Thanks for all the replies! I'm considering trying a modern generic machined steel bracelet and seeing how that works out. I've done this with a couple of seikos in the past and been quite impressed with them. I just find the 1171 bracelet feels a bit cheap in comparison to the rest of the watch which lets it down a bit. I realise this is just a result of the fact that its an old design and was probably the height of quality in its day. Either way, I'm going to give it another week or two and see if I can get used to it.
In saying that, I've wanted to get a mesh strap on something for a while (I've a bit of a dive watch collection) so this might be the one for that. The only question is third party or OEM...