Help required!! Can't fit a strap.

[RustyBin5]

Hi guys - as some will know I bought my first Grand Seiko and yes I love it but I didn't reckon for the 19mm lug width, so off I went to buy some 19mm straps. A kind knight of the forum sent me a shiny croc which looks great and the casual strap I ordered arrived today.

The problem is the gap between springbar and case is really narrow so unless the springbar hole in the strap is right at the very end then the thickness of the leather won't allow it to fit. This is the gap I'm talking about and this is the width that's causing the problem..The GS has drilled lugs and I don't know if that's relevant and if curved spring bars would work?

Anyone got any thoughts?


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[tz-uk73]

But it looks to fit doesn't it? Or have the other straps got springbar holes set further back so won't fit?

[RustyBin5]

But it looks to fit doesn't it? Or have the other straps got springbar holes set further back so won't fit?

No the strap in picture one fits fine - it's the slimmer dressy strap. The strap in picture 2 is the problem. It's a thicker strap so where it folds back on itself to create the springbar hole the added strap thickness is too much. Here's the dressy one in profile. Much less leather between springbar and case on itsorry - iPhone struggling to focus


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[tz-uk73]

I'll take your word for it but it's a shame that a couple of mm thicker and it wont fit. I'd def try the curve spring bars then to see if that give you that extra couple of mm you need at the right point.

[hughtrimble]

It's a problem I have with an old Longines - the space between the spring bars and case is just too slim for many straps that it's really limited in what I can put on it. I just got lucky with the one leather strap I ordered and the one tweed one - the rest are too thick.

[SimonK]

I had the same problem with a Dunhill, cushion-cased, dress watch.

I bought a wafer-thin strap but the gap between the springbar and the case was about 1 micron and nothing would get the springbar to locate in the lughole with a strap fitted. So I fitted the springbar without a strap and eased the blade of a pocket knife in the gap and very gently bent the springbar away from the case just a smidgen. I tried again with a strap fitted and it had done the trick.

[RustyBin5]

I had the same problem with a Dunhill, cushion-cased, dress watch.

I bought a wafer-thin strap but the gap between the springbar and the case was about 1 micron and nothing would get the springbar to locate in the lughole with a strap fitted. So I fitted the springbar without a strap and eased the blade of a pocket knife in the gap and very gently bent the springbar away from the case just a smidgen. I tried again with a strap fitted and it had done the trick.

Might be worth a try.


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[Gobo]

Putting a thin screw driver through the spring bar hole of the strap & applying pressure against a hard surface will thin the leather out quite a bit.