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Victorinox watch band link removal?



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 18th 05, 02:20 AM
larry g. olsen
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Default Victorinox watch band link removal?

Do any of you readers know how to remove the links in the stainless steel
bands on these watches? It appears to be easy but the pins that you can see
through the holes in the links do not want to compress. There are
directional arrows on the side of the links that would be against the
wearers arm. Not sure what they indicate, but they are on the links that
appear to be removable for shortening the watch band.

No jewelry stores around any more in this small town just jewelry counters
in K-Mart and Wal-Mart with no talent behind them. May just have to wait
till a trip into Tucson can be justified if no one can help here.
-Larry

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  #2  
Old May 18th 05, 04:35 PM
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is one end split? kinda looks like a flat head drive? typicly its just
a split pressure pin that can be pushed thru the other side, a tack or
some small pointy object will usually do the trick.


  #3  
Old May 19th 05, 04:24 AM
William Black
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"larry g. olsen" wrote in message
...
Do any of you readers know how to remove the links in the stainless steel
bands on these watches? It appears to be easy but the pins that you can

see
through the holes in the links do not want to compress. There are
directional arrows on the side of the links that would be against the
wearers arm. Not sure what they indicate, but they are on the links that
appear to be removable for shortening the watch band.


Did one today.

Well, not a Victorinox, a Brietling/Bentley

Look at the pins, one end is smaller than the hole.

Get a very small drift (any good jewellery tool supplier will sell you the
drift) and tap out the pin from that end into a special block that comes
with the drift.

Grip the pin that emerges from the other end with a pair of pliers and
remove it.

See
http://www.suttontools.co.uk/acatalo...al__Tools.html

Mine is the one at the top of the page, it's reasonably easy to do, you
even get a 'toffee hammer' so you can't hit it too hard...

Oh yes, I charge £2 a link...

--
William Black

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe
Barbeques on fire by chalets past the headland
I've watched the gift shops glitter in the darkness off Newborough
All this will pass like ice-cream on the beach
Time for tea



  #4  
Old May 19th 05, 04:24 AM
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larry g. olsen wrote:

Do any of you readers know how to remove the links in the stainless steel
bands on these watches? It appears to be easy but the pins that you can see
through the holes in the links do not want to compress. There are
directional arrows on the side of the links that would be against the
wearers arm. Not sure what they indicate, but they are on the links that
appear to be removable for shortening the watch band.


The arrows indicate the direction to push the pin.

The pin is a 'cotter-pin'. A little different from what most
mechanically-inclined folk think of when they hear the name, but that's
what they are called. The end that looks like it _might_ be a screw head
is the end that comes out first. That slot-looking feature is just the
split between the two 'leaves' of the pin. The other end of the pin is
usually more rounded looking.

Push it out with something that's about .9mm in diameter. Drill a small
hole in a piece of wood and place the band against it with the hole
where the pin will come out of the band.

The pusher should have a _flat_ end on it and be made of pretty good
steel. You can probably do it with a modified paperclip and a good pair
of pliers. Start with only a little (~2mm) of the paperclip sticking out
of the pliers and get the pin to move just a little bit.
(Control is the essence here, if you're using too much force and you
slip, the blood on the table will be yours. So will the scratches in the
bracelet.)
Once you get it moving, stick a little more of the paperclip out of the
pliers and move the pin some more.
Repeat until the pin comes out.

The pin goes back in the way it came out.

I do this every day. It's part of my job.
I have slightly special tools to do it though.

--
Carl West http://carl.west.home.comcast.net

change the 'DOT' to '.' to email me


"Clutter"? This is an object-rich environment.

  #5  
Old May 19th 05, 04:25 AM
ne333ro
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I don't know that particular watch but generally, in bands that have
arrows like that, they use friction pins that push out in the direction
that the arrow points. They also usually supply a hole or pry point
that allows you purchase to push the pin out. This is not always easy
since they tend to plate the bands with the pins installed. Sometimes
you can push them out from the opposite side, sometimes you can't.
Depends on that particular design.


  #6  
Old May 19th 05, 03:56 PM
larry g. olsen
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Thanks for all of the replies. From what everyone told me I made a drift pin
from a fairly heavy duty sewing needle. Ground off the sharp point till
there was a flat end was the same diameter of the needle's body. Drilled a
small hole in a pine block and placed the watch band pivot point over the
hole with the arrow pointing to the block. Just a couple of taps with the
hammer and the pin came right out. Just needed assurance that this was the
correct procedure after I learned the pins weren't spring loaded as I first
thought.

Nice friendly bunch on this newsgroup thanks for the help.
-Larry

  #7  
Old May 20th 05, 02:46 AM
Rick Cook
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larry g. olsen wrote:
Thanks for all of the replies. From what everyone told me I made a drift pin
from a fairly heavy duty sewing needle. Ground off the sharp point till
there was a flat end was the same diameter of the needle's body. Drilled a
small hole in a pine block and placed the watch band pivot point over the
hole with the arrow pointing to the block. Just a couple of taps with the
hammer and the pin came right out. Just needed assurance that this was the
correct procedure after I learned the pins weren't spring loaded as I first
thought.

Nice friendly bunch on this newsgroup thanks for the help.
-Larry


This brings up a point -- so to speak. If you sew, or have an SO who
sews, save the dull or broken sewing machine needles. They're made of
excellent steel and they're ideal for making all kinds of tiny tools.

--RC

 




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