I picked up a near NOS Omega Constellation f300Hz ref.198.003 which came on the 1098 bracelet. By all accounts, this bracelet should have spring-bar pins inside of the removeable links (which should be tricky to remove). However, for me there was a friction pin inside the removable link (which slid out from the crown side when pushed from the non-crown side). Please see the photo of the removed link and the pin (which has similar pointing tips on both side). There was only one other pin I could push (which was adjacent to the links I removed). The pin inside the hole nearest to the clasp on the twelve o'clock side and the two pins on the six o'clock side did not budge (I did not tap hard). Ideally I wanted to remove link from the six o'clock side for better clasp centering but it is every so slightly off-center so I can live with it.

I am confused as to why I found two friction pins (no collars) in the two removable links rather than the spring-bars which everyone mentions. Could it be that someone replaced the spring bars with friction pins when sizing bracelet? I am not sure whether the ones which did not budge have friction pins or spring bars.

Does anyone ever had friction pins on 1098 bracelet? Looking for some feedback. Thank you in advance.

 

I have never seen an Omega bracelet with spring bars. Sometimes the pins have an arrow on the underside of the adjustable links showing which way to push the pin. These can be either a split pin, or a pin with one end knurled. On occasion, these pins may be held in with a ferrule (collar).

 

Thank you sir for chiming in. Please see the thread below which has photos/instructions for springbars on 1098 bracelet posted by the user @turbo_muc

https://omegaforums.net/threads/shortening-omega-1098-bracelet.72139/

Also a description of this (and links threads with similar information for the 116 bracelet) are at the below link

https://omegaforums.net/threads/advise-on-omega-1098-bracelet.104706/

 

I can't speak to the 1082 bracelet, but the 1118 bracelet that came optional on Chronostops has short spring bars for link pins, so some OEM bracelets from that era were definitely built that way.

 

Yes, per internet, 1098, 1116, and 1118 bracelets should have the short spring bars. Not sure why mine doesn’t. Could it be that the same bracelet made in different time periods are different with regards to the spring bar vs friction pins? I think the number 31 is an indicator of the time period. The watch dates to 1970 by the way.

 

Good morning,

I don‘t know if that helps you, but I have a 1116 and a 1118 that both have screwed removeable links. I think both are the older execution with the circled 11 on the clasp.

edit: It is also possible, that either the screws or the springbars were destroyed and replaced by friction pins.
Also the links I marked on your pic look different, the right one more flat than the left one. Maybe check that with a caliper, same goes for the other links on the other half of the bracelet.

kind regards

Max

 

Thank you Max. There are three things I deduce from your feedback. (A) same bracelet could possibly have different type of removable links (people have reported 1116 with springbars but yours has screws), (B) spring bars (but not the links) could have been replaced by friction pins at some point, and (C) there is a possibility that slightly different links were installed on the bracelet (either by the dealer when the watch was sold or later during a service).

 

Bracelet designs changed sometimes, so what may have been correct for one era isn't always for another. In this case though, someone has likely replaced the spring bars withy pins, since parts for this bracelet are no longer available.