Has anyone removed the link that connects to the SEL from the SEL on a 93250 bracelet?

[phwtan]

I'm wanting to do this for a repair, so would like to do this without damaging the link.

Has anybody done this? If so, how was it done?

Thanks!

[dbane883]

You need a special reverse vice. It looks like this:

[watcher]

Is that from the guys on YouTube!!?

I keep looking for one of those!

[phwtan]

Ohhh...very cool...and it won't destroy the link?

[dbane883]

The "grips" are made with replaceable rubber pads and won't mar the surface. One would have to get this vice custom-machined. Not exactly a wal-mart item

[irolexu]

I've done it. I swapped out rep end links on a TC and fitted gen 93160a end links and it worked great. Need a special tool

[Champagnesky]

Hmm good thing if you want to swap te last link on a tc to a stamped one.

[blue.]

Nice topic, wanted to share my experience since quite some time.

Yes, the best and safest way to do is using that tool showed by dbane. It is a picture from the site of Michael Young (famous bracelet restorer from HK).

 

But, this tool is most probably custom made, to my knowledge you can not buy this. If yes, expect unrealistic prices.

 

I needed this desperately some time ago but asked myself to which essential parts can this be limited and redone in an affordable budget friendly way?

 

Here is the result:

 

This is a pair of cheap expanding pliers. It is really important to file down a very thin tip, split upside down "T" type (I have drawn a bit into the image to show how it should be).

Not too thin as the tips would bend. The tiny tips are there to transfer the force from the expanding pliers in the inner walls of the bracelet link. One has to do this very carefully, as small unwanted marks are inevitable, though can be polished/filed down carefully later before assembly.

The forces to open the link were surprisingly high. These links are hold by three pins, that go well deep into the side parts of the links.

Picture from WUS

 

Hope JMB gets caught up one day, so we can fund a "Oyster Reverse Vice" project to do this type of tool

Edited December 15, 2014 by blue.

[jmb]

I'm making a tool like Bubba Darth showed above and might be able to do it, eventually.  It's about half finished, like a lot of my other projects...

[blue.]

I'm making a tool like Bubba Darth showed above and might be able to do it, eventually.  It's about half finished, like a lot of my other projects...

 

Top notch, J!

[irolexu]

In the mean time I got a great guy in Dallas who can do it and do a really good job. PM me for details if you need

[blue.]

The two fixing pieces of the upper showed tool by "dbane" have to be well covered by a thin enough rubber like "coat" otherwise this might happen:

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f23/can-rolex-remove-permanent-links-oyster-368549-2.html#post3399029

[automatico]

How about:

Take two medium size Vise Grip pliers and taper one jaw on each one on a grinder to more or less match the bottom curve of an oyster link.

Drill and tap one hole each on the tops of the jaws of a bench vise...about 8mm or 5/16US.

Drill one mounting hole in the most suitable jaw on each Vise Grip.

Mount the Vise Grips to the vise jaws with bolts.

Line the Vise Grip jaws with soft copper or brass.

Clamp the link with the Vise Grips and unscrew the vise jaws to pull it apart.

 

Most bench vises are made of nodular iron and it is fairly easy to drill and tap. The Vise Grip jaws might be a little harder but it can be done. I eyeballed my vises and Vise Grips and it looked like it would not be too hard to do.