Finally-A Genuine GMT SMP Bond style bracelet on my rep.

[predfan2001]

Well it all started when I read By-Tor's review of the asian movement Omega GMT. After reading the review and seeing the pictures, I had to have one. So I ordered mine from Andrew. Upon arrival I was thrilled. It looked wonderful but I really didn't like the Speedmaster style bracelet. So I desided to add a SMP bracelet.

My next step was ordering a rep. Bond style SMP bracelet. The clasp and end links appeared almost perfect but the links were far from accurate. They were very flat and had little definition. Then I noticed the clasp said "Speedmaster". I e-mailed the dealer and he couldn't believe it so I sent him a picture to prove it. It had to be a mix up at the factory. The dealer then sent me another bracelet with the correct engraved "Seamaster" logo.

The SMP end links are different from the GMT end links so installing the SMP band required drilling new lug holes futher inward in the case so there is no gap or looseness to the endlinks. 6 drill bits later the new SMP band was on, but I really wasn't happy with the appearance of the poor quality links. They were way too thin and lacked the curvature of the genuine SMP band. I lucked up and found a gen. GMT bracelet on eBay and purchased it.

When I received the gen. GMT band, I found that the clasp was very weak, the slightest bump to the release caused the clasp to open (possibly normal for this style clasp??). In addition, the band was 1 link too short. So I chose to install the rep. Seamaster clasp. By doing so the band would require fewer links so it would fit my wrist and the SMP clasp works much better. When I tried mating the rep. half links to the genuine links, I found that the genuine links were slightly larger so the rep. half links had to be opened up a tad. Once installed the band looked great but then I found that the gen. end links had yet another lug position. They would not work because they would require a lughole between the original one and the ones I had drilled. There was no room left between so the only solution was to install the rep. end links on to the genuine band. The rep. endlinks actually look better than the genuines anyway. After fitting the rep. end links, all is good. The bracelet completes the watch and other than the slightly jumpy sweep, it looks nearly perfect. Plus it has the correct "feel" with the additional weight of the gen. links. Here are some pics although poor quality.

Here it is out of the box:

With the rep. SMP bracelet:

The Speedmaster clasp:

Finally with the gen. links added:

Edited July 4, 2007 by predfan2001

[By-Tor]

Congrats. Quite a hassle to install it but now it looks great!

I had my SMP on the "Bond" bracelet as well. But I actually prefer it with the "Speedy" bracelet. Weird, eh?

[predfan2001]

To answer the questions. Yes, this rep. band had pins and not screws. I didn't buy it from a dealer here. I found it on eBay. Several people sell rep. bands there (I feel sorry for the people that think they're genuine...I've seen people bid way to much).

As for the extra parts (links, clasp and end links) I listed them on eBay yesterday so I can't sell them outright yet. If they don't sell there, I make take trades or offers.

Edited July 4, 2007 by predfan2001