The Breitling Watch Source Forums

So I have had my first Breitling on my wrist for a coulpe of days now. Slept with it on one night and had it off the other...but more or less have had it on since I left the store.

When the AD was sizing it we started out with 3 links out and it in the 2nd from smallest holes on the braclet. It was just a bit loose for my liking. When we put it on the smallest possible setting on the clasp it was hard to get over my hand but doable. So we ended up with taking a 4th link out and making the clasp as "big" as possible. Make sense?

After a few days I think it may be just a tad too tight. It does not move around much but a actually feel a bit of discomfort on my outside wrist bone near the hand...you know the knob part at arm/hand intersection. Not really painfull, more like a dull ache or bruise. I am sure it is a matter of personal preference but how tight or how loose do you all wear your watch?

Also I see lots of pix here with the watch very close to the hand. I hav mine further back behind those bumps where your radius/ulna end and your had begins. Should I move it further forward? Would that help the discomfort? Do I just need to get used to the weight/heft of a bigger watch? It is a SO SF, BTW. Not a huge watch by todays standards, but pretty big on my wrist and much larger than I have ever worn.

I am totally loving the watch, can't stop looking at it. Very, VERY happy with the purchase so far.

So different position, add a link, give it more time for ME to break in?

I know exactly the feeling you're talking about. I can't speak for others, or for you, but for me it's a result of the watch being too tight, and the only way to prevent that discomfort is to wear the watch a bit more loosely. I have a preference for slightly loose watches anyway - not so loose it's flopping around, but if it's tight enough that it holds its position against gravity, it's too tight. Assuming your watch fits me the same way it fits you, I personally would have opted for taking out three links and adjusting the clasp to the tightest position, rather than going for four links.

Very common problem I believe. I like to wear my watches fairly snug but not too tight to cause discomfort. I typically error on a little loose rather than tight (the discomfort bothered me more).

The problem I had with my SF sounds similar to yours, the weight of the head caused more movement on the wrist than I was used to. When I tightened the bracelet (took out 3 or 4 links I believe) I could barely get it over my hand onto my wrist, and it still wore a little loose (after adjusting clasp). I needed a ratchet clasp adjustment like on the rubber deployants so you can tighten it up a notch or two after slipping it over the hand.

I would try adding adding a link back in and adjusting clasp again to see which way is best. May have to just get used to it a little loose (?).

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Chrono Jetstream
Montbrilliant 1903
Aerospace E79362

I prefer to go slightly loose instead of tight. The tight setting usually works fine until my wrist swells which makes the watch very uncomfortable. I'm not sure which watch you have but the Bentley models have a neat feature that allows a quick adjustment of the bracelet. This feature really comes in handy on a hot humid day.

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Regards,

Peter

BREITLING for Bentley Motors T & Mark VI, Aerospace
ROLEX Submariner Ceramic116610LN
OMEGA Plantet Ocean 8500 42mm Orange arabics
OCEAN7 LM-3

Any comments on wearing it closer to the hand? I have it there now so it sits in front of that bony knob on my arm bone, right where the pain is. However, it sure feels wierd and the crown prevents me from moving my hand up/back. Perhaps with a looser fit people just end up with the watch there for pictures. I can't imagine wearing it there all the time. Fit is real snug with it there. I would guess if I put the link back and made it a tad looser the watch would end up slipping back anyway. Can't see how it would stay put so close to the hand.

It is a heavy brute, and I like that about it...but wondering if perhaps the weight on my arm is the issue and not the tightness. I am probably, like most things, just over thinking and should put the link back in and go looser. Problem with that is the store is not very close; it would be a 2 hour round trip in miserable traffic just to have the link added. Looking at the screws on the links and wondering if I want to try my luck at doing it myself and possible f-ing up the bracelet before it is a week old.

That's exactly right. With it slightly more loose, it will shift position. When my arms are down at my side, the watch slides down and rests near my hand. When my hands are facing upright (e.g., like when my elbows are on a table), it slides further up my wrist.


What model is it, btw?


Unless you know what you're doing, I would strongly advise against this. Breitling's bracelet screws fit very snugly, and you could easily strip the screw head, or the screwdriver could slip out and scratch the bracelet. Take it from someone who knows this through bitter personal experience. Is there a good jeweler closer to you, even though they might not be a Breitling AD? The only AD near me is inconveniently located, so I took mine into a nearby Ben Bridge and paid them to adjust the bracelet. It was worth the added expense to avoid having to trek into downtown Portland, dealing with traffic and parking, and wasting gas.


Yeah, it kinda sounds that way. My advice is just to wear it the way it is most comfortable, and not to obsess over its position on your arm. I guarantee you nobody else is going to be paying that close attention, so the only one worrying about this is you.

