How to Make a Seiko Watch Strap Shorter

Watch with watchband

Seiko, founded in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori, began as a small watch shop in Tokyo, Japan. Seiko is known for producing a large range of watch models, from accurate and inexpensive quartz watches to incredibly intricate and pricey spring-drive mechanical models. Adjusting the watchband of a Seiko requires some special tools and specific instructions, but it is a simple process after the first adjustment.

Things You'll Need

• Soft cloth
• Scissors
• Small screwdriver/small driving tool
• Spring bar tool

Instructions

Metal Watchband

1. Lay the watch on top of the soft cloth, and examine the edge of the watchband. Near the clasp there will be small holes in the band. These are the pins you will be driving out of the watch.

2. Determine the proper direction to push out the pins. Small arrows should be engraved or printed on the inside of the bracelet. The pins must be pushed out in the direction the arrows point.

3. Using a small screwdriver, driving tool, or other small, blunt pin, push the pin in the direction of the arrow. Depending on the watch, you may need a small pair of pliers to help pull the pin out the other side of the watch. Be careful not to bend the pins while removing them.

4. Repeat Step 3 to remove all needed links. Be sure to remove links from each side of the clasp if you are removing multiple links, or the watch will appear unbalanced.

5. Rejoin the band by inserting the pins in the opposite direction that you removed them (drive them in against the arrow). Be sure to hold the sections of the band being rejoined tightly together while driving the pin in. Repeat this step for both sides of the band, if needed.

Rubber Watchband

1. Remove the clasp from the band before resizing. The clasp is attached using a spring bar (a metal rod held in place by spring tension) on the edge of each side of the clasp. Remove the spring rod by using the a spring bar tool (or another thin, sharp object) to push the bar inward, away from the anchor point in the band. This will release one half of the buckle. Repeat to remove the buckle.

2. Test the sizing of your band. Sizing a rubber watchband requires permanently cutting the band, so the size must be certain.

3. Cut along the inner groves of the watchband to remove sections. Check to make sure that the sections you are cutting are not the final sections that have spring bar holes for the buckle to be reattached.

4. Reverse Step 1, pushing the spring bars in while pushing the buckle back into place.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to save removed links, because they may be useful in the future.

• Be careful when using metal tools around your watch, as the watch can easily be scratched.

References

• Seiko: History
• Watch Bands Online: Changing Instructions
• Android: Watch Band Instructions
• Spark Between: Resizing