A good watch can run for decades, but the strap almost never lasts as long. That is not a flaw; the strap is simply the one part in contact with skin, sweat and water all day, bending thousands of times. Many people stop wearing a watch they love purely because of the strap, which is a shame, because it is one of the shortest repairs we do.
What Usually Fails on a Strap
- Cracks near the holes — the point of greatest bending and tension
- A buckle that worked loose, or a tongue that bent out of shape
- The spring bar joining the strap to the watch — broken or lost
- A retaining loop that tore or went missing
- A strap that stretched and lost its shape through use
Repair or Replace?
When the leather itself has cracked there is not much to be done; cracked leather does not come back, and trying to glue or stitch it holds for a very short time. But if the problem is only the buckle, the spring bar or a loop, it can usually be repaired without replacing the strap at all. We will look and tell you which of the two it is, because there is no reason to replace a strap that is still sound.
What Matters Before Replacing
The one critical detail is the width between the watch lugs, measured in millimetres. A strap of the wrong width simply will not fit, or will sit crooked and work loose. Beyond that it is worth thinking about the type of clasp and the finish, because those change the look of a watch more than people expect.
A tip from the workshop: bring the watch itself, not only the old strap. Measuring the actual width and trying it on the watch takes a moment, and it avoids buying a lovely strap that simply does not fit.
Not Only Leather
There is plenty to do with metal bracelets too: removing or adding links to match your wrist, replacing a pin that worked free, or tightening a clasp that loosened. On silicone and rubber straps, pins can be replaced and length adjusted. In every case it is very short work.
Have a watch sitting in a drawer because of its strap? Drop by 27 Haim Ozer Street in central Petah Tikva with the watch, since most of these jobs are done on the spot. You can also send a photo on WhatsApp to 052-332-6634.
