How to Adjust or Change a Titan Watch Strap

A watch that is too loose slides around and gets knocked; one that is too tight leaves marks and makes your wrist sweat. Getting the fit right takes a few minutes, but the method depends entirely on the type of strap.

How a good fit feels

You should be able to slip one finger between the strap and your wrist. The watch should stay roughly in place when you move your arm, and it should sit just above the wrist bone rather than on it. Wrists swell slightly in heat and in the evening, so a fit that is perfect on a cool morning may feel tight by night.

Metal bracelets

Most steel bracelets are shortened by removing whole links. Look at the inside of the bracelet: removable links usually have small arrows printed on them, showing the direction in which the pin should be pushed out.

• Push-pin links are held by a pin, sometimes with a tiny collar inside. You need a pin pusher and a small hammer or a bracelet tool, and the collar is easy to lose.
• Screw links are held by tiny screws and need a precision screwdriver of exactly the right size, or the screw head will be damaged.

Remove links evenly from both sides of the clasp so the dial stays centred. Keep every removed link and pin in a small bag inside the watch box; you will need them if the watch is passed on or if your wrist size changes.

Fine adjustment at the clasp

If one link makes the bracelet too tight and leaving it in makes it too loose, look at the clasp. Many clasps have two or three small holes on each side for a spring bar, allowing a few millimetres of adjustment. Some Titan bracelets use a three-piece sliding clasp, where the position is set by moving the clasp along the bracelet. In both cases a spring-bar tool does the job.

Leather straps

Leather straps are adjusted simply with the buckle holes. Do not punch extra holes in a good strap; a strap that fits poorly with its existing holes is the wrong length and should be replaced.

Changing the strap completely

Most straps are attached with spring bars, small sprung pins between the lugs. Some modern straps have a quick-release lever on the back, which lets you change them by hand in seconds. For any other strap, a spring-bar tool is needed. When buying a replacement:

• Measure the gap between the lugs in millimetres; that is the strap width you need.
• Check whether the original strap is curved to fit the case. Integrated designs need a strap made for that model.
• Note that some straps are attached with screws rather than spring bars.

When to let the store do it

Ask a Titan World store if the bracelet has screws or collars, if the watch is new and expensive, or if you do not have the right tools. Store staff size bracelets every day, usually while you wait. A slipped screwdriver can leave a permanent scratch on a polished link, and that kind of damage is not covered by warranty.

Our directory lists stores in 150 cities. If the strap needs replacing because it is worn, our strap care guide explains how to make the next one last longer.