Back To Basics: How To Size Your Watch Bracelet

Back to Basics is our series aimed at newcomers to our lovely watch hobby. In this installment, we will delve into bracelet sizing. Maybe you just got a brand-new watch as a gift, or perhaps you ordered one online. In any case, you now have an oversized watch bracelet in your hands and are wondering how to get it to fit.

Well, fear not; Fratello is here! In this article, we’ll go over the common types of bracelets and how to size them properly. Let’s jump in!

General tips when trying to size your watch bracelet

Let’s start with some basic tips that apply to all bracelet types, starting with how to know how many links to remove. The easiest way is to put the watch on, then fold a part of the bracelet onto itself until you feel the fit is comfortable. Then, count how many links you have folded onto themselves. This is the number of links you should remove to get into the ballpark.

Removing four links

Now, where do you remove those links? Generally, you want to split the number between both sides of the bracelet. However, for most people, it is more comfortable to have the clasp slightly closer to the 6 o’clock side of the watch. So, if you have to remove five links, your best bet is to remove three from the bottom (6 o’clock) bracelet segment and two from the other half.

Next, if your clasp features any sort of micro-adjustment mechanism, set it to the central position. This way, you will still benefit from the possibility of setting your bracelet tighter or looser once you are done removing links. Lastly, work on a solid surface, such as a desk, and rest your hands and bracelet on it at all times. Mid-air shenanigans don’t lead anywhere good.

You can recognize single-sided screws from the flathead slot on one side and a smooth tip on the other

Size your watch bracelet — links with single-sided screws

If you see tiny flathead screw heads on the side of your bracelet, chances are you can use those to size your watch bracelet. First, check if the screw heads are limited to one side (if you see a flathead on both sides of the screws, you are dealing with two-sided screwed links, which we will cover next. You need a watchmaker’s screwdriver to size screwed links. If you are buying one, get a good one from, for instance, Bergeon. A proper tool makes your life a lot easier. Ensure you have precisely the right size, with your screwdriver tip filling the entire width of the cutout in the screw head. This gives you maximum grip and reduces the odds of damaging the screws.

Next, fixate the bracelet with the screw heads pointing upwards. You can use a little plastic watch holder, a vice, or a solid grip with your weaker hand. Be sure to protect your bracelet from scratches if you use a vice. Next, put the screwdriver in position on the screw. Now put your index finger on the rotating top of the screwdriver and use your thumb and middle finger to turn it. Apply some pressure to ensure you don’t slip, and maintain a straight angle to the bracelet. Your screw should come loose.

If it doesn’t, it is likely glued in place. In that case, your best bet is to dunk the bracelet (not the whole watch) in boiling water for a few seconds. Be careful to let it cool before touching it again, but this will likely break the bond. Use the aforementioned technique to screw the remaining links back together and you should be good to go. If you want, you can put a drop of Loctite on the threaded end of the screw to secure it in place, but I’ve never found this necessary for my bracelets.

If you have the budget, a tool like this is much easier to use than a vice and two loose screwdrivers

Double-sided screws

If you spot flat heads on both sides of the screws, congratulations! You have just landed the most annoying and toughest bracelet style to size. To remove such links, you will need to come at the screw with screwdrivers on both sides. Your best bet is to take the entire bracelet off the watch before doing this.

Next, you need a vice. Put one screwdriver tightly in the vice, with its tip pointing upwards. Put the tip into the screw head, resting the bracelet on its side on top of your contraption. Hold it with one hand while you carefully unscrew the top screw with the second screwdriver in your dominant hand.

Be sure to put something underneath the vice to catch the bottom half of the screw because it will fall out when you lift the watch. Screwing the required links back in follows the same process in reverse. It is awfully tricky.

If they look like screw heads but are a little too small and not quite as neat, they are likely split pins

Size your watch bracelet with split pins

Split pins can be found on most more affordable watch bracelets. They are easy to size if you know what you are doing. A split pin can look deceptively like a screw as it features a similar straight line across its head. However, it will likely look a bit too small and a bit too messy to be a screw. Also, you will spot little arrows on the inside of your bracelet, indicating which direction the split pins should be punched. Such markings do not appear on screwed bracelets, so this is a dead giveaway.

You will, again, need a watch holder or a vice. This time, you need to position the bracelet with the arrows pointing down into the holder or vice. Be sure to position the pin over a hole in your holder, as you will be punching the pin out on the bottom side. Next, you need something that fits into the hole, like a stump needle, an unfolded paperclip, or, preferably, a correct split-pin punch for watches. Use a light or nylon-headed hammer to tap the pin out. Reassembly is as easy as putting the split pin in against the direction of the arrow. Lightly tap it with the same hammer until it sits flush with the side of your bracelet. You can put some tape on it to prevent the hammer from scratching the bracelet.

Alternatively, you can use a little watchmaker’s bracelet punch. With this, you lay the bracelet flat in a small plastic vice and screw the punch until it pushes the pin out. A proper one of these tools works magic, but most are cheap and break as soon as you apply pressure. Buy a proper one, like those from Bergeon, if you plan on sizing more bracelets in the future.

Pins and collars

Finally, we will cover pin-and-collar setups. If your bracelet has one of these, it will show round pins on the side without screw heads or split surfaces. They may or may not feature arrows inside the bracelet. If they don’t, you can punch them out from either side.

A central pin is held in place with a little metal tube that usually sits in the central link of your bracelet. You remove these links the same way as the split-pin variant discussed above. However, tread carefully because the central tube (collar) will likely fall out when you punch out the pin. You need it for reassembly, so be sure to catch it as it falls.

Reassembly requires you to put the collar back in place before you punch the pin back in. This can be finicky, but it otherwise follows the same recipe as split pins do. If you are very unlucky, you may find your bracelet featuring two collars per pin. If that is the case, take your time and carefully examine where each collar goes. Important note: if you put the collar(s) in the wrong way, it(/they) may not grab the pin. Always test your reassembly by pushing a pointy object against the pin. It should not slide out easily. If it does, take it apart again, and reverse the collar.

So, you dropped and lost a tiny part?

Here’s one final pro tip in case you lost one of those pesky pins, screws, or collars. Put a pair of pantyhose tightly over the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner and fix it in place with a rubber band. Now vacuum the area around your workspace, and the part should appear right there on the pantyhose! Please do ask for permission from the pantyhose’s owner if that isn’t you.

Lastly, there is no shame in knowing your weaknesses. If all of this is too finicky for you, just go to your local watchmaker or jeweler. After all, many of these mechanisms were never intended to be used by the consumer. My advice would be to make clear that you wish to pay for the work. Few things annoy jewelers more than cleaning up the mess left by online-only retailers and people assuming they will do it, and rightly so.

Best of luck and happy sizing! And for our more experienced readers, please share your tips for bracelet sizing below!