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Trouble removing watch bracelet links

DanteFalcioni
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DanteFalcioni Member

DanteFalcioni

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Got this Balmain Paris watch off eBay for cheap to practice my buffing and polishing. The bracelet is much too big to fit me so I need to remove a few links, but this bracelet is like nothing I’ve seen before.

It has pin holes on one side but nothing on the other. I tried pushing to see if the pins are spring loaded but no luck... I thought it was likely that they were screws but I put a few different flatheads inside and they never caught onto anything. I’ve cleaned the holes out the best I could (the watch was very dirty) but I can’t fully see in there, with my loupe on it just looks flat with no screw pattern. Does anyone know how to remove these links?

F3522CC6-CA55-401C-9DDF-556424D6AA05.jpeg

CB25EC30-8074-4276-8FA3-A202564D7661.jpeg

7796D8F9-B0EE-4E36-96EA-5C0BCB516FA2.jpeg

38F6D925-57A1-427B-AA3F-68AF3BC1484A.jpeg

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watchweasol Distinguished Member

watchweasol

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Hi looking at the bracelet ,on the non pinside there seems to be blanks or plugs which could be obscuring the pin, I would try a gentle punching of the pins to see if you can remove a pin. the links are solid sided and joined across  the bracelet. I. first thought they might be like Rolex and you need a tool to pull the end cap off, this yet may be the case.  

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DanteFalcioni Member

DanteFalcioni

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1 hour ago, watchweasol said:

Hi looking at the bracelet ,on the non pinside there seems to be blanks or plugs which could be obscuring the pin, I would try a gentle punching of the pins to see if you can remove a pin. the links are solid sided and joined across  the bracelet. I. first thought they might be like Rolex and you need a tool to pull the end cap off, this yet may be the case.  

I see the blanks/plugs as well but they seem to still only be on that one side, the other side looks like solid steel. I tried punching already as well but maybe I’ll have to go a little harder.

Do you have an example of the Rolex bracelet and the corresponding tool?

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DanteFalcioni Member

DanteFalcioni

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3 hours ago, watchweasol said:

Hi there are two tools , one pulls it apart and the other re fits and closes the links. The cost of the tools is way more than the worth of the watch but from the design you may be able to make something that will work.

rolex tool.jpg

b50363_cmyk1.jpg

Ok so turns out your original post was right and there's just blanks on the other side. I had to put it in a vice and use a hammer and a pin (hitting surprisingly hard) before they came out. Thanks for all your help!

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