20mm strap on 19mm watch?

[skiii]

Hi, just wondering if anybody had fitted a 20mm Hirsch curved ends strap on a 19mm watch. I cannot find a 19mm curved ends strap for my Oysterday so I want to custom fit a 20mm or 18mm on my watch. Any idea whether this is going to work and whether it would look ok? Thanks in advance.

[joe100]

Well, you will have to shave down the sides or force it on if you use a larger strap and you will have gaps with a smaller one. It'll look goofy either way I think.

[kilyung]

It should squeeze in ok or you can sand the ends down slight.

[slcbbrown]

Originally Posted by kilyung

It should squeeze in ok or you can sand the ends down slight.

My guess, too. However, if you're talking about the Hirsch Leonardo line of straps, they are not a good fit on many watch cases. I've got one on a Speedy, but the same strap is a poor-but-workable fit on my Sub. On a DJ, or similar case, the fit could be pretty sorry. Before you spend $70, you may want to confirm that the strap can be made to fit.

[skiii]

Thanks for the input guys. The only access I have to Hirsch straps is the internet so I might have to bite the bullet and give it a shot.

[TSW]

Originally Posted by kilyung

It should squeeze in ok or you can sand the ends down slight.

[wantonebad]

Emory board on the strap works great... depending on the material, I've used it on leather and nylon.

[finnluck]

I have an antiqued leather 19mm strap on an 18mm watch and it looks great. I had my local watchmaker put it on, and she said that she never has a problem getting one a mm too large on (she did not shave down the strap at all.). That being said, it was 30 bucks not 70, it was not a hirsch brand, and I was buying it from that store, so if it hadn't fit, I wouldn't have had to buy it, so different risk profile :)

[skiii]

Originally Posted by wantonebad

Emory board on the strap works great... depending on the material, I've used it on leather and nylon.

I'll give it a shot! Thanks for the tip.

Originally Posted by finnluck

I have an antiqued leather 19mm strap on an 18mm watch and it looks great. I had my local watchmaker put it on, and she said that she never has a problem getting one a mm too large on (she did not shave down the strap at all.). That being said, it was 30 bucks not 70, it was not a hirsch brand, and I was buying it from that store, so if it hadn't fit, I wouldn't have had to buy it, so different risk profile :)

That makes me feel better now. Will go with the 20mm.

[aardvarkbark]

While most 20mm's can fit or be made to fit in a 19mm space, bear in mind that the Hirsch curved end you're considering has a 3x3mm hard plastic block that is drilled to hold the pins in different locations so that it can fit most any case. This block is just slightly shorter than the width of the strap which allows you to grab the collar on a pin which sticks out beyond it for strap removal. You'll lose 1mm of this space between the end of the block and the lug.

Plus, the Hirsch curved end is pretty meaty between the lugs so it won't be as pliable as a standard strap. A diagram of the 7mm thick end profile:



An alternative would be using an 18mm strap with etur's end links to hide the half-mm gap on either side.

[skiii]

I managed to squeeze in the strap but there's a small gap. The gap is barely noticeable but is somewhat exaggerated in the picture because it is so closeup. It looks flush in person from eye level (more like the top).

BTW, don't mind the water spots and purple fringing.