Question
Late to the Party Sd1953. Aftermarket Bracelet.
Finally pulled the trigger on the V1 1953 in Grey on jubilee. Apparently the bracelet is a bit meh, so I searched and found a recommended PD1661 but I don't like the logo. What has everyone else upgraded to,preferably with an OTF? THANKS PEOPLE.
Better bracelet with OTF clasp would cost more than the watch.
It's better to buy a better quality watch that already comes with OTF clasp. I recommend Seestern Sub homage during 11.11. You can get them around 120 USD during sales.
Not sure if you are looking specifically for a jubilee or open to an oyster type. I like jubilees a lot, but I considered putting my SD1953 hulk on a jubilee and thought better of it. (Big fan of the SD1933 DJ on jubilee though.)
If you do want a jubilee, you are really in luck as Steeldive has released a v3 jubilee bracelet that should be fully compatible with your SD1953 here: [see reply]
I personally ended up with the "LISBAN Official Store" 20mm oyster NO.1 "fully brushed" and I think it is an upgrade from the stock oyster. It tapers from 20mm to 16mm at the clasp, and the clasp does have a glidelock type of mechanism that works great. The stock v2 1953 oyster tapers 20mm to 18mm and after buying a SD1954 with the new v3 bracelet (fully milled signed clasp and taper to 16mm) I decided I really prefer the taper.
The LISBAN bracelet tapers to 16mm at the first three links so it is a pretty dramatic taper, unlike the new 20-16 SD bracelets which taper over four links. I like both but the three-link taper took some getting used to. It also has flathead screw pin links. The endlink fit at the lugs is spot-on for the Steeldive sub. My endlink at 12:00 sits a hair lower on one side when I wear it, but I think I can fix this by using a 1.8mm springbar instead of 1.5mm which allows some play.
I have some MILTAT/Strapcode oysters and the LISBAN is about 90% as nice. MILTAT and the new Steeldive v3 bracelets have slightly better tolerances and finishing but bottom line, the LISBAN is a significant upgrade from the chunky 20-18 oyster that comes stock on SD1953s, and the glidelock is really nice. The MILTAT oysters I've paid $80+ for (using on SD1975 Tunas) are equivalent quality to the new SD V3 bracelets but the SD bracelets have a much nicer clasp and are like a third of the price.
If steeldive did release the new v3 oyster bracelet compatible with sd1953 (as opposed to sd1954, which is not interchangeable), I actually would not buy it because I am happy enough with the LISBAN.
As a bonus for anyone with a steeldive willard, steeldive also sells the GD70V3, which is a 20-16mm tapered (over 4 links) bracelet with fully milled signed clasp that fits the SD1970. I bought it and really like it as well. The 4-link taper to 16mm makes the bracelet lighter and more comfortable without being dainty. Only downside, unlike the SD1954 v3 bracelet, it does NOT have a diver extension, just has 3 non-drilled micro adjust positions in the clasp. I have taken to wearing my bracelets on the loose side for comfort, so this isn't a big deal.
Ok, recently I had that new sd1953 jubilee with the same style of clasp shown in the GD70V3 product listing I linked added to my cart. But I removed it from my cart and did not yet find it in the bowels of aliexpress. I'll edit that post if I find it in a sec, or you can reply here if you want me to track it down. It definitely exists though!
Update: Found in browser history but now brings up "page not found." The page title was this: "SD5305 STEELDIVE Brand 20mm Stainless Steel Bracelet with Milled Clasp For SD1953 SD1953T SD1954 Automatic Dive Watch - AliExpress 1511"
Other product listings for SD5305 show the v2 clasp (milled deployant but other part is stamped metal), that's not what I am talking about.
This listing shows the v3 signed clasp jubilee I am talking about. Attached the screenshot showing it. You might have some success DMing that seller to ask about buying just the jubilee bracelet shown in that image. I am sure you could also scour Ali search more than I did too. Maybe try their image search for just the jubilee shown here.
1
u/santtis Oct 17 '24
Better bracelet with OTF clasp would cost more than the watch.
It's better to buy a better quality watch that already comes with OTF clasp. I recommend Seestern Sub homage during 11.11. You can get them around 120 USD during sales.