Submariner 16610 (no hole case) spring bar hole wear and tear

[Rahul718]

Hey all,

I’m the owner of a 16610 submariner (no holes case) with SELs. Attached is a picture of one of the inner lug holes. The pictures are of the same lug hole, but I circled one of them to better show the area of concern. As you can see it looks like there’s some enlargement and I’m worried it’ll get worse over time, eventually wearing out the hole so that it might get dangerously close to the edge. I’ve been using the OEM Rolex bars for this specific model.

Would you all consider this normal wear and tear for a 18 year old piece? Is it still considered structurally sound? Is this a good candidate for laser welding to add back the missing metal so that it’s perfectly circular again?

I’m looking to hold on to this piece for a long time, so just want an idea of what I’m dealing with and how it’ll hold up in the future.

Thanks

[Tools]

Looks like wear from using a spring bar with a smaller pivot than the Sub uses.

Using the proper pivot size spring bar will fill the 75% of the hole that retains the original sizing for another few decade without issue.

[Rahul718]

Originally Posted by Tools

Looks like wear from using a spring bar with a smaller pivot than the Sub uses.

Using the proper pivot size spring bar will fill the 75% of the hole that retains the original sizing for another few decade without issue.

To be clear, I can't comment on what type of springbar was used for the first 17 years of its life. I can comment though that when I bought the watch, the correct size springbars were installed, and I even took it 1 step further and bought new OEM springbars and swapped those in.

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by Rahul718

To be clear, I can't comment on what type of springbar was used for the first 17 years of its life. I can comment though that when I bought the watch, the correct size springbars were installed, and I even took it 1 step further and bought new OEM springbars and swapped those in.

Does it feel secure , on wrist? Does it seem loose, when you wear it? Is there a lot of movement? Have a jeweler look at it, and give you advice.

Kat


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[Rahul718]

Originally Posted by KatGirl

Does it feel secure , on wrist? Does it seem loose, when you wear it? Is there a lot of movement? Have a jeweler look at it, and give you advice.

Kat


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The end links don’t have too much play, I guess the average amount of play expected for a 18 year old watch. Main concern is that this doesn’t further enlarge drastically over a short period of time…. I’ve seen good results with laser welding on inner spring bar holes but not sure if it’s warranted yet

[Rolexken]

See how your spring bars look and feel without the bracelet- if they fit without any play I wouldn’t worry, if they are loose then get it checked out for either a repair or different spring bars.

[Eric88]

That's very minimal. Unless you're changing straps daily, I wouldn't worry about it. Best bet is to keep it on the SEL bracelet, where the springbar is locked in very solid with minimal flex/movement like you'd see with a NATO or similar.

[Jackie Daytona]

That’s just fine. Just make sure you have the right spring bar, it extends pretty well into the lug anyways and you are good. Perfectly structurally sound

[Rahul718]

Thanks all. Great feedback