How to remove the links on the watch?

When purchasing a new watch bracelet, a situation almost always arises in which a metal accessory needs to be adjusted to fit your wrist. Of course, the most ideal option is to seek help from your nearest watch repair service center. To carry out such a procedure, you do not need much time, and for a relatively small amount of money, a qualified specialist in your presence will carry out the necessary manipulations with the bracelet. In our article, we will consider how to remove the links on the watch if you want to try to do it yourself.

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Preparatory work - making the right measurements

Before shortening the strap, it is necessary to measure its length in order to understand how many elements are to be removed. In order not to make a mistake in performing this procedure, preparatory work remains to be done:

• You need to wear the watch you bought on your wrist the way you are going to wear it.
• When you have chosen their most convenient placement, you need to turn your wrist so that the clasp of the bracelet is at the top.
• When the metal bracelet on your wrist is in a buttoned state, you need to assemble its parts together to simulate the desired length.
• When the metal strap perfectly grips your hand, then you have achieved the desired result.
• It is necessary to look at where the parts are assembled on the wrist, because sometimes there is such a design of a watch, in which the links do not always touch each other.
• Excess hanging elements of a metal bracelet tell you that these details must be removed first.

Important! If you doubt the exact number of shifted links of the bracelet, then in this case it is better to shorten one segment less. It is much easier to subsequently remove another element of the product than if you incorrectly measure the girth of the hand, add it back.

• Now you can begin to remove the extra parts.

Important! It is recommended that you remove an even number of bracelet segments. You can gradually remove one element on each side of the bracelet, while the clasp is maintained in the center of the accessory.

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Tools for work

How to remove excess links from a watch? To make the bracelet shorten properly, you need to prepare such tools in advance:

• a thin object with a pointed end - for example, a spring remover, a sophisticated awl;
• pliers that have a long nose;
• small malleus;
• screwdriver;
• small tray for details.

Important! Before you begin the process of shortening the links of a metal bracelet, you must:

• Prepare the workplace and make sure that there is no clutter on the desktop.
• The surface of the table on which we will carry out manipulations with the bracelet is covered with a white tablecloth or paper.
• It is also advisable to cover the floor with paper.

Such a preliminary procedure will allow you to quickly find small details, and they will not be able to get lost or roll somewhere.

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Removing with a spring remover or a fine awl

Before removing unnecessary parts, it is necessary to separate the bracelet from the watch, and only after that you can begin to remove the segments.

Consider a step-by-step process on how to remove links on a watch:

• Decide which item you intend to remove.
• Remove the pin from the clasp of the metal bracelet.
• Using a sophisticated awl or spring remover, extrude the shaft from the bracelet closure.

Important! This procedure must be carried out very carefully, because at the slightest carelessness the rod can bounce somewhere in the room and get lost.

• To extrude a rod that holds a particular link together, follow the direction of the printed arrows. They are located at the bottom of the link.
• Squeeze the rod 3-4 mm, after which it can be removed with pliers or manually.
• Folding all the rods is better in the prepared tray for parts, because in the future they will still be useful to you, so you can reassemble the bracelet.

Important! Also watch out for the small metal tips. Some models of watches at the central point of connection of the links have metal small tips that are removed along with the axis. One wrong move, and they may be on the working surface of the table, or even worse - on the floor.

• Remove the second hairpin from the segment. To do this, repeat the same procedure that you performed with the first rod. At the end, you should have two tips and two studs.
• Then remove the second part to remove excess links on the watch.

Important! If necessary, you need to move the next element on the other side of the bracelet.

• When the desired number of segments is removed, the bracelet must be reconnected.
• In order to assemble the watch strap, it is necessary to insert the removed rods again.

Important! The studs must be inserted in the direction that is opposite for the arrows.

• If there are tips in your model, they must be placed in the center of the link.
• Next, push the rod back into the hole and secure it from above with a tip.

Important! If necessary - you need to carefully drive the rod with a small hammer.

• Now you have to re-fasten the clasp. To do this, perform actions that are the exact opposite of the previous steps.
• After that, we connect the clasp to the dial and insert the rods back.

We try on a watch with a shortened strap:

1. In the event that you have removed the correct number of elements, the strap will fit perfectly on your hand.
2. If the bracelet with the watch hangs on your hand, most likely, you incorrectly calculated the number of removed components. If a similar situation arises, you can remove another segment.
3. If the strap is slightly taut, adjust its length. For this, fastener pins must be inserted into the spare holes.

Important! It is advisable to leave the extra tips and rods and not throw them away, as they can be used in the future.

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We remove the links with a screwdriver

To remove the links from the watch with a screwdriver:

1. Select the segment to be deleted. To do this, turn the watch on its side, select the item of the product that you want to remove, find the screw fastening this segment.
2. Then unscrew this screw. For this procedure, you need to use a screwdriver having a hole of 1 mm. Insert a screwdriver into the screw and turn counterclockwise. Turn the screwdriver until the screw is completely untwisted.
3. So that the screw does not fall, it must be captured with pliers or tweezers.
4. After that, select a safe place for him, because in the near future you will need this screw in the assembly of watches.
5. In the same way, remove the remaining components.
6. When the cogs are untwisted, it is not difficult to remove the selected segment.
7. After you have managed to get all the extra segments, you need to reassemble the bracelet, fastening the links with screws and a screwdriver.

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We take out the links from the stretching strap

How to remove excess links on a watch:

• First you need to measure the length of the strap. To do this, connect one end of the bracelet and its case.
• Then wrap it around your wrist.
• Next, you need to count the number of parts that overlap each other.
• Add one more to this number - this calculates the number of items to be deleted.

Important! With this model of watches, it is possible to remove excess segments from any part of the bracelet.

• We put the clock on the desktop so that the dial is at the bottom.
• At the end of the bracelet, bend the section of the upper torsion brackets, which will be removed later.
• Open the lower torsion brackets.
• After that, turn the clock over and snap off the lower torsion brackets.

Important! They are located on the left side of the upper torsion brackets, which were previously bent.

• Take out the extra segments. To do this, push the selected item to the side. This procedure will allow for the automatic release of the bracket, which is used to fasten all the links together.
• After this, you must reassemble the metal strap. To do this, simultaneously fasten the brackets on both sides of the bracelet, and this procedure must be carried out before you are about to snap the torsion tubes back in place.

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Remove snap links

To remove the extra links from the watch bracelet with this model of strap:

• First you need to get a hairpin. To do this, push the pin out of the segment to be removed.

Important! It is mandatory to adhere to the direction of the arrows, which are located at the very bottom.

• After that, gently push the product. To do this, with one hand you need to firmly hold the bracelet in the place where the hairpin has just been removed. Then lightly push upward from the side of the segment, which is located near the body. At the same time, it is necessary to gently push down from the side of the segment located next to the fastener.

Important! If everything was done correctly, then you will feel how the mechanism disconnected.

• Continue to gently push in such a way that the gradual “loosening” of the bracelet will finally disengage the mechanism.
• When the mechanism is completely disconnected, you can safely get the element you need - for this you need to move the bracelet clasp to the case.
• Then carefully shift the parts. When the elements are disconnected, they can be pulled out very easily.

Important! Perform this procedure with great care.

• After that, you must reassemble the bracelet. To do this, it is necessary to carry out in turn the step-by-step procedure that was performed earlier.

Important! In order not to damage or scratch your metal bracelet in the process of removing excess segments, all operations must be carried out carefully, without haste and without making any rough movements.

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Stock footage

In this article we told you how to remove the links on the watch with different models of straps. We hope you were able to handle this work carefully, and now your accessory is conveniently and beautifully located on your hand!