I want to replace the bracelet that came on my Speedmaster racing, with a leather strap. A couple of questions are in my mind ...

I'd rather not use the Omega Spring bars so I'm wondering if there's some high quality [read reliable and strong] alternative brands that can be recommended?

The lug width on this watch is 19mm. I notice that some leather straps shown here look as though they might be slightly wider than the lug width. So for a 19mm lug width is a 19mm band the best choice, or is there some sort of advantage to be gained by using a tighter fitting 20mm width strap?

From a newbie point of view, it looks as though it could be tricky to use a spring bar tool with a thick, slightly over-width leather strap but maybe that's not a factor? It's not a job I'm planning to do myself as I don't have the experience or high quality tools to do it.

 

Why do you prefer to not use Omega spring bars?

There are different size spring bars for leather strap vs steel bracelet.

 

19 is better , 20 will do the job based on the leather type but could be not nice if the leather is too thick

 

Ok, 19mm it is then.

I'd be happy to use Omega spring bars if they're easily available and will do the better job than any of the alternatives.

If there are different size spring bars for leather and steel, what's the correct choice for a 19mm leather strap on a Speedmaster racing?

 

After some searching here, it seems the answer is 068ST2208 if it's Omega. I'll see what I can dig up, though local suppliers aren't thick on the ground..

Thanks for the help and apologies for not searching first.

 

Any OB or AD or watchmaker with an Omega account can get them.

No worries for asking, I don't always get the best results with searches. There are others with superior Google-Fu skills but not I...

 

Many thanks. I'll go for a "reputable watchmaker" rather than taking a chance on something online that can't be evaluated for what matters in a spring bar.