Am I the only idiot who has done this with a PAM strap?

[srvrf]

Okay I'll admit it, I'm a bonehead , but I can't be the only dummy out there can I? I've got a PAM 121 and a Breitling 01 LE and both have 22m lugs. So with warmer weather approaching, I thought I'd save my OEM Bretiling leather band from some sweat/wear by using a cheap eBay strap that I bought for my PAM, tubes and all. So I looked at the band and the only thought I had was "yep, the springbars will fit through there." A minute later, the band is on and I'm one happy camper! Then I started messing around with it and thought that maybe I'd try a different colored band. Then while trying to remove it, it dawned on me that while the band compresses, the tube doesn't. I'm stuck with this band on my Breitling until I cut it off . OMG the only saving grace is that I did it with a $25 eBay band and not my brown OEM Panerai band (which would look great on the Breitling) that was about $400.

Moral of the story--use straps made for Panerai watches with tubes on Panerai watches only. Hopefully this saves someone from making a more expensive mistake than I did. A few chuckles/smiles at my expense doesn't hurt either.

[Watchdog]

I could have easily done that, too.

Glad it wasn't one of the OEMs

[cger]

Ha, nice one. Don't feel bad. I did the exact same thing on a JLC Navy Seal watch, also using a cheap but a nice $29 Carbon Fibre strap with red stitches from ebay.

[Cru Jones]

The only good argument for putting a $25 strap on a luxury watch.

[Travelller]

One word. Lug holes. Ok, make that two words...
Seriously, of my eight tool watches, only two don't have lug holes (& they don't see much wrist-time. Heck, even my dress watch, a Chronoswiss Tora, uses screw-bars!

I'm glad it happened with a cheap strap but I guess you'll need the help of a watchmaker to cut through the tube...

[srvrf]

Originally Posted by Travelller

I'm glad it happened with a cheap strap but I guess you'll need the help of a watchmaker to cut through the tube...

I'm going to cut the leather part off to expose the tube and then use a cutting wheel with my Dremel. I'll slip something in behind it to protect the case, but I'm not too worried about the spring bars. But I will be very deliberate and careful. I don't want to have a follow-up thread about how I cut my Navitimer in half

[subtona]

Originally Posted by srvrf

I'm going to cut the leather part off to expose the tube and then use a cutting wheel with my Dremel. I'll slip something in behind it to protect the case, but I'm not too worried about the spring bars. But I will be very deliberate and careful. I don't want to have a follow-up thread about how I cut my Navitimer in half

Exactly what i was going to suggest

Just be sure to protect the lugs

[bigstick]

yep, done that, felt like a complete doofus when i realised what i'd done

[mfer]

Silly rabbit, Tubes are for screws!
:-)

[srvrf]

Okay for what it is worth, the band is off and the watch is intact! No more tubes except for my PAM! The Dremel cutting tool worked great, I didn't go all the way through, just about 3/4 of the way and then light pressure bent it enough to remove it. Sparks flew from the metal which was pretty cool. Lesson learned!

[mfer]

Originally Posted by srvrf

Okay for what it is worth, the band is off and the watch is intact! No more tubes except for my PAM! The Dremel cutting tool worked great, I didn't go all the way through, just about 3/4 of the way and then light pressure bent it enough to remove it. Sparks flew from the metal which was pretty cool. Lesson learned!

*whew*

Sparks and high end watches. Not common in same sentence.

Congrats!

[KBM]

I did it with a $90 kain heritage strap. And dinged the case of my longines heritage diver cutting out one of the tubes as well =/ lesson learned, I guess.

[laphroaig007]

Need pictures, but this is quite usual to me ! ;-)

[ejvette]

Until I just got my PAM and swapped the straps a few times I didn't have a clue as to what you were talking about but I get it now