Spring bar woes (the first)

[KennethRSloan]

In today's mail, I received a lovely vintage Raketa world timer. It shipped with a nylon NATO (see the pretty picture). It also seems to be equipped with brand new, and very thick and robust spring bars. Alas, the spring bars are *so* thick and robust that there is almost (not quite, but close) zero space between the spring bars and the case. I can see a sliver of light, and I can make that sliver marginally bigger by appying lateral force on the spring bar. I haven't tried heroic measures, but I can't figure out how anyone might actually attach the NATO to this watch. And even if I could, I wonder about the constant lateral force applied by the strap on the spring bar - this might be a disaster waiting to happen. Zoom in on the image and note that it's not really attached in the photo (darn clever, those Ukrainians)

So...what to do? Thinner spring bars? silk strap? Curved spring bars? Where should I look to find the necessary parts?

[whatmeworry]

You can buy curved bars on eBay.
I've had a few watches with very little clearance and would suggest holding the strap in place and then putting the spring bar in.
Or just superglue the strap to the watch or the watch to your wrist

[man of kent]

Try thinner or curved bars. Also, I notice the strap you have there is a zulu, which is significantly thicker than a nato. So, combination of thin bars and thinner strap, job done!

[whatmeworry]

RLT in the UK used to do VERY thin Natos, half the thickness of others I've had. So might be worth trying them.

[Perseus]

I know they make thinner spring bars. That's what Hirsch uses with the Medici straps.

[is that my watch]

well with the raketa 24hrs I would say go for there original strap thin but strong or go for a nato over the zulu it's sitting on or a raketa bracelet yes some of the old Russian watches have an issue with clearance so a modern nato / zulu won't work there is a old nato that are very thin you could use but I don't seem many around normal in with job lot's of watches and of course there are different size spring bars size wise

[Nokie]

Maybe a perlon strap? Usually thinner than most Natos.

[KennethRSloan]

Have pity - I'm a newbie and haven't mastered Strap Brands/Types 101. In any event, I managed to get it on by removing the spring bars, placing the strap, compressing the spring bar so that it was held by the lug, and then applying the appropriate amount of force to engage the tip of the spring bar. Sort of defeats the purpose of installing this type of strap - but it worked (see below). The amount of force required was more than I would feel comfortable applying to YOUR watch, but well within limits for MY watch.

Of course, the strap is still a bit large for my puny left wrist, even on the last hole. Now...I can make new holes in leather using simple tools found around the office (I'm always in too much of a hurry to go home to my workbench) - but making a new hole in this plastic stuff looks more challenging. So - time to acquire the appropriate tool. What tool? Pointer to a good supplier?

One advantage of the thick spring bars is that the watch doesn't slide around on the strap.

Off to find a punch tool, thinner and/or curved spring bars, and a better strap.

[is that my watch]

as you say to do it that way defeat the purpose of the strap and I don't like putting the spring bars under to much pressure in the wrong place as they could pop

the design with the nato is that if one spring bar goes your watch will flap around loose but still be on your wrist where with a strap it would have founds it way to the hardest surface and landed crystal down lol it has happen to often that's why I am a nato guy

but if you look around the forum I'm sure there are a few differently threads explaining the different types of strap bracelets and or buckles clasp etc but that could be good to make a thread about it all in one place then bit's all over the place ?

you will soon get the handled on the names like what's the difference between a nato and a zulu depends who you ask I say it's down to the nato having the extra strip of material or is that the zulu haha

[KennethRSloan]

Yup - best descriptions I've found say: NATO - two layers under the watch; Zulu - only one. On the other hand, most pictures seem to associate one style of keeper with NATO and another (larger?) with zulu. For the record, this strap has large rounded keepers (so...zulu?) but also has two layers of strap between watch and wrist (so...NATO?).

I agree about stressing the bars. I'll be removing this strap realSoonNow and find another use for it. Either thinner or curved spring bars should solve the problem - given the clearance I see now, I don't think *any* strap will fit properly with the current (new?) fat, straight bars.