The Importance Of Curved Watch Band Spring Bars

A watch and watch band is linked by two spring bars. The standard spring bars that can be found on the market are usually in straight form. However, according to design criteria, some watch cases may be designed with a tiny little end to hold the spring bars. The space between watch and watch band will then be narrowed down. In such cases, straight spring bars may not be firmly fixed or cannot be inserted. The intelligent designers will change straight one to a pair of curved spring bars to increase the space between spring bars and the watch case. IWC Portuguese IW503502 is one of the watches having this situation, but no worries, STRAPCODE got you a solution.

Left: Dark Grey CrocoCalf Semi-Curved Watch strap on ORIS; Right: Black CrocoCalf Semi-Curved Watch strap on Hamilton Khaki

As much as we would like to design and provide curved end fitted bracelets for as many watch models as possible, its certain that not all models and requests can be fulfilled. However, when it comes to spring bars, whether you are talking about twenty dollar toy watch, or a luxurious watch that’s worth tens and thousands of dollars, spring bars are the essential tiny pieces of metal that is the main component holding and keeping your watch and strap together.

CrocoCalf (Croco Grain) Watch strap in Dark Brown Color also comes with Quick-release Semi-curved spring bars with added convenience

For as long as I can remember, even before having serious interest in watches, the words “Spring bars”, was like one of the very first watch terminology I came across. Through time, you’ll come to the realization of the importance of spring bars. The basic idea of a spring bar is a mini-size telescope tube that are held together by two pins inside the lug holes of your watch case.

Left: Seiko 5 Sports SRPD69K1 on 22 mm Semi-Curved Leather Watch strap; Right: Seiko 5 Sports SRPD71 on Crococalf  Dark Grey Semi-Curved Watch strap

There will be times where you would feel thankful and satisfied because the spring bars used helped with the fitting problem with your new watch/bracelet. Then of course, there will be times where you will feel frustrated and fed up to the point after countless trial and error with different spring bars, and still unable to get that perfect fit with fitting the watch band onto your watch.

Seiko Alpinist SPB117 paired with 20 mm CrocoCalf Black Semi-Curved Watch strap

Sometimes, all it takes are minor adjustments, or even a slight bend on a curve of a spring bar, and your fitting problem with your new bracelet onto your watch can be solved.

IWC Portuguese with curved spring bars

Now can be paired with standard watch band

Of course, there wouldn’t be a problem if there was curved end fitted bracelets for every watch on the market, but you know that’s more than likely it would not happen.

The gap in-between watch band echoing the curve and become less noticeable, demo on Orient Bambino V5

With the use of curved spring bars, especially when used on leather strap, it certainly rectifies the fitting problem, by adjusting and bending the curve on the spring bar to fit as closely as possible to the watch case.

19mm with Quick Release strap on Ernest Borel

21mm with Quick Release strap on Orient Bambino

It’s convenient for those who have several watches with the same lug width size. You can now attach the strap on more than one of your watches, just by using a different set of spring bars.

Rare 23 mm CrocoCalf Semi-Curved Watch strap on Luminox 1853

In the course of watch development over time, not only the watch cases have changed, spare parts like spring bars have also changed and adjusted, in order to accommodate and be able to be used on newer watch models.

Also have 24mm options;  Left:  Matte Brown Watch Strap on Seiko Kinetic SUN043 ; Right:  Matte Grey Watch Strap on Seiko Kinetic GMT SUN053

24mm CrocoCalf  Matte Black Watch Strap looks awesome with Breitling Superocean 46 A17320

Spring bars should be cared for and attended to more often than it should. They maybe small, cheap, replaceable, which make it easily forgotten as to how important their roles are. Spring bars are in fact the key essential component that is keeping your watch and watch strap together.

Curved Spring Bars for Watch straps

Quick release and Curved Spring Bars

SHOP Semi-Curved Leather Watch Straps

SHOP Semi-Curved Leather Watch Straps

Written by Sam , images by Toni

First published :  April 08, 2020

The Firewave's resilient FKM rubber strap is calculated and formulated to subtly sweep and conform smoothly to nearly any curved watch case shape.