Folks

I’m looking for your opinions on the JB Champion Mesh brackets on asymmetrical cases?

I’ve just nabbed one - and whilst it’s cool - it’s just seems ‘rattily’ on the 20mm cases.

Were these only worn on the straight lugs by the NASA folks?

As a side topic - how the feck do you tighten these by yourself. I can’t see myself going to my wife every day I wear this one - ‘Honey - I need help to dress myself again’ - is there a ‘trick’?

Thanks
C

 

I think you’re 1mm off unfortunately. 20mm lug width watch with a 19mm extension bracelet.

These bracelets were definitely worn on straight lugs. However, I have seen some people use a sort of rubber/plastic bumper on each side to make it work though.

 

I’ll measure this tomorrow - but eyeballing it - it seems 18mm - was wondering did the end links come in different lengths? It’s definitely answer the rattily question.

On the ‘how do you tighten it’ question - A little bit of cleaning and the button now works. Figured that bit out.

 

A trick I have read using bracelet that are a mm too small is to cut the end off of a bic pen insert- trim them to 1/2mm each and use them as spacers. Haven’t done it myself but in theory it seems brilliant.

 

Oh, also read a thread here (on OF) about cannibalizing the horn lugs off of the contemporary JB stretchy bracelets that sell for far less...but the endlinks were apparently the same. Perhaps you could find a 20mm stretchy and see if you can do some cobbling. I assume it has been done by others so why reinvent the wheel is someone else can provide a how-to

 

Believe it or not, there are several photos on Apollo astronauts with twisted lug Speedmasters using the JB Champion mesh bands with 16-19mm spring loaded ends. I don't think they really cared about the extra 1mm of space. Apparently they either liked the look or the adjustability of the slide clasp bands. I bought several of the JBs in the late 90s and never really used them, but in recent years, I've taken to modifying the Forstner version of the same band, same company bought by Champion later, and putting them on many of my old Speedmasters. They are mostly 16mm. I make the 20 or 19 depending on my needs. They are very comfortable and adjust to within a mm or 2. As for needing your wife to put it on, you need to practice. I haven't noticed a big problem putting them on. The challenge can be getting the clasp to let go at times. I'll make a video putting one on if you need it.

 

You’re absolutely right - once I loosened the clasp I was all set. For most of the night I was thinking I had to lift the main clasp link to fit the band!

 

@JwRosenthal - any view on whether these bands chew the lugs out if you don’t apply spacers?

 

I've never heard of that being an issue. You'll find many Speedmaster guys wearing the 19mm ends with 20mm lugs. I just tried posting a series of photos showing how I put one on, but I had some tech issues. If you have it figured out, that's easier.

The photo below may be Armstrong. It's definitely an astronaut. (apparently John Young) Notice the gap on one side and how much it looks like yours.

 

Here's a link to some o-rings that work.

Get it? Link?

 

Any metal on metaL will eventually wear, factory bracelets do over time. The spacers would prevent that I guess as they are softer material-you would just need to clean them periodically and replace them when they wear out.

I agree with @Swissmister about the era appropriate gap. I have gotten many watches with 18mm lugs and 16mm bracelets, I don’t think people really cared so much it they saw a gap or if the bracelet chattered around. We are far more anal-retentive now than our father’s generation about these things.

 

I think another thing to keep in mind playing with these older watches/bracelets is that there was the English vs metric thing going on at the time. Most US straps and bracelets were in English and European watches were metric. Most of my US watches from the 50’s/60’s take a 17.5mm strap- not becuase Americans were masochists (well, we are), but they were 11/16ths and 17.5 is the closest equivalent.

 

That would be my thread. Mine was meant to be a repair guide, and I cautioned & warned people against the cannibilization as it comes with a price of bracelet stability.

And yup I was just about to mention the o-ring trick, but, @wsfarrell to the rescue. I would personally go with his method to alleviate the rattling issue.

 

Getting use to putting on the bracelet takes a few tries but once you get it, it easy, I’ve shared these pictures before. Maybe they will help you.

There are a few pictures out there indeed. By count you would find the JB’s on more twisted lug Speedmasters than straight lug Speedmasters. Maybe adjustability and looks played a small part in its final selection originally but the final decision to provide the JB was for safety reasons to easily remove the bracelet if it became caught on something.

That is a picture of John Young. He’s definitely an astronaut.

 

What was the source for the statement that the bands were used to be easy to remove? Unless the aim was to simply grab them and tear them off by bending the spring bars or otherwise breaking the band, it would seem a poor reason. I have maybe 20 of these bands on my watches, wearing them regularly and unhooking the clasp can be one of the more challenging band removals you'll find. If ease of removal was the aim, a Speidel expansion band or nearly any other type would be superior, including the Omega factory bracelets.

As for the mad dog contribution to the thread, I am not at all surprised that he uses Axe.

 

In my conversations with the astronauts and Jim Reagan about the use of the bracelet it was indeed selected in part because it could in fact be removed easier in the case of an emergency just like the Velcro could easily be cut through in an emergency as well. While the bracelets appear fragile they are quite robust and strong. That is why I always find it amusing that people are concerned that they will just fall off their wrist and avoid wearing them. That said, the instructions to the astronauts in the event one needed to be removed was to use a knife, screwdriver, or other flat object and twist thus snapping the spring bar connection from the watch case. This is in fact the weakest connection in the watch/bracelet set up.



Also, from Moonwatch Only...

“Information regarding the reason for the choice of this bracelet was provided to us by the OMEGA Museum, which is in close liaison with James H. Ragan, NASA engineer in charge of equipment testing for the Gemini and Apollo programs. NASA engineers in charge of equipment testing realized that the OMEGA steel bracelet might put an astronaut at risk of injury from being snagged as it would not break easily, unlike the mesh type bracelet, which also has a great adjustability setting and requires no tools for adjustment.”

 

Thank you for that. I had never approached any of the Apollo or Gemini astronauts for their take on their watch bands. They definitely weren't chosen for fit and finish on the Speedmaster. I will add this: Many of you have seen the variant of the mesh JB/Forstner bands sold as NASA type, etc. You know the one, with the ribbed and very shiny appearance. If you've ever worn one, you learn in a hurry why they were NOT chosen. They are wrist hair pullers of the worst kind and generally uncomfortable compared to the mesh version.

I almost forgot. Of course the mesh bands were not used on missions, so the emergency escape from their watches was during training? The only photos I see of astronauts wearing the JB is publicity shoots and fairly leisurely activities. Isn't there one great photo of Aldrin or Sheppard getting out of his Stingray and heading into work wearing the Speedmaster/JB combo?

 

That is a picture of John Young. He’s definitely an astronaut.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but he's no Neil Armstrong. I'm joking. This is not an attempt to start a debate as to which astronauts were coolest.(Sheppard is my favorite) Frankly, I envy and respect them all if they sat on top of those massive fuel tanks knowing the odds of never coming back to Earth.

Isn't there a NASA/astronaut thread with photos? It's been awhile since I looked at NASA photos from the Apollo/Gemini/Mercury programs.

 

That would be incorrect. The JB Champion bracelet flew on many missions and a number of them even flew into the early shuttle days. The first JB on a shuttle mission was worn by John Young on the very first shuttle to fly STS-1.