I have a new Seamaster Diver 300m, and I initially took the bracelet to a local jeweler to size the bracelet because Omega is not sizing bracelets right now due to C19. The jeweler could not do it with his tools. He was concerned about adding additional scratches to the ones he made and damaging a screw too much. He left a few very small marks on the caseback and very slightly damaged two screw heads, but nothing shocking, and that was enough for me to politely thank him for trying and to leave.

After the experience I read online about doing it myself and read that applying heat helps break the Loctite bond. Also having the correct screwdriver is paramount. So, I ordered a heat gun and a Wiha 1.8mm from the virtual big box store in the sky.

I applied heat, used the Wiha, and wallah! I was able to remove screws with ease and without leaving any marks.

I've discovered that I need to remove 3 links to fit my wrist, and that begs the question. Which end of the bracelet is best to remove two links when the other side will only have one removed? Is there a convention for wearability or does it simply not matter? It seems like I'd want to remove the extra link on the inside of the bracelet (the side facing my body when wearing the watch on my right arm) which would naturally bring the face down on the inside of my wrist for viewing the face easier.

I'm sure I could simply try both sides and see which I preferred, or I could remove both half links from either side to simply make it even. So many options and most likely dependent on an individual wrist, but I just wondered if there is a convention or proper way to do this from a watchmaker/repair perspective.

 

Remove the links so the clasp sits comfortably on your wrist. It doesn't matter which side they are removed from, there is no convention. On most watches I find removing links on the 6 o'clock side works best, but on a Rolex I find removing a link on the 12 o'clock side fits me best. It is all dependent on the bracelet design and YOUR wrist. Play around with it.

 

Thank you for the response! I'll try removing the two links from the 6 o'clock side first and the single link from the other.

 

How long did you have to heat the bracelet with the heat gun? I got SMP 300 two weeks ago, but because I am based in Melbourne the boutiques won't even be open for another 4 weeks to get my bracelet resized - and I am eager to wear the watch. I bought an AF 1.8 mm screwdriver, and tried to melt the loctite using a hairdryer and by immersing the bracelet in boiling water for 30 sec, but I could move the screws in the slightest.

 

I heated it for no more than 30 to 45 seconds. This was on the lowest heat gun setting, which is hotter than boiling water.

 

Thanks for the info, it sounds like I would probably need to immerse it in boiling water for a lot longer.

 

When the OB sized my bracelet, they did not use any heat. They also did not re-apply any loctite when placing back the screws. Is this risky to lose a screw?

 

^^^
Could it be that your bracelet did not have glue in the first place?
On the other hand, they use glue from factory for a reason.

 

I size my bracelets so that the clasp is centered on the underside of my wrist; this invariably involves removing (more) links from the 6 o'clock side. Two from 6 and one from 12 sounds good if you're taking three out. As for glue, a little Loctite certainly wouldn't hurt, but it's pretty rare that a well-tightened screw will work itself loose.

 

Same. Unless I get that clasp centered, the watch itself never sits right on the top of the wrist.

 

Yes, everyone’s wrist is different but I try to get the buckle centered. For me, this also means that the 6 o’clock side is shorter.

 

I managed to adjust my bracelet. 3 or 4 min in boiling water was enough to melt the glue holding the screws in place. And a 1.8 mm screwdriver got the screws out. After removing from the boiling water you have about a minute to get the screws out before the glue solidifies again.