Hi all, I have a noob longines question for y'all. I'm trying to find the right strap for my flagship and have been having some difficulty. The watch came with an 18mm band which was too big with the leather spilling over onto the lugs. I measured the lugs and the distance between the lugs at the opening is 16mm so I got a 16mm band. But when I put it on I could see the spring bars because the lugs flare out a bit and is about almost 17mm from the spring at hole to hole. So should I get a 17mm strap and risk a bit of leather catching at the opening of the lugs or should I just deal with showing some spring bar?
Straps are not a perfect science. Something marked 16 could be closer to 17 and vice versa. Try taking the watch to a store without the strap, grab a bunch of 16s and 17s you like and test fit.
If Bond could show his spring bars in Goldfinger, I think you will do just fine with 16mm . 16mm looks good on this model.
I would say it depends whether those are fixed bars or removable ones. I would surmise Bond had non removable bars or fixed lugs. If those are regular modern springbars, several watchmakers told me it's best to have a strap that's a bit too wide with the leather pinching on the sides. And they warned me to avoid a strap that's too narrow by 1mm, as it can pull on the spring and cause the bar to pop off. In fact it happened to me a few months ago, with a watch that had a 17mm lug width, and a 16mm strap when I bought it. I knew I was supposed to change the strap but couldn't resist wearing it. I was at my desk at work doing nothing special, somehow one spring bar gave in, and the watch fell off onto the floor. Thankfully there was carpeting and shock protection.
Thanks all for the input! @redpcar: unfortunately I'm getting my straps from Kelaran'a eBay store so it's a bit more hassle to return things but I got a 17mm to try out. @dodo44: haha and in goldfinger too! Although I think i like the fuller strap look better...bond shmond!! Haha @Syrte: yikes never thought of that! It is a springbar so the 17mm seems to be the way to go. @X350 XJR: Hope the new 17mm strap fits better!
I think that the 17mm is going to cut the lines defined by the lugs (i.e., affect the overall balance). I have the same model (or a variant of it) and that's what made me decide to go with 16mm. Please post the results of your test.
That's a great idea! I will post a side by side comparison when I get the 17mm strap. Feel free to post a pic of your flagship here too!
Can occasionally find Hadley Roma Horween Shell straps 16-18 mm on Amazon cheap. Currently they have one in black for $17. 17mm straps not as easy to find, but out there. About half my Longines use this size.
Wow good tip I'm going to have to keep an eye out for them. How are the quality of the HAdley Roma Horween Shell straps?
They're genuine Horween Shell Cordovan, so leather quality is great (google shell cordovan). The straps are not flashy but at the right price these can't be beat. The price tends to fluctuate so you should check every so often if interested. The $17 one is pretty unbeatable at that price point.
Cool thanks for posting pics! I was wondering about the quality of the construction/stitching etc but it looks pretty good!
HMmm ok the pic on the left is the 16mm strap and the right is the 17mm strap. The flared lugs do pinch the band a bit but it's not as obvious when worn. The watch also maintains the angled lug lines also. I'm thinking the 17mm is the way to go. @dodo44...I dunno man I think you might need to switch to a 17mm
I agree, I may need to go to 17mm (it looks better!). I checked ads from the time period and the strap was covering the whole width, so 17mm is probably correct. Congrats for a very nice watch+strap combo Anthonyw.