How easy to change strap on Breitling

[mfer]

I have a friend who has the yellow rehaut Abyss on a SS Bracelet. He also wants the rubber "Brei - tling" strap. The one that actually says Breitling on it across the strap. It is 22mm tapering down to 20mm, so it should fit the Abyss right? I'm fairly certain of that, but do I need to get separate spring bars for him or do they slide in and out of the rubber straps easy enough.

TIA.

[jms_w]

AFAIK, spring bars from SS bracelet are removable and can be used with a strap. My Navi originally came on SS bracelet and the bars are now used with an OEM strap. Worse case if you don't order the spring bars they can easily be had at a local mall watch repair kiosk for $5.

[mfer]

Originally Posted by jms_w

AFAIK, spring bars from SS bracelet are removable and can be used with a strap. My Navi originally came on SS bracelet and the bars are now used with an OEM strap. Worse case if you don't order the spring bars they can easily be had at a local mall watch repair kiosk for $5.

Thanks for replying! I figured. I know with my Panerai that you don't easily change the tubes in the rubber straps. They are harder than hell to get in and out, so you just leave them. Also, I measure his watch and the lugs are 20mm, so I'm on the hunt for that strap for him. I'm surprized that breitling dot com doesn't have the specs of the watches up there (like lug size in particular).

[jms_w]

No prob. No tubes are used in Breitling straps AFAIK. But I love the ease of changing straps on PAMs. You have to use scratch-prone spring bar tools to remove straps on the Breitlings so keep some Scotch tape handy. Good luck finding what you need.

[mfer]

Originally Posted by jms_w

No prob. No tubes are used in Breitling straps AFAIK. But I love the ease of changing straps on PAMs. You have to use scratch-prone spring bar tools to remove straps on the Breitlings so keep some Scotch tape handy. Good luck finding what you need.

Right, right, got you there.

Do the spring bars go in easy enough in the rubber straps or are they a real trick to get pushed in and taken out? Am I making sense? I was using the tubes as a comparison to the spring bars.

[jms_w]

Originally Posted by mfer

Right, right, got you there.

Do the spring bars go in easy enough in the rubber straps or are they a real trick to get pushed in and taken out? Am I making sense? I was using the tubes as a comparison to the spring bars.

My bad. I'm sorry if I implied that I had the rubber straps. I can't imagine it'd be a problem but I can't say for sure. All I know is that the spring bars easily fall out of OEM calf straps so I imagine they'd keep to the same spec on rubber straps.

[buke45]

Breitlings are all easy to change straps.

[jms_w]

Originally Posted by buke45

Breitlings are all easy to change straps.

It's all relative I guess but when compared with Panerai, much more difficult and scratch-prone.

[Sherwooddavid]

On a Pilot bracelet do you require any tools to make the micro adjustment on the clasp or do you just slide it along to the next holes. I just don't want to force it and break something. Thanks.

http://donindiano.lanetcie.com/watch...cro_adjustment

Micro-adjustment clasp

The Fighter bracelet comes with a very handy micro-adjustment feature where 4 holes in the clasp let you choose the tension of your bracelet, without removing or adding any link.

[jms_w]

Originally Posted by Sherwooddavid

On a Pilot bracelet do you require any tools to make the micro adjustment on the clasp or do you just slide it along to the next holes. I just don't want to force it and break something. Thanks.

http://donindiano.lanetcie.com/watch...cro_adjustment

Micro-adjustment clasp

The Fighter bracelet comes with a very handy micro-adjustment feature where 4 holes in the clasp let you choose the tension of your bracelet, without removing or adding any link.

These are pretty standard in adjustable clasps. I don't have the Breitling one but on my Submariner, I just use a thumbtack to poke one side out while gently tugging the bracelet out. To put it back in I just use my fingernail.

[watchdawg]

Get extra springbars once in the rubber strap they will be hard to get out. When I got my OR strap I was given new spring bars for it by the AD. Good luck finding that strap though i was told it is no longer produced.

[rgilbert24]

Originally Posted by Sherwooddavid

On a Pilot bracelet do you require any tools to make the micro adjustment on the clasp or do you just slide it along to the next holes. I just don't want to force it and break something. Thanks.

JUst push one side in firmly with the end of a round toothpick and push it to the next hole. Then flip over the watch and do the same thing with the other side. YOu will have to push a little harder on the second side because the spring bar is now at a bit of an angle. You can't hurt anything - just go for it.

[train-time]

Breitling catalogs and makes two different types of spring bars in each size. One has a pointed ends and the other has flat ends. The pointed end ones are used with bracelets and the flat end ones are used on straps. I can only assume that the pointed ends align more precisely in the bottom of the holes and hold the bracelet more tightly in an exact location.