Citizen Mesh Band Removal

Those mesh bracelets with the solid ends are a pain. Rarely can I get a spring bar tool in the small space they give you and make it work. I usually resort to a #11 Xacto blade and hope I do not snap the tip off. Last resort I just brake the spring bar with a little pressure from a screw driver with a little electrical tape on the blade so it doesn't scratch the watch between the case and the end of the bracelet. I have a whole assortment of spring bars in stock so I can replace them easy enough never ruined a watch yet. It's much worse on a woman's watch with bracelet smaller than 15mm and almost no access to the spring bar.
 
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Update: I wasn’t gonna pay to have a shop remove it. After many attempts, I cut the spring bar today. Loving it on this red canvas from Barton. Also, some in a Facebook group are saying it’s a fake. Part of me wants to verify. The other part of me doesn’t care.
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That could have been easily done from post #1. Pretty straightforward. Not too much to figure out. At least you finally did it.
 
No getting around it if you exhausted the tool method and no slots in the end links. It looks good on that strap. Amazon sells quick release spring bars for a great price in packs of twenty. They come in sizes of 18mm to 24mm. I grab them all of the time when placing orders just to have on hand. They are great to have on if using a lot of NATO or one piece ZULU straps. I've even used them to replace broken QR pins on ZELOS and Christopher Ward bracelets because they only have the tab on one end.


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  • 【HIGH QUALITY MATERIAL】the Spring Bar Body is Manufactured from 316L Stainless Steel and the Spring is Manufactured in Tempered 304 Stainless Steel.
  • 【COMPATIBILITY】Designed to fit any watch that uses standard 12mm, 14mm, 16mm, 18mm, 20mm , 22mm, 24mm spring bars. The size you need is the same as the lug width of your watch band (or buckle width if the spring bar is to be used for a buckle).
  • 【QUICK RELEASE】Insert and remove in seconds without the need for tools. Simply slide quick release lever with finger.Can Only Be Used With Specifically Designed Watch Bands - Ensure Your Strap Is Suitable For These Spring Bars.
  • 【WIDTH SELECTION】To determine proper width, measure the width between watch lugs at the point where the band attaches or consult manufacturers specifications (typically available online). After determining width and select the width that corresponds to measurement.
  • 【PROFESSIONAL】Great for watch band replacement, watch repair, jewelry making; The special design of the repair tool can easily fit for the watch band, convenient to repair.
 
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Well I’m just glad you got it off and that you like the Barton.
I can’t say that I like the watch as much after wearing it today. I set it at 5am this morning, put it on, and by 11:45am it was 15 minutes slow. Luckily I wasn’t depending on it for meetings. It was a very active day for me… so no reason to think that the movement wasn’t winding. Great thing is that I have a few others that the 18mm Barton will look good on. It’s just a new color in my arsenal.
 
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