K series 16710 fitting a 77200 bracelet?

[JohnAcosta]

I wanted to change my 16710 bracelet from its original 78790 to the newer 904L 77200 bracelet. I read on a few different places (or thought I did as I can't find any information on it now) that it should be an easy swap out.

However after buying a 77200 bracelet, I am unable to make it fit to my 16710. I am able to get one end of the spring bars to clip into the lug, however I am unable to get the other end of the spring bar inserted into the lug. This is on both ends of the watch.

Is there a different type of spring bar I need or do I need to slightly modify the end link on the 77200 bracelet (maybe some light grinding/filing) to make it fit?

Thank you.


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[Dan Pierce]

Might need a 1.8mm spring bar vs the 2.0.
dP

[JohnAcosta]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

Might need a 1.8mm spring bar vs the 2.0.
dP

Thank you for your response.

I tried some 1.8mm spring bars at my local watch maker today. The bracelet was able to be fit to the case, however it felt pretty loose and sort of flimsy due to the smaller diameter of the spring bars. Do you think this would just be something I have to learn to live with, or are there any specific spring bars that I could order that would work and still provide a tight fit?

[NKflyer]

I think the popular swap you are referring to is the 97200 bracelet w/glidelock from the ceramic submariners. The 77200 from the Explorer 1 has a different (smaller) radius end link, I believe. I have always been curious as to whether this bracelet could be made to work with the older 5-digit professional watches, as there have been a few for sale at attractive prices. Perhaps, as you mentioned, a light filing of the corners to increase the radius might work but that's an expensive experiment.

[JohnAcosta]

Originally Posted by NKflyer

I think the popular swap you are referring to is the 97200 bracelet w/glidelock from the ceramic submariners. The 77200 from the Explorer 1 has a different (smaller) radius end link, I believe. I have always been curious as to whether this bracelet could be made to work with the older 5-digit professional watches, as there have been a few for sale at attractive prices. Perhaps, as you mentioned, a light filing of the corners to increase the radius might work but that's an expensive experiment.

You wouldn't happen to have specific measurements, would you? I'm not afraid to take a file to metal, however if you have numbers for me that'll make it much easier for me.

[cjohns]

you should check the end link I'm sure the part number is engraved on one of them.If it's a 77200 just move it and get a correct one for a 40mm case or just use the clasp.

[NKflyer]

^^ That would probably be the more sane approach instead of permanently modifying a $1000+ bracelet. But if you must, why not use the 78790's endlinks as a reference/template?

[JohnAcosta]

Just an update in case someone finds this over a google search in the future:

I was able to finally get the bracelet to fit without any kind of modification to the bracelet or watch case. I did have to source different spring bars, these to be exact:
Part Number: FB-7891
Website: http://www.ofrei.com/page_155.html

The fitment still isn't as great as the ref. 78790A that my 16710 originally came with. However the bracelet feels great, and the new style clasp with the easy link is a very nice improvement. I had the bracelet on for about thirty minutes before I decided that it wasn't for me, today. I placed the 16710 back on the 78790A bracelet and it's how I'm wearing it now. We'll see in the future if I want to try the 77200 bracelet again.

Here are some pictures showing how it looked.










Thanks for the help everyone. I hope this post can give the information I was looking for initially to another 16710 owner in the future.

[Rokoru]

Thank you for sharing!