How To Remove and Replace Watch Band Straps with a Spring Bar Tool by Eternal Tools

What is a Spring Bar?

Spring bars are the tiny little bars that you use to hold watch straps in place. You usually have two of them, but on some of the metal straps you might have four or even six. They have a tiny spring inside them and the ends are telescopic so you can push them in, put the strap into place, and then when you release the tension, they will spring out and they hold the watch strap back in place. Therefore, when a watch strap needs to be altered you will need a spring bar removal tool.

Removing a Spring Bar from a watch


In order to remove a spring bar that's fitted into a watch you need to use the wedge shaped screw driver end. Position it in between the two circular grooves that run round the end of the spring bar. Keep it at 90 degrees, and applying a firm pressure, you want to push inwards towards the center of the spring bar. This will compress it and allow you to remove it.

Replacing a Spring Bar into a Watch

To replace a spring bar back into the watch you need to compress the ends first by using the small indentation on the fine end of your tool. Line this up with the end of the spring bar, you can use it to push the end of the spring bar in and compress it.

To fit it into the watch, thread the bar through the strap and put one end in to the watch. Line the other end up as close as you can to the hole. Using the spring bar tool push inwards towards the center of the spring bar and compress it. Keep the pressure on as you push it into place, and then you'll be able to just push it with your finger and click it into place.

Double check that the strap is firmly affixed and that the spring bar is in both of the indentations at the other side to ensure it won't come loose.

Helpful Note: The rounded tip is also good for stainless steel, digital watch straps where you have sections that slide out. Put the tip into a hole, push outwards and that will loosen the section. Adjust as necessary. When you push it back in, you can use the tool again to tighten it up.

"It's a very nice, very solid, well-constructed tool. When you're working on a £10k Rolex watch, the last thing that you want is your spring bar tool to unscrew or the tip to come out so this one piece tool is preferable to the one's that have interchangeable tips etc. It's also very comfortable to hold and the measurements down the side are very nice, and sharp, and well-printed. So a good quality tool" - Dave Wilson.


So there you have it, how to remove and replace a watch band strap using a Spring Bar tool.

Find your Watch Band Spring Bar Remover and Fitting Tool here.