I am trying to figure out how to shorten this vintage Kreisler mesh bracelet. It has indentations indicating it can be shortened but can’t find any way to adjust it. There’s no obvious hinge on the buckle to hint at the method for adjustment. Anyone familiar with this design that can help?
You need to open up that end piece, slide it down, and then crimp it closed again in a different location. It may not be a hinge, the the end-piece is in two parts and can open and close. I can't see exactly how to do it for that bracelet, but I have had many that were similar. The bottom piece may slide out, then slide back in, with those tabs locking it in place.
There is a hinge but looks like it was designed to be cut. I wouldn't screw with this myself, I would consult my watchmaker.
Those indentations in the mesh near the clasp are made to match up with the locking tab in various positions as Dan pointed out.
Yes, but where does the excess go when you shorten it? There's nowhere for it to go. I'm fine being proved wrong on this....
I think it goes into the clasp, and as pictured there is room for it to slide in but not very far. However it looks like it would shorten the band by around 1/2" or so. Anything more than that and you're right it would need some lopped off.
I agree I may have to cut a portion of the mesh considering it may bottom out against the buckle. It's trying to figure out how to loosen the buckle for adjustment. The only thing I can think of is uncrimping the tabs to loosen it.
Yes. Why there is more clamping spots than can be accommodated in that clasp. Therefore, visit the watchmaker. The shear to shorten that bracelet I do not have at home and I have a lot of Milwaukee Tool items because that's where I am!
good advice but many of us like hands-on involvement in our hobbies. I usually only give up and seek a professional for assistance once I'm bleeding and bandaged
In the immortal words of Dirty Harry, "A man has to know his limitations." There are things I did that could be better done by a professional. Some of them I did and paid more because I failed.
Don't un-crimp the tabs. There should be a way to tilt or pry up that entire piece. You may need to use a thin screwdriver blade to get leverage, but it shouldn't require great force. I agree that you may need to cut off the end of the mesh strap if you need to shorten it a lot. That's not so unusual. A good angle grinder with a carbide blade will leave a clean end (holding the strap in a vise or clamps), but it could probably be done using a Dremel, or even tin snips in a pinch.
I did to no avail. I don’t see a way to pry the buckle off. The tabs are holding the tongue down against the groove in the mesh.
I think that the tongue is being held down simply because it is sandwiched in the groove. The tabs are there to keep the whole thing from sliding out. It looks to me that if you pushed the tabs down, you could slide the entire strap and clamp assembly out of the groove. Then it would open up.
I suppose you could try to lift the tabs up, but you would have to bend them so far that I'm afraid they will break.
Again, take it to your watchmaker! You poke around and turn it to crap and you wasted what you paid. My watchmaker in his store might charge me $20 to adjust.
Yea I can always take it to him but I figured someone here may have encountered this design previously and thus know something so obvious I missed it.
It looks as if the tabs are the locking mechanism and may have already been bent up slightly? If you can push the back plate down so the tabs go into the grove you should then be able to slide the plate forward and out to open the clamp and adjust the bracelet in a few indentations to shorten it.