It is a brand new SO SteelFish and I am in love with it, can't stop looking at it. Sounds crazy, but I honestly don't think I have been this excited about a purchase in a long time. Not even my Z3 or my Z4, how nuts is that? When I got home with it my wife said listen to yourself talk, you are manic - guilty.

All my other wannabee watches with steel bracelets have fitterd much looser. At times them flopping around bothered me, so I thought I would go a little tigher this round. I ofter found my self "flipping" my wrist toward me to get my loose watch slide around where I could read it better. I am pretty sure my SF is too tight, but wanted to check with others as I thought it might actually be the weight of the watch. My last watch had a titanium case/band so while it was substantial it was very light. I feel bad looking at it sitting on the kitchen table where it was discarded when I got home friday. I feel like I have kicked an old dog to the curb and can't stop playing with the new puppy.

Just opened the clasp and there are red marks on my arm. I think a few days of drinking and salty food for the weekend has not helped. I am sure your arm swells and shrinks during the day.

Good call on not messing with the links myself....it is just so tempting.

The micro adjustments are equivalent of a link from widest to narrowest, so effectively you can adjust to 1/4 of a link. If the widest micro adjustment is too wide then have the AD put the link back and adjust the microadjustment accordingly. Also consider the time of day / weather / etc as these will be factors - in hot weather your wrist will be bigger and it tends to swell during the day.

Wearing it up close to the hand doesn't work for me, crown digs into the back of my hand too easily and restricts movement.

Best bet as been suggested is to put a link back in and reset micro-adjust on clasp to just on the loose side. (Or... start more 12 ounce wrist curls to beef up the wrist - quenches the thirst too )

Good luck.

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Chrono Jetstream
Montbrilliant 1903
Aerospace E79362

No question. When I leave in the morning, I'm usually fresh out of the shower and rushing around before heading out the door, and my watch is fitting fairly snugly. After a 40 minute drive of "relaxing" (if you can call driving relaxing) and cooling off, it's fitting considerably more loosely. Atmospheric temperatures and your own body temp can really affect the fit of a bracelet. Unless you own a watch like a Rolex GMTIIc or Submariner, which have adjustments you can do on the fly, you'll have to choose between slightly loose to just right, or just right to slightly too tight. Unfortunately, the bracelet doesn't expand or contract when you do.

Congrats on the Steelfish. It's a nice watch, but pretty hefty. Wearing on the heels of a titanium watch is sure to make it feel like you're dragging an anchor around. You'll get used to it, though, especially once you get it fitted right. My own opinion is that if you have red marks on your arm from wearing the watch, it's too tight.

I wear mine loose enough that it can slide from my hand to down my arm about an inch. Any tighter and I get a claustrophobic sort of feeling.

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-RJ

Open and say, "Aaaaahhh." JUST as I suspected - "itis" of the ulnar styloid. Take 2 aspirin, add a link, and call me in the morning.

It takes a while to adjust to such a heavy piece and the bracelet and clasp. Put a link in and toy with the micro adjustments in the clasp. You may also find that the AD has not balanced the links on the 6 versus 12 side. If their is an extra link on one side of the bracelet versus the other, it should be on the 12:00 side of the bracelet - the side that goes to the bulkier part of the clasp with the 4 sets of micro adjust holes. If there are even numbers of links, you probably should move one from the 6 to 12 side. There is an excellent tutorial on balancing a Breitling bracelet on the Home page - you should be able to find it.

With time and patience, you will get it right. And your wrist, nasty boney protuberance included, will acclimate. I never like to have the bracelet so it sits tightly at the loosest set of holes. The arm swells with exertion as well as laying prone. Then there are the heat and sweat issues. Ideally you want a good fit with at least one set of holes left to slightly loosen the bracelet when needed.

Your co-pay of $25 is due now.

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SHARKMAN

Thanks so much Dr. Sharkman. Have your front office fax over the forms and I'll fill them out in a week or so. You should expect payment in 6 months or so.

Seriously, thanks to all for the great advice so far.

I've never experienced such acclimatization problems with my Steelfish. The day I picked it up from my AD, he made the necessary adjustments and I've never needed to do any adjustments since. He first cut one section from one side, I tried it on, then we saw that he needed to cut another section from the other side and that was it.

Maybe the fact that I have it on an OR with deployant means that it's a whole different ball game than with a bracelet. On top of that, there are further possibilities of changes with the built-in adjustment feature of the OR strap. Depending on temperature or the activity I'm doing I use it for micro-adjustments of the strap because I don't like wearing close to the wrist.

Finally, the strap being a deployant, it prevents the Fishie from turning over on my wrist, in spite of nature's weight rules.

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