Community Stories

Omegas with expansion bands

Stosh
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Just curious to know if anybody here uses an expansion band. I know they're taboo, and bad for the watch lugs.

For me personally, they fit better, and are more comfortable than a strap. Not all of my watches have them, but I gravitate towards the ones that do. Straps just don't last that long either for me. I wear them out fast, and don't even get a year out of them.

What do you all think?
 
MikeMan2727
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Apart from lug erosion, they always seem to pinch my very hairy wrists so it's a no-go for me.
 
JwRosenthal
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The only expansion bands I have ever liked are the Kiefer Kadman Expandro bracelets. They look like an Oyster and are not spring loaded lugs (so no pressure on the inner walls of the lugs). They are hard to find in 18/20mm though. And they only look good on certain watches. They are very clever for adding or removing a link and can snap over the ends of fixed lug bars like Mil watches (they were apparently popular on German Mil watches during WWII).
2E7CB96F-CE4B-4BF6-9097-206A8D673249.jpeg 69AC1975-8714-47BB-9E45-1CD0A2874C98.jpeg
 
Stosh
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
The only expansion bands I have ever liked are the Kiefer Kadman Expandro bracelets. They look like an Oyster and are not spring loaded lugs (so no pressure on the inner walls of the lugs). They are hard to find in 18/20mm though. And they only look good on certain watches. They are very clever for adding or removing a link and can snap over the ends of fixed lug bars like Mil watches (they were apparently popular on German Mil watches during WWII).
2E7CB96F-CE4B-4BF6-9097-206A8D673249.jpeg 69AC1975-8714-47BB-9E45-1CD0A2874C98.jpeg

I've never seen these before.Great alternative to the Speidel's, Kreisler's etc...
 
JwRosenthal
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Stosh Stosh
I've never seen these before.Great alternative to the Speidel's, Kreisler's etc...
They are really beautifully made and as I said, the engineering is very clever (once you figure out how to remove/add links it’s genius-no tools needed). I have a couple in 16mm that work on some of my older 50’s sport watches- but they can look odd on others. Worth having though for the little money they fetch. What I love about them is that they look like a real bracelet, not a stretchy POS, and they edges are silky smooth and don’t grab arm hair.
Oh, and the one in the pic is my only 18, I have come across one 20mm with a tapered style bracelet (doesn’t look like a lolipop), and that’s the only 20 I have ever seen...gave that to a friend sadly.
 
TexOmega
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Let's don't turn this into a form of the Spanish Inquisition, at least use an old Timex!..........::facepalm1::

oh, THE HORROR!! (to quote a famous line.)



your watch👍
 
zoohannover
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Here my FOIS on an elastic strap from Speidel Reference 230186WL.

E4368F15-E8B8-471D-B64A-3C6AA6005826.jpeg


As mentioned before: The spring-loaded end links on this type of bracelets will wear out the area around the lug holes over time. Some use small plastic washers for protection. I did this by changing the end links to the appropriate width (here 19 mm) and thus avoiding the spring function.
 
Stosh
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zoohannover zoohannover
Here my FOIS on an elastic strap from Speidel Reference 230186WL.

E4368F15-E8B8-471D-B64A-3C6AA6005826.jpeg


As mentioned before: The spring-loaded end links on this type of bracelets will wear out the area around the lug holes over time. Some use small plastic washers for protection. I did this by changing the end links to the appropriate width (here 19 mm) and thus avoiding the spring function.

I can hear the sirens heading to the cardiac wards now!😲 A Speedy with a expansion band!🫨:whipped:
 
Stosh
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TexOmega TexOmega
Let's don't turn this into a form of the Spanish Inquisition, at least use an old Timex!..........::facepalm1::

oh, THE HORROR!! (to quote a famous line.)



your watch👍

A Timex would NEVER grace my wrist!🤮
 
JwRosenthal
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Stosh Stosh
I can hear the sirens heading to the cardiac wards now!😲 A Speedy with a expansion band!🫨:whipped:
I guarantee you that there were many-a-speedy on these back in the day....even at NASA, I’m sure if the crews could have fit one over the flight suit they would have.
 
JwRosenthal
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Flip Flip
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293500838721
Yup- that’s the one- but shipping at $30?!?
That one has all 10 links which is a good thing. They fit my 7.5” wrist without stretching (little wiggle actually) with all 10- not including the joining link at the bottom, and more can be added by just pulling from another one- taking a link out is a breeze as mentioned before
 
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MRC
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Stosh Stosh
A Timex would NEVER grace my wrist!🤮

There are times & places....

This one was the right tool for one assignment to take a lot of photos that required me to use an MTB to get to the locations and stand up to whatever trees, rocks, bushes, rutted tracks that I might encounter on the way. It was synchronised to the camera's clock so I could write the time I stopped on the 1:25,000 map & know where each photo was taken.

P3060257m.JPG





I only have one expansion bracelet, but as it's on a Heuer I guess that doesn't count.

PA190039m.JPG
 
115-N-1m.jpg
JwRosenthal
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MRC MRC
There are times & places....

This one was the right tool for one assignment to take a lot of photos that required me to use an MTB to get to the locations and stand up to whatever trees, rocks, bushes, rutted tracks that I might encounter on the way. It was synchronised to the camera's clock so I could write the time I stopped on the 1:25,000 map & know where each photo was taken.

P3060257m.JPG





I only have one expansion bracelet, but as it's on a Heuer I guess that doesn't count.

PA190039m.JPG
lol- love the rivet expansion bracelet in the Heuer- I have one on an early Zodiac Seawolf. Not all expansion bracelets are bad- even the early Rolex rivet bracelets has the expansion links.
88D902E6-4A4F-47A2-8A32-5677E4CB1FCA.jpeg A41A2CD1-C067-49C9-9FD4-9B3FDD7186D0.jpeg 23826037-508E-449A-BA29-C8FB74EFA985.jpeg 3B688ADB-7390-4E3C-ABBB-16423AF85D00.jpeg 127496CA-ABA4-4B5E-992C-921F707997B1.jpeg
 
MRC
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
lol- love the rivet expansion bracelet in the Heuer- I have one on an early Zodiac Seawolf. Not all expansion bracelets are bad- even the early Rolex rivet bracelets has the expansion links.
88D902E6-4A4F-47A2-8A32-5677E4CB1FCA.jpeg A41A2CD1-C067-49C9-9FD4-9B3FDD7186D0.jpeg 23826037-508E-449A-BA29-C8FB74EFA985.jpeg 3B688ADB-7390-4E3C-ABBB-16423AF85D00.jpeg 127496CA-ABA4-4B5E-992C-921F707997B1.jpeg

This is the state mine was in before it took a little holiday in Hong Kong. It had been 8 years on the wrist of a semi-pro North Sea diver before I got it and then about 15 years on my wrist before being consigned to duties where a Timex was inappropriate.

bracelet.jpg
 
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