelet holder to hold the bracelet STEADY while you work on it. Non-steady results in bracelet damage when your bracelet moves.
These tools are not overly expensive, especially if you are going to do a lot of watches over the years. Sometimes you might borrow a heat gun from a neighbor who has some hobby activities, etc. I have one from a flea market.

Heat the heck out of the link you need to work on. This softens the loctite used on the pins [Rolex for example.] DO NOT HEAT THE WATCH HEAD ITSELF.

Keep the driver tip squarely and firmly into the depth of the screw/pin slot. You do NOT want to let the driver slip and scratch the bracelet.

I have been doing this for a few years now and can remove and reinstall the pins with no damage. They look as factory-new.

The problem is the AD's Ham-Fisted idiots cannot or will not, or are not trained or caring enough, to do it correctly. They see and know the damage they cause and will hope you do not notice it. Devious and unethical - yet there we are.

Never again for me, after the last time. I actually changed AD's because my old one refused to allow me to not have the watch sized at their store.

Well they lost many watch sales because of it. I had even offered to let them write on the receipts "Customer will size watch and seller is not responsible for damage." They were inflexible.

(The new AD lets me take the watches as is, but they still remove all the stickers.)
They do the notation on the receipt just to cover their bums.

Thanks for reading my rant, and I hope buyers will take more care to inspect watches and ask up front about qualifications of people working on your bracelet before the AD's cause these damages to begin with. As stated in the first paragraph, this bracelet damage at AD''s is VERY common.

For those who cannot or do not want to do it yourself, keep a sharp eye <and magnifying glass> on those AD's.

[Smobews]

The bracelet is polished with the screws in it at the factory. How will new screws look if it hasn’t been polished together? Will the non screw side stick out too much?

[Benzsiam]

If you bought it from Boutique/AD, bring it back to them and have them replace it for free, they should have some spare screw pins in their shop.

[Seddyspaghetti]

Lovely pieces!

[envuks]

Only noticed at 10x? Yikes. Put the 10x down. It’s a screw


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[fmferro]

Take the watch to the nearest AD


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[noshame]

Originally Posted by Smobews

The bracelet is polished with the screws in it at the factory. How will new screws look if it hasn’t been polished together? Will the non screw side stick out too much?

Smobews - I can answer this from personal experience. I had some damaged screws on both my jubilee BLNR and 116610LN and asked AD to order genuine replacements screws from Rolex. They are sold in packs of 5 and cost around $30CDN. The replacement screws for both watches are a tad SHORTER than the original factory screws. When installed, the screw will sit maybe a half mm shorter on both sides. They do NOT and will not sit flush. My wife would never notice it, most "normal" people would not notice, but I would say most TRF members would notice. This is just an aesthetic issue, not functional, but once you see it, it's hard to unsee it. If this doesn't bother you, replacement screws are the less expensive way to fix your damaged screws; however, if this would bother you, the ONLY way to get the original factory look, is to order replacement LINKS, which cost about $75CDN each for stainless steel. The screws that come with the links are completely flush and come without loctite applied. I took some before and after photos of replacement screws that I used first and then after switching over to the replacement links. They're not the best pics but it shows what I'm talking about. I'm a little OCD so I thought if I'm going to own this watch for another 40 years, I wanted to "fix" it and be happy. Hope this helps!

[Smobews]

Originally Posted by noshame

Smobews - I can answer this from personal experience. I had some damaged screws on both my jubilee BLNR and 116610LN and asked AD to order genuine replacements screws from Rolex. They are sold in packs of 5 and cost around $30CDN. The replacement screws for both watches are a tad SHORTER than the original factory screws. When installed, the screw will sit maybe a half mm shorter on both sides. They do NOT and will not sit flush. My wife would never notice it, most "normal" people would not notice, but I would say most TRF members would notice. This is just an aesthetic issue, not functional, but once you see it, it's hard to unsee it. If this doesn't bother you, replacement screws are the less expensive way to fix your damaged screws; however, if this would bother you, the ONLY way to get the original factory look, is to order replacement LINKS, which cost about $75CDN each for stainless steel. The screws that come with the links are completely flush and come without loctite applied. I took some before and after photos of replacement screws that I used first and then after switching over to the replacement links. They're not the best pics but it shows what I'm talking about. I'm a little OCD so I thought if I'm going to own this watch for another 40 years, I wanted to "fix" it and be happy. Hope this helps!

I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I would get the full link. I brought it up because of OP’s original question. Great info and pics!!

[noshame]

Originally Posted by ecrosenbaumiii

I got a new Submariner 126610ln and the seller damaged 2 of the bracelet screws. Only noticeable under 10x, but I am still unhappy. Are the screws from previous submariners the same size? Where do i buy replacement screws for the the 126610ln?

Many thanks!

Hi OP, please see my response in post #12 regarding replacement screw fitment. I'm not sure if the 116610 replacement screws are the same as the 126610, but if you bring your watch to an AD, they will be able to order the correct ones for you from Rolex.

[BarryT]

Sorry to open an old thread but it came up on a search.

What size screw would I need for a 126610LN?

Thanks guys.

[watchwatcher]

Originally Posted by ecrosenbaumiii

I got a new Submariner 126610ln and the seller damaged 2 of the bracelet screws. Only noticeable under 10x, but I am still unhappy. Are the screws from previous submariners the same size? Where do i buy replacement screws for the the 126610ln?

Many thanks!

Have you voiced your concerns to the seller? That would be where I would start...