When new, the endlinks generally fit pretty good, but not great. However, as the watch is worn over the years, the top portion of the endlinks wears out as it rubs against the curved surface of the midcase. As a result, the endlinks will rattle around even more which causes even more friction. To reduce the rattle, the endlinks can be "squeezed" such that the top portion rests along the vertical portion of the midcase. Obviously over time, it will get lower and lower. There's a reason Rolex moved to SELs in the early 80's to prevent having to constantly adjust or replace the structurally inferior hollow endlinks PS: I think the AirKing in the first photo is using incorrect endlinks, which is why that one in particular looks stupid