Hi all
Are any of you out there as anal as I am when changing a strap? I spend a good amount of time taping up the underside and top of the lugs to prevent the slightest of scratches and trying to cover all eventualities (like the bar popping out to the top of the lugs etc). If I scratch even a non seen part of a watch it drives me nuts! Judging by the amount of watches advertised on SC with strap changing marks I'm beginning to think I am the only one.
Anyone else with my affliction?!! :-)
Cheers
Ewan
I use a bit of masking tape now and again!
I've never been too concerned, but I only really change the straps on my beaters. I'm pretty anal about marks on the visible parts, but find it easy to ignore what I can't see.
Certainly sounds like you'd be a good chap to buy pre-owned watches off given that level of care :)
I also tape the lugs when changing straps
Some watches are more forgiving when changing straps. My speedy spring bars pop out without drama, rarely touching the underside, whereas my seamaster is a proper pain. The bracelet seems a lot harder to pop out and I rarely escape without a new mark...
Guilty as charged :)Originally Posted by Marios
I also tape the lugs when changing straps
I do sometimes.
But once I've managed to scuff or ding my watches elsewhere I tend to give up on lug taping.
Then again I'm a lazy cow at the best of times.
Swirlies, scratches and even dinks I don't mind, if they've been caused by the natural rough & tumble of life. The mintiest of watches can be hit by the old Anglepoise ... and I can still hear the sound of the contact between a new, white gold Franck Muller and a seat belt buckle ... I've never done that with any other watch.
But strap changing marks take effort to produce, combined with carelessness ... not taking care when actually doing something to the watch ... and are a mystery to me, when avoiding them ain't difficult. It just takes a bit of planning and ... care.
I won't buy watches that have them.
Really bad ones are certainly troubling.
I rarely get them but do lots of strap changes and always look through magnification.
I always tape mine up as I took a small chunk out of the top of a lug within about 4 hours of getting my Sinn. Lesson learnt.
I tend to only tape lugs when the watch is a slightly more expensive one.
Shallow, but so am I.
Cheers
/john
Patience, practice, the right tools and magnification mean I rarely leave a mark - touching wood while typing.
I've never taped up a watch.
I can see how marks might appear on the underside of a lug, but you'd have to be very sloppy or unfortunate to mark the top.
Gray
I suffer from OCD big time and haven't moved onto changing the straps on my watches yet....maybe someday....lol
I usually get my wife to do it as I am too ham fisted
Sometimes I change strap 2-3 times a day and it would take too much time if I apply tape. Actually the only really visible marks under the lugs are from bracelet itself, not strap change.
seems like a good idea, i have only had a problem with one divers watch which had springbars so powerful i think i could have launched them into space.
Yes, I'm a taper, although I don't tend to change straps / bracelets that often.
Once I have decided, they usually stay on.
Ian.
Surely if something is sharp enough to scratch metal, placing a tiny thickness of paper tape in between said items won't really make too much of a difference?
im incredibly anal about this, why i dont know, its not as if you can see when the watch is on
id be very reluctant to buy a watch with marked lugs tho
Do it the buff, I like to live dangerously.
I never change the straps on watches. :D
Cheers,
Neil.
I am a lug taper!!
Peter
Every single time without fail, I try to change the strap 'bare', scratch the lug and end up totally pissed off. Every bloody time.
John
Question: Are the folks who are scratching lugs using magnification?
I do use masking tape when changing straps on my PO, as it's "my precious".
On my others, no.
Don't, but really really should do. Neither eyesight nor fine motor control suited to pinging spring bars out.
I don't change straps really often but when I do, I tape the lugs.
For people who change a lot or are paranoid about scratches better invest on a proper tool by Bergeon. Bergeon 6825 makes changing a strap piece of cake. Hard to find it online for some reason. Get the Fine Tip version for Rolex.
I quite agree Ewan, how ham fisted do you have to be to damage your pride and joy just changing a strap? :shock:
And don't get me started on '' slight marks that can be easily polished out''
If its that easy why hasn't the seller polished them out? :!: :wink:
I'm just a very naughty boy.
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"Probably just needs a battery". Probably doesn't, too.
Anyway, agree with the earlier poster who said (I'm paraphrasing because I'm too lazy to check back, just like I'm too lazy to tape lugs) get the right tools, learn the right method - I scratched a few in the early days, but never anything worth crying over, now I know how to do it, I don't damage them.
Agree also, SMP's can be a right bugger sometimes.
No tape for me also. Does a scratch alter the timekeeping of the movement? No!
I'm not an habitual flipper so the odd scratch really doesn't matter to me. If it matters to a buyer then "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"
Kind regards
Dave
The best strap-changer I've seen is my local, friendly, high street jeweller. He's not an AD of any big watch brands ... apart from ML ... but he does stock Hirsch straps and gets the company to make one-offs for him.
He uses a blunted blade of a small Swiss Army knife and, as he says, 'confidence'. But no tape. And he's never marked one of my watches.
Life is far too short to spend it sticking masking tape on watches.
The right tool (not always the commercially recommended one) and experience, that's the best combination. I generally use a small penknife for removing straps and an old blunt screwdriver for bracelets. I have the pukka strap changing tools, but rarely use them.
I learnt early on that, just as in engineering, if it feels right, it probably is right.
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