10Likes
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Oh dear - I'm getting the hang of this SKX addiction now...
Barely a month after getting my SKX011 I felt the itch for something a little less bright...
SKX007 or SKX009? The question bothered me for several days, and then I reasoned that since I already had a Spork which was pretty black and white, the 007 might be too similar - so the 009 it was.
It arrived a few days ago, and is currently running at about +2 seconds per day - impressive. I also knew I didn't want it on the standard Z22 strap - I wanted it on a Jubilee bracelet, but not the somewhat rattly Seiko version - a Super Jubilee was required, with a Seiko clasp. Looking at William Jean's photos of his Super Jubilee on ebay, it looked like the end-links integrated well with the lugs on the case. On his ebay storefront, William says he gives discounts to forum members, so I sent him a message and he came back with a very fair price, and the deal was done. Just over a week later the bracelet had arrived from Canada, I had my Seiko SKX and I was ready to roll...
Installation and sizing was pretty straight forward. There were one or two minor rough edges on the end links, which I lightly smoothed with a buffing wheel on my Dremel, but the end links are a nice snug fit - and the springbars took a little bit of gentle nudging to seat fully into the holes in the lugs. Prior to removing the rubber strap (will do as a spare for my SKX011), I put some masking tape over the lugs - it protects them from those tiny micro-scuffs and scratches you can get from easing springbars in and out. The end links do integrate nicely into the curve of the lugs - I've seen plenty of original factory-fitted bracelets which haven't matched as well. Sizing was easy - using the correct size screwdriver, fine tweezers, and a clear workbench. It looks like the screw-pins are treated with a little low-strength Loc-Tite on assembly. When I'd got everything as I wanted it in terms of length and centering the clasp on my wrist; one-by-one I undid the pins, cleaned up the screw-threads, put a tiny drop of blue Loc-Tite in each screw-hole and re-assembled. That will hold them securely, but still allow for removal in the future. I put the watch back on the winder overnight just to allow the Loc-Tite to go off.
As an observation - all of the screw threads on my bracelet were clean and well formed - I had no difficulty in slackening them, removing pins, or re-tightening them at the end. Engineering tolerances felt good, and I had no issues with anything feeling like it was about to strip - quality. The only issues I had are those I mentioned above on the end links - a few minor rough edges - not where you could see them when the end links were fastened to the watch, but I wanted to buff them smooth nonetheless. They were easily sorted out. I'm fussy like that.
Anyway - enough of the yakking - to the pictures...
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Ottovonn
