freddy333 Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 This is a continuation of the 7206 portion of my previous I Was Wrong thread. I just received a sample of Yuki's 'fix' for the too-small springbar issue plaguing their 7206 rivet bracelets. The good news is that the bracelet now fits my watch & should likewise fit other vintage models made for a 7206 with 80 (& possibly 58) end links & 2mm springbars. Here is a quick & dirty pic However, along with the good news, there are also a few pieces of (mostly minor) bad news - First, instead of remanufacturing the (permanently attached) end links with larger loops, they simply forced springbars into the existing loops so they are essentially permanent (& some, because of this, will no doubt arrive damaged). And, to add insult to injury, while the springbars fit, they are crap - they contain loose pins that I doubt will last beyond a few installs/removals before collapsing. Therefore, the bracelet is only useful for as long as the springbar pins hold out. Second, as you can see in the pic, the end links are a bit too short (note the gap between the inside edge of the end link & the case). I had to bend & reshape both end links to make them fit the contours of my watch - 1 link was open so wide the top face of the link rose up about 2mm above the level of the lugs & the other was so narrow that it left a gap above it wide enough so that you could see the entire engraving between the lugs. Third, 1 of the end links was too wide & I had to file the sides down to get it to fit between the lugs of any of my cases (I tried both my 6536/1 & 6542). Finally, unlike my last couple of 7206 bracelets (the 1s with the too-small loops), the links on the fixed bracelet are extremely tight. I do not mean secure, I mean ill-fitting & difficult to move - the hallmark of a cheap rep bracelet & a dead give-away since, in comparison, an (undamaged) gen bracelet has a silky smooth feel because the parts all fit together well. So, it is the usual 1 step forward & a couple of steps backwards. Fortunately, in this case, the forward step is bigger & finally permits you to attach & use the bracelet. And, once you have performed the required mods to get the end links to fit your case, the bracelet looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gplracer Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 All we need know is this in a 19mm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted November 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 The 7206 is 20mm. The 7205 is 19mm, but Yuki only lists the 7206 on their website. I have not seen a rep 7205, though I would be surprised if it does not exist somewhere. You might ask Yuki if they can source it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbdad Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 since this newer bracelet is essentially the same as the older (smaller loops) with the 2mm spingbars jammed in, is it plausable that they warped the endlinks when forcing the bars in? man, I was hoping for a better solution. I have the "older" one too and was hoping to figure out a way to get 2mm in there too. I wonder if I jammed some better quality springbars (with stronger pins) in mine instead of the cheaper ones... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 Freddy, once you get the bracelet sorted out, find some Flitz metal polishing paste. That's the stuff I used on my 7206 to get it brightened up a bit, to match my old case. In the process I "accidentally" got a LOT of the stuff jammed down into my links and I worked that thing over mercilessly for about a week, letting the paste erode away the irregularities from the manufacturing process. When I was happy with its feel I cleaned it thoroughly and voila' it's silky and smooth as a baby's butt. It extends and retracts smoothly with no catches, and it flexes nicely around the wrist. Have you noticed that the "plane" of the bracelet is above the "plane" of the endlinks? It ought to extend smoothly in one continuous plane from the midline of the endlink out into the midline of the bracelet links, but on each side, 6:00 and 12:00, my bracelet sits proud of the endlink connection point by perhaps 1mm. Same with yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 (edited) That's a bit disappointing. I would have happily paid for another Yuki 7206 if the endlinks were properly fixed. Fingers crossed on a good 7836, if they decide not to develop this bracelet further. I wonder if I jammed some better quality springbars (with stronger pins) in mine instead of the cheaper ones... My watchmaker was able to do just that with a couple of wide-pivot springbars for my 1016 Explorer. The bars are jammed in good, but the endlinks bend freely. Nanuq: Mine looks a lot like your lower diagram. Edited November 13, 2009 by LHOOQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted November 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 since this newer bracelet is essentially the same as the older (smaller loops) with the 2mm spingbars jammed in, is it plausable that they warped the endlinks when forcing the bars in? Yes, that is exactly what they did (I just received an email from Yuki saying that) & exactly the problem. But it is not just the end links that are too tight. All of the links in this new bracelet are too tight. Not a deal breaker by any means, but compared to their previous bracelets, which feel like gens, this 1 just feels like a rep bracelet. I wonder if I jammed some better quality springbars (with stronger pins) in mine instead of the cheaper ones... If you can get them in without deforming either the springbars or the loops, then you are all set. Trouble is, that the loops are made up of the same sheet metal that holds the end links onto the next link in the bracelet. So if you bend or stretch the loop, you are also pulling the end links tight against the next link, which affects the hinge's ability to move. I do not see any way to expand those loops without causing problems elsewhere. The only proper solution is to remanufacture the end links with larger loops. Freddy, once you get the bracelet sorted out, find some Flitz metal polishing paste. That's the stuff I used on my 7206 to get it brightened up a bit, to match my old case. That is odd that you had to polish your bracelet to get it to match your case. All of Yuki's bracelets match my vintage gen & aftermarket cases just about perfectly (see pic above). I could understand people who might complain that Yuki's bracelets do not look 'new', but that is 1 of the things that amazed me when the 1st 1 arrived - its finish almost exactly matched my 50 year old gen 7206s. While they have issues, their finish, at least to my eye, is about perfect for a vintage Rolex watch case. In the process I "accidentally" got a LOT of the stuff jammed down into my links and I worked that thing over mercilessly for about a week, letting the paste erode away the irregularities from the manufacturing process. When I was happy with its feel I cleaned it thoroughly and voila' it's silky and smooth as a baby's butt. It extends and retracts smoothly with no catches, and it flexes nicely around the wrist. I may have to try that, or something like it to wear down the internal edges a bit. I tried oil & silicone, but neither had much effect. Have you noticed that the "plane" of the bracelet is above the "plane" of the endlinks? It ought to extend smoothly in one continuous plane from the midline of the endlink out into the midline of the bracelet links, but on each side, 6:00 and 12:00, my bracelet sits proud of the endlink connection point by perhaps 1mm. Same with yours? Yes, my new bracelet looks exactly like your diagram. The problem goes back to what I was saying about the loops being pulled too tightly when you expand or deform them to fit larger springbars. The loops are formed by pieces of sheet metal that run out the bottom of the end link & through the end of the 1st link in the bracelet. They 'loop' back up through the bottom of the end link, forming a 'C' within the bottom of the end link. So as you expand the loop in the end link, you are effectively pulling the rest of the loop (that runs through the 1st link) tighter, which causes the end link to slide up along the side of the 1st link, as shown in your diagram. That is why I did not want to force springbars into the loops as others did. You are literally robbing Peter to feed Paul. I think we just need to make clear to Yuki that they will sell lots of these bracelets if they can get the factory to fit larger loops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosnik Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 Freddy, how much Yuki ask for this last 7206 rivet bracelets? TNX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted November 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 I think it was $108 or something like that. You should check their website. Considering how accurate they are, I think the price is reasonable, especially considering that most sellers sell those other crappy rivet bracelets for about the same amount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbdad Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 They've bumped it up to $145 now for the "mod". Yuki gave it to me for $100 when I order a case set from him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosnik Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 Thank you friends! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnBeever Posted November 14, 2009 Report Share Posted November 14, 2009 Freddy, thanks for the update. This like most rep stuff, almost there but fouled up at the last minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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