1039 flat link stretch bracelet springs

Over in this thread, @tamura gave a link to some replacement bracelet springs from Urdelar in Sweden and I said I'd give them a try. These are €12 each so I just bought three at €40 including P&P, to see if they are any good.

They arrived within a few days from Sweden (to UK). I've dealt with Urdelar before and they are good guys but that's always been for some obscure part for a watch. Here's a link from my -69 and I'm fortunate that I have a lot of links and don't need them all. The lower spring seems to be an Omega original and the upper some sort of very weak replacement. There are already threads on here about how to remove these links from the bracelet if you want to do this.

I opened this link up as this is the only way to remove an original spring - well, it might be possible to wrench it out but I wouldn't recommend it. If you can get two new springs in without opening an end then I'd suspect they wouldn't be stiff enough for use.

The Urdelar spring is similar to the Omega one although the finish is not as good - bear in mind these are hand made. Dimensions in mm are:
Omega: 1.00 high by 0.23 thick (sample size of 1...)
Urdelar: 1.20-1.25 high by 0.20 thick (sample size of 3)

They will be a similar stiffness if the material/shape is the same as the inertia of the Omega one will be about 25% higher than the Urdelar one (thickness has a cubed effect here). Testing by hand, the Omega one is a little stiffer and there may also be a little bit of age hardening of the material - anyway, the Urdelar one should be fine as it's close enough and better than the one shown with a ? in the picture which doesn't even seem to be spring steel.


Fitted and the original is on the right below - it's clear that the finish is not as good on the new spring but, I could polish this if I wanted two - at least the two springs meet as they should. This is actually the first one I did and then posed the photos above with another - I started with this one as the link was slightly damaged on one leg. The end that I opened is at the top and, if you're going to do this, when closing that end you must support underneath it. If you're careful the link will still look fine and you'll have a bracelet that works as it should.

As a disclaimer, I'm obviously used to working on parts much smaller than this as I'm a watchmaker but, these are not so small that I would think this work is beyond someone who has good DIY skills and works carefully.

I'd also bear in mind that these are big pictures and the springs are only about 12 mm (half an inch) wide so, where the finish and shape are not as good as the original, you're getting a very magnified effect. I'd be happy with these on my bracelet as I don't have any other source (anyone?). I originally thought about getting some made but am not sure it would be worth the effort so, will order up another eight as that's how many I'm likely to need. To do the whole bracelet would mean buying about 20 more at €250 total so I'll keep the ones that are fine...

Cheers, Chris

Thanks for the info Chris, I also have a few 1039 links which have weak springs, might look out the bracelets this weekend and see how many I'd need.

Did you try fitting the springs without opening the end of the link? I'm sure I've swapped springs over before with out opening the end but could be mistaken as it was a few years back 😁

I think if you can just fit the springs without opening the end then they are too weak to do the job. It's a trade off between ease of fitting and having something that lasts but I'd doubt with these it would be possible to get them in without deforming them so much that so they don't work - I did have a quick try but will have another look tomorrow (possibly) and let you know.👍

Cheers, Chris

Great write up. Appreciate this as I’m in need of some links and springs.

In my experience it's necessary.

Yes, it is necessary to open these.

Silly question : how to open the link on the outer side? I have a bracelet that could use some new springs...I know how to disassemble them to the point where the links are loose and open, but not the next step such that the springs can be replace. Many thanks for the write-up Chris.

Great write up thanks!
I had assumed you just had to muscle new springs in. Good to know the link ends can be opened up without wrecking them.
I have heard of pocket watch main springs being cut up and used for link springs. Have been meaning to try this, but never got round to working out what spring dimensions required.

The side of the link has a flap and this needs to be folded down to allow access to the internal springs. Technically you wouldnt even need to remove the sliding center part, just take a sharp knife or razor and pry one of the two sides down. Then a needle nose plier or strong tweezers and you pull out the damaged spring. Check the orientation to re insert the replacement spring the same way. Springs Bow IN.

To open the ends, I do the following. This is hardly watchmaking but, the parts are fairly small and expensive to replace so please, don't do this and damage your bracelet if you are concerned.

Don't hit any part of your bracelet directly with a hammer or use pliers to close things as you'll mark the parts.
Work on a wooden surface if you can as that will also reduce the possibility of damage but is hard enough to provide resistance.
Don't hit your fingers with the hammer...😁

You can get a few sets of cheap brass tweezers, a cheap case knife and small watchmakers hammer from somewhere like Cousins for about €20 all in.

I start with a case knife (I suppose a Swiss Army could work). With the link as shown, insert into the gap indicated and tap on the back of the case knife with a very small hammer. This will open the gap a little and then put the steel knife away as it's easy to damage your bracelet with steel tools.


I'll use these cheap brass tweezers - the upper ones I use anyway but the lower ones are clearly damaged and very cheap. I filed down the area in green to be a wedge shape and the area in red is just polished a little.


Hold the link down on the bench with one finger, insert the green area in the gap and tap on the other side of the tweezers to open it, then move to the red area at a slight angle to open the link more - that's all there is to it. Gentle taps will open it.

Just open it sufficiently to get the springs in and out.

This is a clasp end link and I had to slightly trim down the leg of a spring to get it in to the end part as I didn't want to open that. Wriggle both springs in and you've got this:

To close the end, don't just hit on it with a hammer while it's stood up on the bench as you'll bend the legs. Instead, support it on those cheap brass tweezers (now you know why the ends were damaged) - I'm holding it in a cheap soft jawed vice but the important thing is that the reaction to the hammer is into the brass tweezers. It's a lot easier on one that doesn't have the bracelet end permanently attached.

Put the other brass tweezers on top of the end flap, but flat in this case, and dress the end flap down with the hammer by hitting those tweezers.


Finished.


Refitted. There is still a gap on this bracelet end link but you can't do anything about that as it is designed like this. It's clear I have a few more to do...

But, compare to the other end...


Hope this helps, Chris

This thread is great! I had ordered springs from them before as well, but I didn’t know you can open the side to replace the springs, so I always fight with the spring, bend it, kill myself just to get it in. This certainly is very useful for future spring replacement. Thanks!

Great writeup!
Is it possible to fix the other end of the bracelet? Mine 1039 is exactly like the last photo you attached @ChrisN, where the last link meets the clasp side. Is it a spring that holds it too?

I assume so and if you look at the photo with the case knife my other end started the same way. However, no point in opening it yet as I have run out of springs! I only ordered 3...

For me, without the springs in the links, these bracelets feel flimsy and I wouldn't trust them. That last picture (and yours by the sound of it) has the end piece pulling directly on the leg in the red area below so, I can see a failure happening at some point through the green line.

With the spring installed, the load from the end piece is transmitted to the spring which then contacts the rest of the bracelet in the two blue areas - the red "leg" is unloaded and the green failure will never happen. This is a much stronger load path.

Cheers, Chris

Many many thanks @ChrisN ... sounds like I have got some shopping to do ...

Thank you very much for the info. Will order some and give it a try👍

Hi Chris, great right up. If I understand this correctly, a spring can be installed where the red line is, snugging up the clasp connecting link? Both my 7912 and 1039 look like your picture with gaps at this connection.

Has anyone tried to source the spring material?