Replacement bracelet for my dad's 6426 blue dialled precision

[SennieG]

I have been the proud owner of my Dad's old 6426 from 1975 after he passed away many years ago. It is a regular watch and something I will pass on to one of my children when I die. My mum bought it for him in 1975 for £150. He never had his on a bracelet that I can remember (and I suspect was thrown away very early in its life, knowing my Dad) and I have currently got it on a brown colareb strap. I usually get it serviced by Antique Watch Co in Clerkenwell, London.

However, I have recently gone down the rabbit hole of watches, mostly seikos as that is all I can afford at the moment. I have a real desire to have my dad's Rolex on a bracelet, but cannot afford the original.

Can anyone who is more knowledgable about Vintage Rolex suggest a aftermarket bracelet for it which would be close enough to the original? Seikos have Uncle Seiko producing amazing reproduction bracelets, are there equivalent manufacturers for Rolex?

Thank you all for helping.

[Dan S]

You can't throw a rock on eBay without hitting a reproduction Rolex bracelet. Most of them look quite similar to authentic bracelets to non-experts.

[L.K Johnson]

I would try to go with genuine end link if you opt for aftermarket bracelet so you don’t have the aftermarket end links eating away at the case with their bad fit...

[Woody]

Personally I would leave it on the leather strap if I couldn't stretch to a genuine bracelet. This is largely because I would be concerned about the end-links damaging the watch case. Might be worth having a look on Chrono24. They have a few examples of the 19mm versions of the 7835 and 78350 (which IMO is the better option) for prices ranging from 600 GBP upwards. If you do your research on the dealers then I think you should be OK. Hopefully others on here may be able to help you out with details of those retailers who sell non-OEM bracelets. Good luck.

[Styles Bitchley]

Uncle Seiko is a little different because he produces bracelets that are not made by Seiko anymore. Seiko bracelets were actually pretty crappy in the ‘60s and ‘70s and most broke and were thrown away. This isn’t the case for Rolex. It would be foolish to put it on a fake Rolex bracelet (if that’s what you’re thinking) because you have no way of knowing the quality and it could fail at any time.

I’ve got a Strapcode bracelet for my modern Seiko and the craftsmanship is superb for the price. I believe they do make some that are designed for Rolex, but as it has been said here already, be careful it does not wear away the case - particularly the serial code. For that reason, I’d avoid solid end links.

If it were me though (and I’m not a wealthy guy either) I’d save up for a real bracelet. After all, it’s an heirloom.

[Styles Bitchley]

And post a photo!

[Styles Bitchley]

Sorry, I just looked and it seems Strapcode only makes one specially for the 1680.

[SennieG]

Thanks to all for your advice. Yes, I do worry about replacement bracelets from ebay wearing down the side of the watch and damaging it. When I save up enough money for an original replacement I will buy one from a reputable dealer.

And thanks to all again; once I'm on my phone again I'll upload a photo. It's a simple watch, but I like it. One day I'll be able to afford another rolex, which I will buy for myself!