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Original Forstner endlink springs

JwRosenthal
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Greetings all,
Just picked up an original horn lugged Forstner Komfit on a watch (I bought the watch for the bracelet), and one of the endlinks doesn’t have any spring to it. Both horns are there but they just slide back and forth. I tried a little WD40 thinking maybe the spring mechanism was frozen from gunk, but no change.
Is it possible for the springs to fall out? And if it is frozen, is there any way to get in there to free it/them up?
606807E9-3F07-48C3-A82F-E0600BC1F27F.jpeg FD34D9FC-439D-45C7-92E2-3868BB2FFF3E.jpeg 707363E3-6AD0-4A2F-A220-BAB26FBABB46.jpeg
 
dennisthemenace
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There's a post somewhere here on OF about repairing these endlinks, about two or three years ago I think. Looked rather complicated. A bit of googling should find it.
 
TLIGuy
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Here is the repair link mentioned above.

Omega Forum - JB Champion Repair Log

Not difficult to get inside the end piece with a little liquid courage help😀. I think it's highly unlikely the spring is gone but it could be broken or has somehow become unhooked inside the link. I would have avoided any liquid lubricants because that will just invite more dirt to get stuck inside just adding to the problem.

After I disassembled my end pieces and put them back together I used a bit of graphite powder to keep the pieces inside moving freely.

Good luck.
 
JwRosenthal
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Thanks for the link guys- I followed the instructional and my spring is indeed gone...hmmm.
90AFEAD5-6370-48E0-B3FA-2CFC549D9747.jpeg


Now I need a spring
 
TLIGuy
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
Now I need a spring

Bummer, I was hoping it was just clogged up. The spring alone is going to be challenging to find. Hopefully someone here might have a vintage donor spring or end link to spare.

Maybe reach out to the Forstner band guys and see if they can source you a spring. Their bracelet appears to be made to the exact specs so a new replacement spring might be accessible from them.
 
JwRosenthal
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It was surprisingly easy to take apart...after watching someone else do it.
 
TLIGuy
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
It was surprisingly easy to take apart...after watching someone else do it.

Getting it open is the easy part. Closed back up just a bit more challenging.
 
WYO_Watch
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
Now I need a spring
I’d look to harvest one from another bracelet. I may have something that would work in the box I can send you. I’m always looking to buy watches on stretchy bracelets 😁
 
JwRosenthal
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TLIGuy TLIGuy
Getting it open is the easy part. Closed back up just a bit more challenging.
Channel locks wrapped in electrical tape (to prevent tool marks) actually worked perfectly to push the cover sides back in followed by flat bladed pliers (again wrapped in tape) to finish off the tabs.
 
redpcar
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Try looking at some other springs on common stretchies. As long as you have a good one for measurements, it should be straight forward.
 
JwRosenthal
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redpcar redpcar
Try looking at some other springs on common stretchies. As long as you have a good one for measurements, it should be straight forward.
Sadly I threw away all of the gold shit stretchiest I had in a flurry of purge (of course), but I don’t know if they use the same type of mechanism. This one is under-hung Whereas most are on one chamber- but I’ve never taken one of those apart
 
redpcar
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I've got a bunch somewhere maybe even Forstner brand. Want some?
 
DaveK
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I was under the impression that many of the spring loaded bracelets are famous for chewing lugs, does Forstner‘s design avoid this outcome?
 
TLIGuy
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I'm not sure how much you have in the bracelet now but you could pick up one of the cheaper gold filled bracelets and use it to get the spring you need.

Here is a good donor option that you might be able to make a good offer on.

Ebay...JB Gold Filled Bracelet
 
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JwRosenthal
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DaveK DaveK
I was under the impression that many of the spring loaded bracelets are famous for chewing lugs, does Forstner‘s design avoid this outcome?

No, it doesn’t- if it’s applying pressure, it will wear. In fact the watch I took this off of had the chewed up lugs. But, that watch had 18mm lugs (the Sprung endlinks only
Go to 19) and most likely had been worn daily, and for decades with this bracelet-as are most we see that have the lug damage.

I am putting it on a watch with 17.5mm endlinks that may get worn once a month in my rotation- I’m doubting it would cause much wear over the course of a decade. But on a Speedy with 20mm lugs (as this bracelet is most known for), it wouldn’t even touch the sides and there would be a gap, so it shouldn’t cause any damage other than maybe some scuffs inside the lugs from sliding around- it’s not applying pressure.

But this brings up an interesting idea- that of reducing spring tension.
Has anyone thought of cutting and stretching the spring to reduce its tension applied to the lugs? Would that reduce the effectiveness of the spring loaded covers to hold against the lugs and not show a gap?
 
JwRosenthal
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TLIGuy TLIGuy
I'm not sure how much you have in the bracelet now but you could pick up one of the cheaper gold filled bracelets and use it to get the spring you need.

Here is a good donor option that you might be able to make a good offer on.

Ebay...JB Gold Filled Bracelet
Thanks TLI, RedPcar is sending me a similar donor he has in his parts bin with a missing cover on one side- fingers crossed.
 
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DaveK
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
No, it doesn’t- if it’s applying pressure, it will wear. In fact the watch I took this off of had the chewed up lugs. But, that watch had 18mm lugs (the Sprung endlinks only
Go to 19) and most likely had been worn daily, and for decades with this bracelet-as are most we see that have the lug damage.

I am putting it on a watch with 17.5mm endlinks that may get worn once a month in my rotation- I’m doubting it would cause much wear over the course of a decade. But on a Speedy with 20mm lugs (as this bracelet is most known for), it wouldn’t even touch the sides and there would be a gap, so it shouldn’t cause any damage other than maybe some scuffs inside the lugs from sliding around- it’s not applying pressure.

But this brings up an interesting idea- that of reducing spring tension.
Has anyone thought of cutting and stretching the spring to reduce its tension applied to the lugs? Would that reduce the effectiveness of the spring loaded covers to hold against the lugs and not show a gap?
Thx JW, they look great, I hope you can MacGyver a fix for yours.
 
JwRosenthal
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It’s still wearable, it just shows a little gap and the covers creep back periodically. And the endlink rotates down whereas the pressure on the other side keeps it pretty well aligned.
C65FF185-04C9-4282-A9DD-F010429A95BF.jpeg
 
M'Bob
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image.jpeg
JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
It’s still wearable, it just shows a little gap and the covers creep back periodically. And the endlink rotates down whereas the pressure on the other side keeps it pretty well aligned.

I would say "Snorkel," but you'd probably just end up drinking this:

image.jpeg
 
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