A watch should sit snugly: tight enough not to slide down onto your hand, loose enough to fit one finger under the strap. Here is how to adjust each type of strap.
Stainless-steel link bracelets
Link bracelets are shortened by removing links. Look at the inside of the bracelet: removable links have small arrows next to the pins.
- Lay the watch face down on a soft cloth.
- Push the pin out in the direction of the arrow, using a pin pusher or a thin pin and a small hammer.
- Remove the same number of links on both sides of the clasp, so the clasp stays centred under your wrist.
- Join the bracelet and push the pin back in, against the direction of the arrow.
If you have never done it, any watch shop or jeweller can resize a bracelet in a few minutes. Keep the removed links in case you need them later.
Mesh and hidden-clasp bracelets
Mesh bracelets and many slim women’s models, like the SKMEI 1874, adjust at the clasp. Open the clasp, slide it along the bracelet to the length you want and close it again until it clicks.
Silicone and resin straps
These straps have holes along their length, so you simply choose a different hole. Sport models such as the SKMEI 2616 and the SKMEI 9068 use this kind of strap.
Leather and nylon straps
Leather and nylon straps also use a pin buckle and holes. New leather is stiff at first; it softens and shapes to your wrist after a few days of wear. Leather straps should stay dry.
Changing a strap completely
Most straps are held by spring bars, small pins with springs inside. Push the end of the spring bar inward with a spring-bar tool, lift the strap out and fit the new one. The new strap must have the same width as the old one; the strap width of each SKMEI watch is listed in its specifications.
