Replacing The Strap of An Omega Watch
In time, the strap or bracelet of your Omega watch can wear out. It’s very easy to have a jeweler replace your bracelet for a new one. People do not usually put non Omega items on an Omega watch, simply because it can decrease the authenticity of the watch. Do not try to replace a bracelet or strap by yourselves. Omega bracelets, such as the Speedmaster, and Seamaster are the hardest bracelets to replace. The bracelets are much more complex than usual bracelets and contain many small parts that can easily be lost or ruined. It takes a professional to replace it. Plus if a jeweler were to damage the watch, he would be the liable person. Don’t destroy your watch by trying to replace items yourselves just to save a few bucks.
All the newer Omega models have bracelets that are made of wide and solid loop links to help avoid stretching. If you’ve ever wondered why bracelets seem to stretch over time, it’s because of a flattening of the oval links that are in the center of the bracelet. This is much more common on the gold or two-tone jubilee bracelets. Gold is more likely to bend than stainless steel or platinum. The flattening makes the bracelet longer than before. In other words, the loops bend from the original loop to an oval shape. This happens when the three loops that are in the center aren’t thick or wide enough to keep shape under the stress of wear and tear. Bracelets that have wider links, and harder metal will resist the bending effect.
Before buying a new strap, you have to know what size you need. How to find out, is you need to measure the space from the lugs of the watch. If you don’t own a metric ruler, Omega customer service will be able to tell you by the model number. The standard Omega men’s watch is 18mm-19mm. There are specific oversized models, like the full sized Seamaster Professional, which has a 20mm strap. The ladies watches have more variety, so be sure to measure.
The 18mm bracelet fits the mid sized Seamaster Pro Diver and the Seamaster 120. The 19mm bracelets fit models like the DeVille Prestige and the non-chronograph Dynamic. Then the 20mm fits the full size Seamaster Pro Diver, the Seamaster Chronograph, the Dynamic Chronograph and the Seamaster GMT.
Omega owners are usually shocked when they find out the replacement bracelets can run around $300-$400. Just remember that adding a cheaper bracelet that has no affiliation to Omega will decrease the value of the watch.