Anyone tried a 1450 bracelet on vintage 1960 Seamaster 300 or Watchco SM300?

Anyone tried a 1450 bracelet on a vintage 1960s Seamaster 300 or Watchco SM300?

While the 1039 and 1116 bracelets (and Tropic strap) were the ones the 300 mostly shipped with new from the factory, would the later 1980s era "holy grail" 1450 be a better pairing for a 60s Seamaster 300?

I've tried an 1171 bracelet and found it pretty underwhelming (especially the end links and clasp). But there seems to be a lot of love for the 1450.

Is Forstner or Uncle Seiko the way to go with the 1450?

I have tried both original 808 endlinks and the uncle seiko endlinks. Neither fit...

Forster fits pretty well, at least on the WatchCo.

Forstner offers several different ones on their website. Do you know which one you have that fits the Watchco SM300? Thanks.

The "Contemporary Flat Link". I would suspect anything they make for the 20mm Speedmaster case would work.

Do you have a picture of the Watchco / Forstner 1450 combo? How did you like the combo?

Never used the 1450. I currently have an Omega Apollo 11 50th Anniversary flat-link on my Seamaster 300. Fits the WatchCo pretty well. Don't know about a vintage Seamaster 300.

I installed a Forstner 1450 on my Watchco 300. Here are the results on a 7 inch wrist. For folks considering this bracelet, I selected the pre-2021 Forstner Speedmaster end links.

I found sizing and installing the Forstner 1450 to be a breeze.

I like the Forstner 1450 better than the OEM Omega 1171, which based on my prior experience had rattling end links, and a clasp that wouldn't center well. The Forstner 1450 has solid end links, screws instead of pins and a few expanding links to ensure the clamshell clasp won't pop open on humid days when your wrist swells. The 1171 had a habit of popping open on humid days. I was able to center the clasp on the Forstner with no problem.

Back in the 60s, the 300 shipped from Omega on a 1039 or 1116 bracelet (or a black Tropic rubber strap). I think the 1450 is more in keeping with the tool spirit of the watch than the 1039 or 1116. The 1450 gives you the all brushed upside of the toolish 1171, but with greater quality and comfort.

While the polished outer links of the 1039 look great on an elegant Speedy, I thought the same 1039 polished links looked fussy and out of place on the 300. The 300 has a more aggressive and brutish bezel than the Speedy and I think that is why polished links on the 300 look wrong. All brushed is the way to go on the 1963-1969 Seamaster 300 or Watchco. While the 1116 is brushed, the oval interior links rub against your skin. This is the problem Omega encountered when they reissued the 1116 on the 2021 3861 Speedmaster Professional. See videos on YouTube about the 2021 3861 Speedy bracelet scraping skin. In contrast, the 1450 interior links are flat and don't scrape your skin when sliding the watch on an off. (This is also a benefit of the flat link 1039 stylel).

NOTE: Even though the end links look like they have a gap in some of the photos, they really don't. It's just a shadow from the lighting. The Forstner end links look great.

Thoughts?

Looks great, that is really helpful info. One more question. Do you think the Forstner end link would for the Uncle Seiko 1450. I suppose it will. I have the US. Wearing this right now.

Dan

The Forstner pre-2021 Speedmaster end links are what I used and they are a perfect fit for the Watchco 300 lug holes. But I'm not sure if the Uncle Seiko bracelet links will mate up with the Forstner end links. I think Forstner charges $50 for the end links by themselves.

If it were me, I'd buy the Forstner 1450 bracelet (which comes with end links) and sell the Uncle Seiko bracelet on eBay.

Here are a few more photos I took, but this time in better lighting illustrating the fit of the Forstner end links.

Are there any other Omega OEM clasps besides the 1162 that fit a Forstner 1450?

Thread resurrection but Larry (Uncle Seiko himself) says his US1450 will NOT fit a SM300; he has one himself so should know. He said his US1171 will fit though.

I'm consider either that or a Forster 1450 for my watchco SM300 (165.0324).

My SM300 w uncle seiko 1171

I had to file the end links a little so the fit is not exact but I imagine ymmv