Reply With QuoteNope, just use the originals.
mike
Hi All,
If I were to put a nato strap on a GMT 2, would you recommend that I buy new spring bars for use with the nato, and save the original ones for use on the original oyster bracelet?
If so, any specific recommended spring bars that I should be looking at?
Thanks!
Nope, just use the originals.
mike
Ive read posts on various forums about the danger of NATO's becoming lodged in the shoulders of normal spring bars and pinging them out - some suggest using shoulderless ones
Never had a problem using the original ones personally
I don't know about the GMT II specifically, but the thinking used to be (and once demonstrated on here with excellent photos - I'll try to find the thread) that bracelet spring bars have slightly different ends - more pointy I think, than NATO ones, which are also more rigid somehow, since the bracelet doesn't put as much torsion on the bars (assuming good solid end links), whereas the NATO does, and so needs beefier bars?
This used to be spoken of as fact around here and WUS about 5 years ago when I asked the same.
Happy to be educated though!
Quick search just in WT thread titles for "spring bar NATO' gives these;
"Nato Straps - Fixed Bars Vs Spring Bars"
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...ht=Spring+NATO
"Spring Bars for use with a Nato"
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...ht=Spring+NATO
"NATO Strap with predefined spring bar."
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...ht=Spring+NATO
And eek!
'Nato strap warning - Sea Dweller fell off"
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...ghlight=Spring
EDIT: can't find the thread with the photos I referred to above, but hopefully the ones above will be helpful... I suspect there's an increased risk with a NATO whatever you choose...
Last edited by ach5; 29th December 2016 at 11:36.
If you must wear a NATO strap, use flangeless spring bars.
On a case without lug holes, you'll have to snip them off when you want to change back, but that definitely beats having the watch fall off the strap as in the above links.
Stupid Question Alert - Flangeless would just mean that the spring bars don't have a "ledge" which you can catch with the spring bar removal tool, in order to pull them out?Originally Posted by Belligero
I then guess pliers for removal is the best bet?
Never had a problem with flanged spring bars, and of course the beauty with NATOs is should disaster strike and a spring bar fail the watch would hang on the other rather than drop to the floor as would happen with a regular strap. For this reason I wouldn't worry.
And yes flanged is the little ledges for easy removal from non drilled through lugs. Non flanged anre shoulderless.
Yet... ;)
I've never had both spring bars release with a NATO either, but after reading of the cases where it has happened, I'm not going to take the chance with nylon straps and flanged spring bars. And I'm far from being the paranoid sort when it comes to watches:
It isn't difficult to see how a side load on a flexible continuous strap could release both bars, and I have no doubt that the poster who reported being able to reproduce this behaviour easily did so. The one that happened when a backpack strap snagged on the wrist is exactly the sort of situation that I'd want to avoid.
They're ideally used with cases that have drilled-through lug holes — in which case you simply push them out with a pin driver or a toothpick — but a pair of side cutters will easily do the job of removing flangeless bars on a case with blind lug holes.
For me, the extra few pounds spent on spring bars this way is well worth it. It's not like they last forever, anyway; they should be replaced periodically, so this just accelerates the cycle. ;)
The problem is that there are documented cases of both bars releasing at once. It's not spring bar failure that's the main concern here, it's a load that puts tension on the strap while pulling it to the side. This can and does happen. (Again, see links in the earlier post.)
Ah I see, interesting and had never heard of this happening before. I guess I can see how it would be possible for both to release together if say the watch case got caught or pushed back giving even pressure allowing a NATO to squash and in turn depress the spring bars. Food for thought.
Thankfully I only really use NATO straps on fixed lug military watches these days anyway so not a concern for me.
If you plan using a thicker leather NATO/Zulu curved spring bars might be a good bet.
Never had a problem using standard springbars...the fact that a nato strap is so designed that one of the bars coming out would not cause the watchead to fall off.Both springbars coming off is very very unlikely.
Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk
^
Nice work on actually reading the thread. ;)
The one in the centre is flangeless.
I don't think NATO straps are designed as such are they? For looks maybe but other than that aren't they just off the shelf webbing material.
I've got a orient on NATO. No idea what spring bars though, never looked. This thread has me thinking though.
Years ago, I had an "open ended" riveted pilot strap on my IWC 3706. Once when shopping, it happened that the strap caught the flange of the spring bar and tore it out. I just discovered the watch lying in the shopping cart before leaving the supermarket. The same could have happened with a Nato strap. After that day, I have always used flangeless spring bars with open ended straps and NATO straps. BTW, I also always use flangeless spring bars if the watch has drilled through lugs. May be a bit anal, but a good safe feeling.
What a lovely looking GMT. 👍Yet... ;)
I've never had both spring bars release with a NATO either, but after reading of the cases where it has happened, I'm not going to take the chance with nylon straps and flanged spring bars. And I'm far from being the paranoid sort when it comes to watches:
It isn't difficult to see how a side load on a flexible continuous strap could release both bars, and I have no doubt that the poster who reported being able to reproduce this behaviour easily did so. The one that happened when a backpack strap snagged on the wrist is exactly the sort of situation that I'd want to avoid.
They're ideally used with cases that have drilled-through lug holes — in which case you simply push them out with a pin driver or a toothpick — but a pair of side cutters will easily do the job of removing flangeless bars on a case with blind lug holes.
For me, the extra few pounds spent on spring bars this way is well worth it. It's not like they last forever, anyway; they should be replaced periodically, so this just accelerates the cycle. ;)
The problem is that there are documented cases of both bars releasing at once. It's not spring bar failure that's the main concern here, it's a load that puts tension on the strap while pulling it to the side. This can and does happen. (Again, see links in the earlier post.)
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