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I have a bracelet on a 1974 Jafero Electronic that is just a little too tight. Some people might say it was perfect fit but I prefer bracelets to be a little loose to accommodate any shrinkage/ stretching of my wrist throughout the day. This is a vintage aftermarket bracelet (Japanese 'Maruman'?) so I am not expecting to get an exact match but is there such a thing as a generic 'extender' that I can insert between the strap and the clasp that is in matching stainless and isn't too intrusive?

Alternatively, could I get a longer clasp to space the distance out between the ends of each strap?

IMG_20240806_190235.thumb.jpg.2106e6a66734e0341171cb7d0a21ac26.jpgIMG_20240806_190225.thumb.jpg.3853a75b14dbe2ad4b7a921087a07eb8.jpg

Posted
40 minutes ago, Simeon said:

I have a bracelet on a 1974 Jafero Electronic that is just a little too tight. Some people might say it was perfect fit but I prefer bracelets to be a little loose to accommodate any shrinkage/ stretching of my wrist throughout the day. This is a vintage aftermarket bracelet (Japanese 'Maruman'?) so I am not expecting to get an exact match but is there such a thing as a generic 'extender' that I can insert between the strap and the clasp that is in matching stainless and isn't too intrusive?

Alternatively, could I get a longer clasp to space the distance out between the ends of each strap?

IMG_20240806_190235.thumb.jpg.2106e6a66734e0341171cb7d0a21ac26.jpgIMG_20240806_190225.thumb.jpg.3853a75b14dbe2ad4b7a921087a07eb8.jpg

It does look too tight , can see it overly pulling your wrist in. Silly question but all the clasp micro adjustments are at max ?

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Posted
15 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

It does look too tight , can see it overly pulling your wrist in. Silly question but all the clasp micro adjustments are at max ?

Yes, sadly. On the last hole. That's why I thought a longer clasp might be good. It feels like it is already the 'standard' length clasp (I guess the width of a typical wrist), so I question whether there is a slightly longer one that would space it out. 

56 minutes ago, AndyGSi said:

Not sure where in the world you are but there are a number of different types.

https://www.cousinsuk.com/search?searchTerm=strap extender

Bang on Andy! That is probably exactly what I am looking for. I had a look around Cousins site but I didn't see anything (must have been looking in the wrong section). Need to measure it up and put it on the next order of crystals and mainsprings.

This is a great site!

Anyway, here are some gratuitous wrist shots. Look how thick it is! I love it's lug-less puck shape. 

IMG_20240806_210611.thumb.jpg.437eebf7a1be0ae3ace66355105503bf.jpgIMG_20240806_210602.thumb.jpg.6c8bb01f414c54ada40a5c7364dec4df.jpg

It's fitted with an ESA 9154 Dynotron electronic movement. I bought it off eBay for $50 AUD and it came as 'running well, new battery '.

When I opened it up, it had a broken battery bridge, the wrong size battery and a chunk of aluminium foil wedged in to pack the battery out. It was barely running, with the balance not moving enough to drive the 'click lever' (pallet fork). Tested it as per the technical guide (balance dampening) and found the balance only oscillated for about 10 seconds - seriously needed a service. Electrical tests were all OK (coils, insulation test etc). Easy strip down, clean and rebuild. Put the 'wrong battery' back with the broken battery bridge and aluminium foil and it fired up. It performs well on the timegrapher with minimal variation between the positions and (I think) good amplitude. Not sure what the correct lift angle would be because it isn't a conventional escapement but getting about 270 degrees DU and DD, dropping to about 250 in the vertical positions with a 52 degree LA 

I have ordered a new battery bridge and correct Renata battery and will sort that out (along with the bracelet) before I put it into my rotation. I have a Citizen Cosmotron from a similar era and I really like these 'electronic' watches which are a hybrid between a mechanical watch and something solid state like a quartz. A horological ugly cousin - evolutionary oddity!

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
Posted

Just to close this out - I ended up going with a clasp extension from Cousins. I bought the link extension that is supposed to fit under the clasp as well but that wouldn't work with my bracelet without lots of modification. 

As it is, the clasp extension needed a bit of fettling to make it work. The holes didn't quite align on one side (it's not that well made) so I aligned it with the existing clasp and drilled out the hole with a 0.8mm drill where they overlapped so that I could install a springbar between them. I also brushed the existing clasp and extension with some small Scotchbrite type buffs on my Dremel to get them both matching a bit better. 

I think it's turned out OK, considering. 

IMG_20240912_085106.thumb.jpg.6b2d38955a18629c8fc68312ece54e39.jpgIMG_20240912_085058.thumb.jpg.d06ca385c97a0c6f40d5b79115e9996e.jpg

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