So WHY are hollow end links so TERRIBLE?

Tbh, I don't care that much myself, ofc folded links do feel cheaper and they rattle, but they function just well as solid bracelets, more or less. Also, screws are about ease of resizing for end user? I mean most regular joes have tiny screwdrivers, but not many have resizing capability with pin and collar, I think?

Don't like um, the rattling and content adjustment drive me crazy

They do the job, so there’s no real objection about them not working well, they just feel and look cheap. it may seem shallow to object to a bracelet because of the way it feels or sounds, but what else is luxury then? We feel an item is luxurious if it looks, feels, sounds, tastes a certain way. So yeah, a Seiko bracelet can look as nice as it wants, but in the end it just feels cheap and nobody wants to feel like they paid good money for cheap stuff.

they rattle, that's all.

I lold at "am I banned now". 🤣

That was priceless.

While solid endlinks are nice, hollow endlinks do the job fine. I will say that if ill fitted they can add to the jangliness of a bracelet, but I don't mind them.

Honestly I think the looking down on hollow endlinks and pressed clasps has been engraved in the minds of some by overzealous watch "enthusiasts".

This is the reason why I try my best not to bash a watch or brand for things like this. If you don't like it, switch it out. Or, buy something that makes you happy. Why complain? 😉

Seikos used to have solid links... my seiko superior (now lost) did, and my 25 year old kinetic is virtually indestructible (rest in peace its capacitor though)

They don’t always rattle. My Orient doesn’t. It depends how they are fit in the factory really. Fundamentally they are a little more forgiving for fitting to the case. Rolex only finished switching to Solid endlinks in 2010 I think. Which really isn’t that long ago by modern era terms.

In some ways, for weight and comfort fit , hollow/folded endlinks and even pressed clasps seem to actually be better than solid or milled, but solid seem and feel more quality. More like… money is being spent, and effort made really.

Here’s the details on Rolex and how Solid State Society it was:

https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-end-link-codes/

I prefer solid end links, just feel better quality.

Also I don't get the obsession with screw links rather than pin & collar. Yes screws are easier, but generally we only ever need to adjust the bracelet to fit once, and pin & collar are more secure than screws. Just seems mad to me 🤯

It's one of the checklist of things YouTubers have to get mad about. See also; a lack of in-house movement, and many other things that are actually small potatoes, but some folks go on and on and on about.

They just have a bit of a less premium feel sometimes. They work fine but can result in some rattling when the watch moves. As far as durability They should be fine while they're on the watch but you do have a slight risk or bending them if the bracelet is in a drawer or something. Ultimately not a huge deal.

💯 That and signed crowns 🙄 haha

I've found that if I remove a bracelet with hollow endlinks, then try later to put the bracelet back on the watch, I risk bending the endlinks and having it not fit flush.

I've messed up two Invicta bracelets doing this, and now just avoid hollow endlinks.

I’ve gone through several of the AliExpress hollow link and stamped clasp bracelets for some of my Duros and they always appear slightly off.

Nothing that a adjustment with some pliers couldn’t fix but the added heft and the fitment of solid end links (and a milled clasp), for me, is just more preferable.

Would others notice? Absolutely not and if they did, that would be a cause for concern. 😀

Here are some hollow end links on a Duro

Here is a bracelet with solid end links on a Duro

While both may not be as perfect as say the solid end links on this replacement bracelet on a Promaster…

the solid end links is just an upgrade that I prefer.

Also, a fun fact, my old bracelet from speedy, still works perfectly with stamped clasp and all, while newer and more "luxurious" bracelet with milled clasp, from SMP is broken... Things don't need to be complicated!

Where did you purchase the solid end link bracelet for the Duro? I was looking at LIW and can’t justify the spend. Just picked up a hollow end link on eBay for $20. Co has a return policy so I’m giving it a go. Thx

Who said there's a problem with hollow end links?

For me, it's the sound. There a squishy sound that comes out on mine; it gives me the feeling that the tolerances are not quite right. However, the weight and function is fine.

I did purchase it from LIW but that was before Marc actually had bracelets made especially for the Duro (BRAC 74 & 75). I purchased the BRAC 06 which is specifically for the SKX 007 and an Islander watch. After reading the reviews, I saw a buyer mentioned that they had used it for their Duro and it was a fit, so I did the same.

As for the cost, you are getting a nicely finished, solid end link, milled clasp bracelet and putting it on a $50-$60 watch.

So for a little over $100, you are getting an awesome looking timepiece that punches well above its weight along with a better than average bracelet.

If I saw the Duro with the LIW bracelet, I’d buy it for $120 bucks… easy.

Win-win.

Thank you.

I have and had several vintage watches with folded endlinks... Last that come to mind were the Sinn 103 and the Revue Thommen Airspeed in Titanium... Both were extremely well fitting and did not feel cheap or rattly... On the other hand I've owned a 1989 Sub which had the hollow bracelet and a miniscule amount of "Rolex stretch" and by far that combo felt like a 5$ kinder surprise watch to me...

Probably the new forged purists being snobby about their purchases trying to find simple flaws or cons to make themselves feel better about their own purchases 🤷🏻‍♂️... Don't get me started on vintage JB, Bonklip or Forstner bracelets 2x to 3x older than me and still better than the early 90s and 00s Omegas and Rolex.

Personal preferences could also play a strong role.

You are the weakest link! Good bye 👋

Hollow endlinks and stamped claspes wich also gets a bad wrap helps keeping the weight down as well as the cost. I think it's a good thing. A solid endling, solid links and milled claps for a watch closing in on 40mm or more will usually be heavy and uncomfortable. It's just about 20 years since Rolex stopped making hollow endlinks BTW. So what's the big whoop?

Hollow endlinks can get deformed by certain things. That's the only real downside besides not being "fancy" 😊

True. But it's usually waaaay easier to get a bracelet with hollow links on and off your watch!!

It's easier to spot AND fix a screw that's taking a hike than a pin that's left it's collar. But I have owned most variants and they all work perfectly nice. But I think I would be more happy to get screws and hollow endlinks than the other way around if I had to choose 🤔

Oh yes, heaven forbid! No signed crown? Throw it in the trash! Straight to jail! Etc, etc. LOL.

Hmm. Don’t mind and don’t care. The jangle’s in the links not the end links.

Fair enough, to each their own 😉