Omega 1035(1039) vs Uncle Seiko 1035 vs Forstnerbands Flatlink : A pictorial review

TrboDieselPwrd · Mar 13, 2023

Comtaygious
Hi I just got my Ed white with a us flat link on it. I noticed they have us solid end links now but I'm assuming mine is hollow. It fits but it slides left and right between the 19mm lugs and is quite loud. Would getting the solid end links help with this?

Realize that this is a very late response to this question; I've got the 20mm solid endlinks on my 145.022 with flatlink and it's very secure. Actually, it's a bit of a tight fit to getting the spring bars lined up in the holes but it does work well. I'd imagine it's similar for the 19mm on the straight lug case.

RevZMan123 · Mar 15, 2023

Another victim to add to the Uncle Seiko flat link

$95 vs $1500?

No brainier.

Needed a touch of slip stone on the edges to make it fit but wow. This is like the glasss slipper of bracelet and the feel is right on vintage.

TrboDieselPwrd · Mar 15, 2023

That looks great @RevZMan123 and the fit looks really good too! I feel like there aren't too many pics of vintage 18mm lugged Seamasters with bracelets like this one so it's good to see one.

There's someone from Canada that sells "vintage genuine" Omega clasp covers that fit this 16mm clasp if you are interested. Using quotes because I can neither confirm nor deny that it's the real deal. But it's at least good quality and fits it perfectly -- I have one on mine and like it.

Boston Bert · Mar 15, 2023

Spinakerr
Received my Forstner 19mm brushed/polished yesterday for my CK2998 - just wanted to say thanks to everyone on this thread and @eugeneanderson for the detailed photos & comments. After a prompt from some local friends this was a great thread to read through. Very pleased with the result and the stretch links & build quality are superb.

This is my first ever new bracelet purchase - in fact the only other bracelet I have is a Gay Freres that came with an Eterna Kontiki 20. Good to dip a toe in the water, and seeing the King Seiko earlier in this thread gets me thinking...

Thanks again all.

Boston Bert · Mar 15, 2023

Spinakerr
Received my Forstner 19mm brushed/polished yesterday for my CK2998 - just wanted to say thanks to everyone on this thread and @eugeneanderson for the detailed photos & comments. After a prompt from some local friends this was a great thread to read through. Very pleased with the result and the stretch links & build quality are superb.

This is my first ever new bracelet purchase - in fact the only other bracelet I have is a Gay Freres that came with an Eterna Kontiki 20. Good to dip a toe in the water, and seeing the King Seiko earlier in this thread gets me thinking...

Thanks again all.

Just got a FOIS and was planning on a bracelet. I saw that the raving bracelet can be used but it’s either loose at the ends or can cause scratches on the case depending on the end links selected (April 2020 article on relozo. Have you looked to see if the Forstner puts scratches on the case? I have a Forstner flat link and ordered a 19mm end link to put my FOIS on it rather than the omega bracelets options to avoid the issues reported by Relozo.

Boston Bert · Mar 15, 2023

Racing 40mm not raving.

DoctorEvil · Mar 15, 2023

B Boston Bert
Just got a FOIS and was planning on a bracelet. I saw that the raving bracelet can be used but it’s either loose at the ends or can cause scratches on the case depending on the end links selected (April 2020 article on relozo. Have you looked to see if the Forstner puts scratches on the case? I have a Forstner flat link and ordered a 19mm end link to put my FOIS on it rather than the omega bracelets options to avoid the issues reported by Relozo.

I can confirm that the Forstner solid end links definitely leave a mark on the watch case. See the pics in the attached thread below.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/marks-on-speedmaster-fois-case-from-forstner-end-links.150469/

Boston Bert · Mar 15, 2023

DoctorEvil
I can confirm that the Forstner solid end links definitely leave a mark on the watch case. See the pics in the attached thread below.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/marks-on-speedmaster-fois-case-from-forstner-end-links.150469/

Thanks Doc! Those are nasty. Do you wear a bracelet loose or tight?

DoctorEvil · Mar 15, 2023

B Boston Bert
Thanks Doc! Those are nasty. Do you wear a bracelet loose or tight?

I wear my bracelet fairly snug. There's roughly a 3mm gap between my bracelet and the underside of my wrist in cooler weather. In warmer weather, there's no gap but thankfully the stretchy links still make it comfortable to wear.

Olhenry56 · Mar 31, 2023

Allow me to add a few thoughts about a couple of even cheaper options I've tried out recently.

I recently bought a 19mm Uncle Seiko US1035 from eBay for a non-Omega (Dan Henry 1975) stupidly hoping I could make the endlinks work with some adjustment or creativity, but the lugs are way too short. So I tried a couple of cheap flat link bracelets with straight end links.

First I tried one I found sold by StrapsCo (~$65). It was advertised as all brushed and tapering from 19mm to 16mm at the clasp, but the outer segments of the links were polished and the clasp was 18mm. Plus, when I just draped it over my wrist, it pulled my hair like crazy. I returned it, and I don't recommend it.

