Springbars - Rolex Lugs

[TJGladeRaider]

Some time ago, I had posted that I use 22mm springbars when I drill the lugs on a vintage Rolex if the 20mm Rolex Bars cannot be made to fit, and you cannot tell the difference in how they look.

Our very own Chieftang asked for more specific information, so here goes.

These are the springbars I use. Standard 20mm bars on top, below that is a 20mm Rolex bar, and below that is a 22mm Standard Spring Bar.

While I have no doubt that our resident gurus have no problems getting the Rolex fat tube springbars to fit once they drill the lugs, mine don't always seem to want to cooperate - and getting those big fat tubes thru the endlinks is enough to make you crazy.

I drilled the lugs on this GMT II and could not get the Rolex bars to fit no matter what I did. Since I wanted to wear the watch, I used two 22mm spring bars instead. Can you tell the difference?

If you mic the lugs, they are just over 20mm wide - 20.16 seems to be a representative measurement.

If you mic a standard 20mm spring bar 19.36 seems to be a representative measurement

If you mic a Rolex 20mm spring bar, 19.7 seems to be representative

If you mic a 22mm standard springbar, 20mm seems to be representative

Just to make things more clear, I took the bracelet off again so you could see the lugs, the 22mm bar (back) and the 20mm bar front. Notice that the 22mm bar is only slightly longer, but it is significantly thicker.

Once I reinstalled it, I think it looks exactly like the Rolex Bars look.

Note that there are all kinds of spring bars out there so be sure and get the ones that look like this instead of the ones that seem to have little [censored]s on the ends.

They install SOOOOOOOO much easier than the Rolex Bars and since they are thicker, and a little longer, they fit tight.

Bill

[ubiquitous]

Very interesting find, Bill. Thanks for reporting... This could be a nice alternative to those who have had problems with the vintage bars...

[HauteHippie]

Good info, Bill. Thanks again! I will note that I tried a set of watch prince 22mm bars and the tips were too thin to look correct through the case holes as well as the bars themselves being a bit too long to fit my TW Best case.

[Guest avitt]

Thanks for the tip. Another advantage of this solution is that you would not have to drill out the end links of standard rep bracelets.

[haveblue]

TJGR, what type/source/brand of standard 22mm springbars do you recommend since Chief's watch prince's were not the ideal solution. i think i'm going to go this route on my tw classic at this time.

[HauteHippie]

TJGR, what type/source/brand of standard 22mm springbars do you recommend since Chief's watch prince's were not the ideal solution. i think i'm going to go this route on my tw classic at this time.

I believe what we want is 22mm x 1.8mm single shoulder spring bars that are just under 20mm lug to lug. I just have no clue where Bill found his!

[Guest avitt]

I believe what we want is 22mm x 1.8mm single shoulder spring bars that are just under 20mm lug to lug. I just have no clue where Bill found his!

Bill's look like they are the common double shouldered type (although I can't be sure from the pictures). I don't understand why they seem to fill out the lug holes so well...

[HauteHippie]

Bill's look like they are the common double shouldered type (although I can't be sure from the pictures). I don't understand why they seem to fill out the lug holes so well...

Yea, I can't see any way the double shouldered kind would look right. So I was assuming he found some single shoulder types that fit!

[TJGladeRaider]

Bill's look like they are the common double shouldered type (although I can't be sure from the pictures). I don't understand why they seem to fill out the lug holes so well...

That's just it -- there is no way that I can see that they should either. I thought they would look stupid, but I wanted to wear the watch. I was very surprised to see that they look exactly the same as the watches I made myself crazy stuffing gen bars into.

It isn't a freak thing either. Since that worked so well, I have done all my watches with bracelets that way. The ones I put stingray or shark bands on, I use the gen Rolex bars.

There is no way to tell which of my MBWs were done before I quit fighting with gen bars, and which have the 22mm bars.

Bill

[haveblue]

Hmmmm....So you are talking about the 22mm (7/8") version like these on O Frei's site?? Item # SB228-B.

http://www.ofrei.com/page_201.html

[HauteHippie]

As an FYI - these were a no-go on my TW Best Classic -

http://www.thewatchprince.com/s.nl/it.A/id...mp;category=941

[TJGladeRaider]

Hmmmm....So you are talking about the 22mm (7/8") version like these on O Frei's site?? Item # SB228-B.

http://www.ofrei.com/page_201.html

I don't deal with Ofrei so I couldn't say, but they look the same.

I just ordered a bunch more from my source. His e-mail is jeffreysmith@ec.rr.com

Bill

[TJGladeRaider]

As an FYI - these were a no-go on my TW Best Classic -

http://www.thewatchprince.com/s.nl/it.A/id...mp;category=941

Yep, I can see why - if they are truly 22mm in length, no way to get them in there.

Bill

[HauteHippie]

On the Watch Prince bars, my calipers measure 0.822" or 20.88mm on the bar section (excluding the sprung sections). The TJGR bars are almost a full 1mm shorter and still considered 22mm! Go figure!!