Removing Permanent Link on Oyster Bracelet

[echau]

I posted this on WUS, so I figure I might as well post it here too.
Sorry in advance for the bad pictures...bad lighting, fingerprints all over the watch...

When my 14060M came in, first thing I did was resize the watch for my 6.5" wrist.
I take out the two removable links and move the micro-adjustment and voila:



Looks great huh? I flip it over:



Gosh, the clasp is very much off-center.
You can see here how biased the watch is to the 12 o'clock side:



This really bugged me, so I decided to take out a permanent link from the 6 o'clock side and add one of the removable links back on the 12 o'clock side.
I did some research and narrowed it down to three options:

1) Send it in to RSC and let them handle it.
2) Use a Dremel and cut the link.
3) Pull the link apart with some Vise Grips.

I just got the watch, so I didn't want to send it off to Rolex already.
Also, I didn't have a Dremel.
So choice three it was.

Missing some pictures here, but these were the steps I took:

1) Remove the spring bar holding the diver's extension in place.
2) Remove each side of the bracelet and take off the end links.
3) Remove the last link from the 6 o'clock side of the bracelet, leaving just the permanent links.
4) Grip each outer link of the permanent link I wanted to remove with this:



5) Get a friend to help me pull this damn link apart. Let me tell you, that link is in there TIGHT! It required a lot of force to separate it, I guess that's good craftsmanship from Rolex.
6) Add link to the 12 o'clock side of the bracelet.
7) Put the watch back together.

Results:

Wow, this link is GONE:



Watch still sits great on top of the wrist:



And now it sits great on the bottom too:



Look at how well balanced it is now:



And the step between the links isn't that noticeable:



I know a lot of people may be either for or against removing a permanent link on their oyster bracelet.
If you have larger wrists, no worries.
However, I wanted the watch to fit properly, and I am very happy with the results.

-Edward

[2th Dr]

Well done Edward. Thanks for the excellent tutorial!

[GregWormald]

Thanks for the post.

I did this with the original band on my SD 1680--it had 6 links on the 6 o'clock side! If my new band doesn't fit, I'll be doing it again. When the band fits right, it lasts longer--I got 39 years out of mine.

Greg

[JCB62]

I have the exact problem with both my GMT and my ND Sub. It looks just like your photos. I really dont have the courage to take some vice grips to my bracelets though. I wish I did. Well done. I was actually thinking of trying the other simpler fix that has been discussed many times....just putting the bracelet on backwards with the clasp facing the other direction. Looks like others have had good results with that. I like your finished results better, but like I said...I'm chicken. Thanks for sharing!

[echau]

Originally Posted by JCB62

I have the exact problem with both my GMT and my ND Sub. It looks just like your photos. I really dont have the courage to take some vice grips to my bracelets though. I wish I did. Well done. I was actually thinking of trying the other simpler fix that has been discussed many times....just putting the bracelet on backwards with the clasp facing the other direction. Looks like others have had good results with that. I like your finished results better, but like I said...I'm chicken. Thanks for sharing!

I was a little nervous too, especially since I was doing this the first day wearing the watch.
It's just that every time I looked at the underside of my wrist, I was slightly annoyed, so I went for it.
Nothing better than a properly fitting watch!

[2th Dr]

Originally Posted by echau

I was a little nervous too, especially since I was doing this the first day wearing the watch.
It's just that every time I looked at the underside of my wrist, I was slightly annoyed, so I went for it.
Nothing better than a properly fitting watch!

I wish I had the guts too, my fellow Houstonian!

[Mystro]

Great results. I should do this to have my clasp centered but after 12 years, I have just gotten use to it. My Omega 45.5mm Planet Ocean bracelet is able to be adjusted perfect and now I am starting to be bugged by my Rolex bracelet. I can get a 45.5 mm watch to fit perfect but a 40mm cant be sized perfect??

[echau]

Originally Posted by 2th DR

I wish I had the guts too, my fellow Houstonian!

You're a dentist?
If you can pull teeth, you can pull off a permanent link!

[JimSnyder]

I did the same to mine

[2th Dr]

Originally Posted by echau

You're a dentist?
If you can pull teeth, you can pull off a permanent link!

Yeah, but the teeth I take out are NOT MINE...

[Safetrends]

Originally Posted by 2th DR

Yeah, but the teeth I take out are NOT MINE...

Doc just think of it as a removing a capped tooth. Less painful procedure.

[acce1999]

Well done! This is what I do too.

Best,

A

[JJ Irani]

Thank goodness I don't EVER have to massacre any of my links that way - out of box, smack on the wrist, end of story!!

[Roxas]

Congrats! It looks great on your wrist.

[PanosI]

Originally Posted by 2th DR

Yeah, but the teeth I take out are NOT MINE...

[chris russell]

to rat poop.

[chris russell]

No surgery, perfect fit.

[DSJ]

Nice work!

[TRW]

Originally Posted by 2th DR

Yeah, but the teeth I take out are NOT MINE...

[GregWormald]

OK, my new bracelet won't be in my hands for a month yet, so here's a question:
What happens to the 6 side length if you reverse the whole bracelet, and then reverse the clasp? Or can't it be done?

Greg

[2th Dr]

Originally Posted by GregWormald

OK, my new bracelet won't be in my hands for a month yet, so here's a question:
What happens to the 6 side length if you reverse the whole bracelet, and then reverse the clasp? Or can't it be done?

Greg

If you do that, you'll be right back where you started. Just reverse the clasp, then move a link or two BACK to the 6 o'clock side and it should be centered.

[echau]

Originally Posted by 2th DR

If you do that, you'll be right back where you started. Just reverse the clasp, then move a link or two BACK to the 6 o'clock side and it should be centered.

Yep, there's four permanent links on each side, so switching out the 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock sides of the bracelet gets you nowhere.

I personally couldn't reverse the clasp. Looking at the underside of my wrist and seeing the coronet upside down would annoy me. That and I'm not used to making up the clasp in that direction.

[Titan1979]

I had the same problem so I tried reversing the clasp and the upside down coronet drove me nuts. So I took my Explorer I to RSC in Toronto and had them remove one permanent link. They did it for free while I waited. Now the watch looks and feels perfect.

[Dan Pierce]

Gutsy, but well done.
dP

[jhua]

Hey all, I was just wondering if its possible to remove the permanent link without damaging its outer links?? Because I need to replace the inner ones with an older inner links as it is scratched severely. After removing it, can we still use the removed links back? Thanks!

[Aspirin]

I brought it back to RSC physically for this! now 4 + 6.