How Do I Change a Watch Strap? A Simple Step-by-Step Guide
Changing a watch strap is one of the most satisfying and transformative things you can do for a watch - a fresh strap can give a timepiece a whole new character in just a few minutes. And the good news is that, with a little care and one inexpensive tool, it is a job you can very often do yourself at home. Here is a simple step-by-step guide to changing a watch strap.
What You'll Need
Before you start, it helps to have the right tool. The key item is a spring bar tool - an inexpensive little tool, widely available, with a forked end designed specifically for this job. While it is sometimes possible to manage with a small flathead screwdriver, a proper spring bar tool makes the task far easier and greatly reduces the risk of slipping and scratching your watch, so it is well worth having.
You will also want a soft, clean surface to work on - a soft cloth or mat laid on a table is ideal, both to protect the watch and to stop any small parts rolling away. Good light helps too. And, of course, you will need your new strap, in the correct size for your watch.
Getting the Size Right
The single most important thing is that your new strap is the right width for your watch. Watch straps are measured by their width in millimetres, and this must match the lug width of your watch - the distance between the lugs, where the strap fits, as we explain in our guide to what lugs are.
An 18mm watch needs an 18mm strap, a 20mm watch a 20mm strap, and so on. If you are unsure, you can measure the gap between the lugs with a ruler or callipers before choosing your strap. Getting this right ensures a proper, secure, and attractive fit.
How a Strap Attaches
Understanding how a strap is held on makes the job much clearer. The strap is secured by a spring bar - a small metal bar with sprung, retractable ends, which sits between the lugs and passes through a loop at the end of the strap. The sprung ends push outwards into small holes in the lugs, holding everything firmly in place. To change the strap, you simply need to compress these sprung ends to release the bar, as we touch on in our complete guide to watch bracelet types.
Step One - Removing the Old Strap
To remove the old strap, turn the watch over, or work from the side, so you can see where the strap meets the lugs. Slip the forked end of the spring bar tool into the small gap between the strap and the lug, so it catches the lip of the spring bar.
Gently press the forked end against the spring bar to compress it, pushing the sprung end inwards and away from the hole in the lug. Once that end is free, ease it out from between the lugs, and the strap will come away on that side. Repeat for the other side, and the old strap is off. Take care throughout not to let the tool slip, which can scratch the case.
Step Two - Preparing the New Strap
With the old strap removed, take the spring bar out of the old strap and have a look at it - very often the same spring bars can simply be reused with your new strap. Thread the spring bar through the loop at the end of the new strap, so the bar sits in place with its sprung ends protruding on each side.
Make sure you have the strap the right way round, with the longer half (the one with the buckle) at the top, or twelve o'clock, side of the watch, and the shorter half at the bottom. This is how a strap is conventionally worn.
Step Three - Fitting the New Strap
To fit the new strap, insert one end of the spring bar into the hole in one lug. Then, with the strap in position, use the spring bar tool, or a careful fingernail, to compress the other sprung end inwards, and manoeuvre it into position between the lugs. Line it up with the hole in the second lug, and gently release it, allowing the sprung end to spring outwards into the hole.
You should feel and hear a small click as it seats home. Give the strap a gentle tug to check it is secure on that side, then repeat for the other half of the strap. Once both halves are fitted and secure, your new strap is on.
A Final Check
Before wearing your watch, always check that both halves of the strap are properly and securely attached. Give each a gentle but firm tug to make sure the spring bars are fully seated in the lugs - you do not want a strap coming loose and your watch taking a fall. If anything feels loose, remove and refit that end until it seats properly with a secure click.
If you ever feel unsure, or find a particular watch fiddly, a jeweller or watchmaker will happily change a strap for you, often while you wait, as we touch on in our guide to finding a good watchmaker. But for most watches, changing a strap is a genuinely simple job, and a real pleasure once you have the knack.
A Note on Our Straps
At AR Collectables, we offer a lovely range of premium, handmade leather watch straps, crafted from fine Italian leather in a variety of elegant grains, styles, and colours - the perfect way to refresh a watch or give it a whole new character, as we explore in our complete guide to leather watch straps.
You can browse our full range of premium leather watch straps here!
A Final Thought
So, how do you change a watch strap? With an inexpensive spring bar tool, the right size of strap, and a little care, it is a genuinely simple job - compress the spring bars to release the old strap, fit the new one the right way round, and check it is secure before wearing. In just a few minutes, you can transform the look of a watch entirely. It is one of the most satisfying and rewarding little skills of watch ownership, and it opens up all the pleasure of changing your watch's character to suit your mood or the occasion.
At AR Collectables, we love helping people get the very best from their watches and straps, and every strap in our range is handmade from fine Italian leather. If you would like help choosing the right strap for your watch, or have any questions at all, just drop me a message - we would love to help. 🤝
Check out our full range of premium leather watch straps today!