Then I saw some on AliExpress (~$35) that looked similar. The links were polished and the taper looked the same, but I figured I could live with it for the price. I bought one (actually from Etsy for $40, but I suspect it's the same product). It's okay, but I definitely got what I paid for. The brushed segments look great, but the polished segments have a few noticable dings. But it doesn't pull my hair at all. It's not a bad option for a cheap flat link bracelet with straight end links.

But the better news is the straight end links are removable, and they fit the Uncle Seiko bracelet pretty well. I still need to "brush" the polished segments to match, and I need thinner spring bars because the the lugs on my watch are so damn short that the straight end links still bind up a little, but I think that this scratches the flat link itch fairly well for now.

Boston Bert · Apr 1, 2023

I put the Forstner on my FOIS but added the milled clasp to it. I don’t wear bracelets tight (I’m not using the stretchy links in Hawaii). I’ll see in a few months if I got the scratches like Doc. The guy at the Omega boutique says those types of scratches are common, even with OEM parts so it’s not worth waiting for a “safe” bracelet. The Forstner flat link with the aftermarket milked clasp is comfortable and secure (plus the clasp is shorter so it doesn’t slip to the side like the pressed clasp did).

DoctorEvil · Apr 2, 2023

B Boston Bert
I put the Forstner on my FOIS but added the milled clasp to it. I don’t wear bracelets tight (I’m not using the stretchy links in Hawaii). I’ll see in a few months if I got the scratches like Doc. The guy at the Omega boutique says those types of scratches are common, even with OEM parts so it’s not worth waiting for a “safe” bracelet. The Forstner flat link with the aftermarket milked clasp is comfortable and secure (plus the clasp is shorter so it doesn’t slip to the side like the pressed clasp did).

Do you mind posting a few pics to show how the milled clasp looks with the "classic" Forstner flat link? Thanks in advance.

Boston Bert · Apr 2, 2023

DoctorEvil
Do you mind posting a few pics to show how the milled clasp looks with the "classic" Forstner flat link? Thanks in advance.

See attached. The hardest part is pushing the pin that holds the double pusher end of the clasp to the bracelet. They provide a pin pusher with the $75 milled clasp but it’s sort of a budget version. They also have a web page with instructions on how to do that part.

Boston Bert · Apr 2, 2023

This is the link to Forstner’s instructions to swap the pressed clasp for the milled clasp:

https://forstnerbands.com/pages/installing-the-milled-clasp

Boston Bert · Apr 2, 2023

Forstner doesn’t supply that pin on the accessory milked clasp so you have to push it out of the pressed clasp (that’s why my old pressed clasp is in 2 pieces)

Claven2 · Apr 7, 2023

has anyone tried the new US milled end links on the FOIS? Most of the reviews here show the US with the sheet metal end links, or the Forrester band with milled. Just curious - the US combo is cheaper (though uses pins in lieu of screws).

Boston Bert · Apr 7, 2023

Claven2
has anyone tried the new US milled end links on the FOIS? Most of the reviews here show the US with the sheet metal end links, or the Forrester band with milled. Just curious - the US combo is cheaper (though uses pins in lieu of screws).[/QUOTE

The bracelet I have on my FOIS is not old enough to have the push pins. I think Forstner stopped making those a while back. The $185 Forstner bracelet that comes with the milled clasp doesn’t have the stretch links found on the $150 bracelet I have on my FOIS. Both have solid end links. The 19 mm and 20 mm bracelets are the same bracelet (only the end links differ). The various end links and the milled clasp are sold separately (so you can up grade the clasp or put your existing bracelet on any Speedmaster.

Claven2 · Apr 7, 2023

Yes, i know about the Forstner product, which I know is well regarded - I was asking about the Uncle Seiko alternative. On their site, they now list a solid link version of their bracelet, though the bracelet itself still uses push pins.

To be honest, I'm all over the max whether to get a komfit, US flat link or Forstner flat link first to use on the FOIS.

Boston Bert · Apr 7, 2023

I’ve seen some posts that report using the 19 mm Forstner ends with the Ed White bracelet. Never tried it. That’s probably the fanciest bracelet you can make. The YouTube channel Tokante did some FOIS bracelet options, including the Komfit, the flat link and the milled clasp accessory (that’s where I found out about it). The $185 flat link brush polished for the FOIS is back ordered so I started looking for options to recycle my flat link.

hmmmd · Sep 21, 2024

Socks
Uncle Seiko 20mm flat link on my ‘Watchco’ SM300. I thought it fitted pretty well.

Hi, Is this solid endlink?

Omega 1035(1039) vs Uncle Seiko 1035 vs Forstnerbands Flatlink : A pictorial review

TrboDieselPwrd

RevZMan123

TrboDieselPwrd

Boston Bert

Boston Bert

Boston Bert

DoctorEvil

Boston Bert

DoctorEvil

Olhenry56

Boston Bert

DoctorEvil

Boston Bert

Boston Bert

Boston Bert

Claven2

Boston Bert

Claven2

Boston Bert

hmmmd

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