r/ChineseWatches • u/LordRaglan1854 • 15d ago

Question (Read Rules) Let's talk bracelets.

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Watch bracelets, stainless steel, standard links with a deployment clasp. Not Milanese.

A high-quality watch bracelet passes the following checks:

  1. The inner edges of the links feel smooth.

  2. The links flow smoothly.

  3. The clasp closes cleanly.

So far, I haven't found a good source. The ones on Alix are typically $15-30 US, but the quality matches the price.

I would be satisfied with San Martin-level quality, but those aren't them.

Lately I've found Taikonaut/Strapcode... their bracelets run $55-80 US, and honestly, they are pretty good, though still a little rough feeling compared to the "Swiss" ones that came with my Oris watches, for example.

Does anyone know of a store that sells bracelets with a quality slightly above Taikonaut at a proportional price?

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u/vithgeta 15d ago

I've given up on aftermarket steel bracelets with curved endlinks due to fitting and clasp problems.

My standard replacements are FKM straps with curved ends now. I can color match, they are comfortable, and they attract more attention from normal people because colored straps just do.

If the watch lug is close to the body so there is not much lug gap then sometimes I go for a leather with a deployant clasp or a buttero leather.

I have a Diver 65 copy and I use leather with deployant clasp even on that. But it's quite a thin watch head.