I was hoping someone could give me some advice here...

My 50th anniversary Seamaster GMT 2234.50 just came back from service and I decided to go for the rubber strap look...

After some research I found out that the rubber strap that would work is the 98000085... I went down to the Omega Boutique and purchased the rubber strap but when it was time to install it their watch maker said the strap would not fit... long story short they found out the problem was the spring bar. I was told the spring bar form the bracelet 1610/930 wasn't working and they had to use another size. The new spring bars did fit but they told me the bars will bend with time and snap out...

From most threads I see people commenting they used the same spring bar from the bracelet... can any one confirm that?

The fit looks good but the strap moves around just a little, it is not 100% firm.

I will post some pics below of the watch with the different spring bars... and no, I forgot to ask them the size of the new spring bars

 

Hello - that strap is not intended for use on that case - the strap is used on SMP chronographs.

There are a number of straps made for the case on your watch:

97988082 | RUBBER SPORT BLUE INT.20 X 18 PAP

97996082 | BLACK SPORT RUBBER INT. 20X18 PAP

98000037 | RUBBER PAD BLACK 20X18 DPL INT

These come with a deployant clasp rather than a tang buckle, so the first 2 use:

94531803 | STEEL CLASP BUTTERFLY RUBBER 18MM

And the last one uses:

94521813 | BUCKLE STEEL1 CATCH - DPL 18MM

And with straps and a 20 mm lug width, the spring bar should be the 068ST2208.

Cheers, Al

 

Hi Archer, thanks. for the reply... yes I do understand it is not for that case I see so many using this rubber strap 98000085 and I was just wondering how they deal with the spring bars.

 

Dang, I thought this strap was for the 2500-series 42mm Planet Oceans – fits my PO just fine with the OEM bars, but should I be worried?

 

The one for the 42mm Planet Ocean is the 98000144 if I am not mistaken... they look almost the same but the fit is different.

 

Yes this is correct.

 

I saved the attachment from Ofrei.com 2 years ago, which shows which watches this strap fits (i.e. those using an Omega 020ST1613934 bracelet) which I found out was a chronograph after I googled it. So the 1613/934 is the bracelet for SMP chronograph, and you want a rubber strap for watches that can take a 1610/930 bracelet and end links.

I bought one with buckle from Jared for much less than Ofrei, planning to use it with my SMPc chronograph or my Ti SMP chronograph. But I'm using the stock bracelet with adjustable clasp on the SMPc chrono for now. I plan to install the strap on my older Ti chronograph the next time I want to wear it.

I had heard that I could try it on my Planet Ocean 2500 but never got around to it, since I added the adjustable clasp to that one as well.

 

As said previously, the 42mm PO rubber straps will work. I've put one on several Bonds, even my Speedy Pro and it works well

 

Hmmm... Since my Blue Everest rubber strap for Rolex GMT II fits my Speedmaster X-33 Solar Impulse perfectly, and your 42mm Planet Ocean strap fits the SMP Bond and Speedy, I wonder how my Blue Everest would look/fit on a Blue wave dial SMP or SMP chronograph (because they all fit the speedy)?

 

The screen shot from Ofrei mentions that the strap takes the SPRING-BAR-03, I believe that might have been what happened, at the boutique they where trying to fit it with the bracelet spring bar which I believe it is the 04...

So far it is holding up good, you can see a slight bend but nothing extreme...

 

I’m glad I saved that page. I saved a few screen shots when I knew ofrei was selling out of parts and I wouldn’t be able to go back and refer to the page later. I wish they’d left all their pages intact and just added “out of stock” instead of deleting items from their pages.