Decent Enough (Collection/Straps Update)
It's hard to be 100% happy in this hobby (or for anything really). On one instance you can be totally happy with your collection and rotation, the next moment nothing is right. This post is going to be me going through some of my watches and how I ended up with the current configuration they are in.
Hamilton Spirit of Liberty Chronograph
It's truly a beautiful watch. The sunburst is extremely well done, the case and finishing are marvelous, and the Valjoux based movement is fun to start and stop.
What has been the bane for this watch is the male end links. The watch is 42mm, L2L 52mm, and nearly 15mm thick.
The watch sits proud and tall, and juts out effectively making it wear like almost 62mm L2L. And so my mission for this watch was to find ways that helped shrink the watch on the wrist.
But what I found was that inserting thinner spring bars actually allows the bracelet to fold over a little more.
Subtle, but big enough visual difference for me to wear it more often.
Orient Mako II
It's now on a tropic rubber strap and I love it. It also fixes the difficult to grip bezel issue. One day I'll get around to buying a decent bracelet and invest in some watch making tools to replace the crystal (huge gash can be seen near the 4 o'clock marker).
Seiko SNXS79
The original bracelet is... trash let's be real. I got a cheap presidential style bracelet off Amazon and voila! The watch looks and wears so much better. Except the endlinks did not fit the watch. So I used the original end links and now I'm left with a 1mm x2 gap between the end link and the first link.
This makes the watch jangle a bit more too. Regardless, I feel like even with the glaring flaw it's still better than the original bracelet. Maybe I'll get an Uncle Seiko one day to fix this mess.
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I'm looking forward to try on a few pieces through Amazon's Try Before You Buy again, hopefully they won't get me this time.
Armchair watch collector
Yup, small hacks that make the wearing more enjoyable. Thanks for sharing, mate. 🍻
For the SNXS79 president bracelet, the one I got included both curved and straight end links. Like yours, the curved end links didn't fit, but the straight end links worked well.
Try getting separate straight ends link with quick release spring bars. I got an 18mm one recently, for the jubilee bracelet of my 18mm watches.
Yup, small hacks that make the wearing more enjoyable. Thanks for sharing, mate. 🍻
For the SNXS79 president bracelet, the one I got included both curved and straight end links. Like yours, the curved end links didn't fit, but the straight end links worked well.
Try getting separate straight ends link with quick release spring bars. I got an 18mm one recently, for the jubilee bracelet of my 18mm watches.
Not that I tried it on my SNXS but straight end links also give me that incompleted-ness feeling 😂 Thank you for the lovely photos I know I can always count on you!
Not that I tried it on my SNXS but straight end links also give me that incompleted-ness feeling 😂 Thank you for the lovely photos I know I can always count on you!
I get what you mean. The hacks you made are working anyway, so enjoy my friend!
That Hamilton is a beautiful watch
I get what you mean. The hacks you made are working anyway, so enjoy my friend!
Thank you!
That Hamilton is a beautiful watch
It truly is. I wish it was just a little smaller then it'd be closer to perfect but alas.
Have found that Marine Nationale straps can greatly improve watch wearability
Have found that Marine Nationale straps can greatly improve watch wearability
Gonna have to look in to those for my Mako... 👀
Gonna have to look in to those for my Mako... 👀
I prefer straps from The Watch Steward.
Tried Nick Mankey Design models, which are more expensive, and gave those to my son-in-law. He loves them!
I prefer straps from The Watch Steward.
Tried Nick Mankey Design models, which are more expensive, and gave those to my son-in-law. He loves them!
Even more places I can spend money 😂