Which Bracelet Tool?

[The GMT Kid]

There are so many choices. Is there a best or definitive bracelet tool for Rolex?

I have the following:

GMT Master II - 16710
TT DJ - 16013
YG DD - 1803 (non-hidden clasp)

What bracelet tool would you buy?

too many choices...

[Jason71]

Probably not much help, but I use a toothpick to spring the bracelet off the case through the lug-holes on my lug-hole rolexes.

[Lamone]

I use a paperclip to spring the bracelet off the case through the lug-holes on my lug-hole rolexes

[PanAm]

How about on the ones without lug holes?

[tubojunk]

Bought a Bergeon 6111 for my GMT. Works awesome, I would highly recommend.

[Whiskey]

Buddy, your best bet is to buy the tool-kit that comes with the SD4000.

Inside the kit is the Rolex #2100 tool which has the mini screw-driver for the bracelet at one end and the push-pin on the other to release the lugs or springs on the springbars. There's another screw-bit inside the tool itself and you can change out the ends to use that bit.

You can get them on ebay for $20-30 or you can go to qualitytyme.com and buy a set without the fear of it being bogus for $56.

Your call.

[sea-dweller]

- agreed, this is the BEST toolkit for Rolexes; the screwdriver is excellent, as is the push-pin tool. Rolex should sell this as an accessory !

Originally Posted by Whiskey

Buddy, your best bet is to buy the tool-kit that comes with the SD4000.

Inside the kit is the Rolex #2100 tool which has the mini screw-driver for the bracelet at one end and the push-pin on the other to release the lugs or springs on the springbars. There's another screw-bit inside the tool itself and you can change out the ends to use that bit.

You can get them on ebay for $20-30 or you can go to qualitytyme.com and buy a set without the fear of it being bogus for $56.

Your call.

[gregdolley]

Originally Posted by tubojunk

Bought a Bergeon 6111 for my GMT. Works awesome, I would highly recommend.

I use the same one (6111) for my DJ, but out of the box, it was just a few hairs too wide. I don't know if this was a defect or whether the sport Rolex models have a slightly wider spring bar slot (a lot of TRF's swear by the 6111, but then again, most TRF's have tool watches and not DJ's).

Anyway, I still got the 6111 to work on my DJ by shaving off just teeny tiny bit of metal from the sides of the fork. Then it worked great. See my post about it on this thread (it's post #7):

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=70643


Edit: oh yeah, you could also do what I did before I had the tool. I just took a really small screwdriver (0.8mm) and used it to compress the shoulder of the spring bar while pressing the end link towards the back of the watch. The pressure makes the end link tilt slightly such that the spring bar tip doesn't slip back into its hole. Once you have both sides out of their hole you can slide the end link free of the lugs (I always slide it out towards the _bottom_ of the case - so that any scratches caused by the spring bars decompressing are kept on the back of the watch). While this technique works, it's definitely a lot harder than using the spring bar tool. Plus, I had the problem of the screwdriver tip slipping from the spring bar shoulder. I remedied this by roughing up the screwdriver tip with some sandpaper - this caused it to slip a lot less, but still, nothing beats a proper tool.

-Greg

[Marrk]

Don't mean to be slow on the uptake here, but may I assume that the Bergeon 6111 will be all I need for lughole and non-lughole watches?

It appears that Otto Frei has it for $28.95.




Thanks.

[gregdolley]

Originally Posted by Marrk

Don't mean to be slow on the uptake here, but may I assume that the Bergeon 6111 will be all I need for lughole and non-lughole watches?

It appears that Otto Frei has it for $28.95.

Thanks.

Yup, that's all you need. For a lughole watch, you'd use the pin pusher tip that's on the 6111. It has three tips: small fork, pin pusher, and big fork. The small fork and pin pusher are actually one physical tip, but one end unscrews from the tool and you reverse it to expose the other tip.

Btw, I'd buy the name brand one ($34?). Though I haven't tried the generic cheaper one from Otto Frei, I do have a generic version of a slightly different model Bergeon spring bar tool - that generic version turned out to be really cheap and not durable at all; the fork tips chipped on the very first day of use, and the tip itself constantly comes loose from the handle (I have to tighten the screw every time I use it). Even though it still works (for now), the cheapness of it really bothers me. The name brand Bergeon 6111 that I've been using for about three weeks now hasn't chipped at all, and the tip stays in tight.

[Marrk]

Thanks, Greg.

BTW, that $28.95 Otto Frei tool _is_ a Bergeon. See here:

http://www.ottofrei.com/store/produc...tation+Plug-in

[tubojunk]

yep, that's the one

[mck22]

I need to start getting a small collection of tools together as well

[Tools]

Originally Posted by mck22

I need to start getting a small collection of tools together as well

.......

.......................I like Tools...