P2 link removal

[Fitron]

My P2 bracelet is slightly too loose, my watch guy could only remove one link, leaving me with 8 on the nearside and 12 on the far side. According to an earlier posting shown total links I should be able to get it down to 18 in total. How are the links in a GF P2 bracelet removed?
I also have the feeling that the links have been put on incorrectly some time in the past as the pin holes do not match up. On the far side the holes are "facing" in opposite directions - one to the bracelet, the other to the watch while on the near side they both point to the watch, not the bracelet. Hope this is clear to you.

[charger105]

My P2 has 8 links on the nearside, and 11 on the farside.....so you should be able to get it down to at least this. It looks as though one more link could be removed too, getting it down to 7 and 11 (or 18 in total).

The pinholes on mine are all closest to the case.

Rgds,
Andrew.

[retroleds]

...
I also have the feeling that the links have been put on incorrectly some time in the past as the pin holes do not match up. On the far side the holes are "facing" in opposite directions - one to the bracelet, the other to the watch while on the near side they both point to the watch, not the bracelet. Hope this is clear to you.

Not exactly incorrectly - the link closest to the case body AFTER the links which have two holes, has one hole. It is a fairly common practice(or should be, considering the shortage of links) to force open the link after that one holed link, leaving you with an undamaged body link that has a connector link attached to each side of it. Since the connection is done with short springbars(or pins, I've seen them both ways) you now have an extra link or two that can be put in a row of the double holed links . If you are sacrificing an entire band that way, you may as well take that one holed link off both side,put two of those odd ducks facing each other and put a double holed link to either side, effectly giving you a lot more links per band. And save your two holed links for where you really need them. I know, pictures would make this much clearer.

[Fitron]

I'm posting pics later today.

My next P2 shall have a leather strap

[retroleds]

:-?

I'm posting pics later today.

My next P2 shall have a leather strap

.... by selecting bands carefully you can always use another brand of band - so long as the clasp end of the band is the same widh, you can put the Pulsar "leather band" clasp onto any band via the springbar that connects it to the band. USing some of those clasps I got from Mike Barbaro/Barbie9(thanks!) I've made 3-4 people very happy with a snazzy leather band. Oh, and that "leather band" clasp adds a little over 1/2 to the band length, which can be pretty helpful for us bigger folks.

[Fitron]

Pics as promised.





The final link in the top one that connects to the clasp has no holes in it, while the bottom one has one on one side only. Suggestions (apart from cleaning the bracelet as it's filthy )

[retroleds]

Fitron - unpin the link that is inside the clasp - lets see if there is one last piece of monkey business to find, that may solve your problem.

[Fitron]

One clasp unlinked. This one has NO pin holes.



And the other. This one has ONE on one side only.

[retroleds]

[Fitron: I doctored up your lower picture, of the first two pictures you posted,as reference. Ok, someone either pulled open a solid link by the two ends(outmost section of link), or they pried open a connector - this would have occurred at point "C" . Anyway...



PUsh spring bar at "A" which will release the center/connecting link of "B". Decide how many links you want to remove. If you want to remove just 1, you will have to pull "B" apart. For two you will need to pull apart the one to the right of "B". Those solid links have solid pins that are pressed in - you can pull the link apart by grabbing at both ends of the link and pulling. Hard part is deciding what to grab the link with(a "doctored" up pair of retainer ring pliers can occasionally pry the outmost sections apart, which leaves little damage to the link). Some of the solid links have pins that actually went all the way thru the outer pieces - those you can press out with an arbor press (or vise if you are particularly crafty)....most pin vises for bands won't be able to push them out.


Very rarely should you be faced with tring to pry open one of the center connector links....generally better to pull apart the outer portion of a link, IMHO. The center link will look like crap if you work on it....kind of like that narrow band connector link on a classic Witt. LED.....lots of nice ones BUT they have a wavy connector link

[Fitron]

Going by the other photo I posted, would it be possible to remove the far right link from it? That looks like it might come off relatively easily, and it would help keep the watch balanced on my wrist as they've got a tendancy to fall away from me.

[Bad Juju]

.... by selecting bands carefully you can always use another brand of band...

How does a leather band attach to the P2 case? I can see carefully cutting out a notch in the middle of the lug end of a non-Pulsar leather band to make it fit, but I don't see a way of using the threaded pins that attach the metal bands to the case. I always assumed that the P2s had to use the Pulsar leather band exclusively because of the proprietary design.

[retroleds]

Those use what are known in the trade as "T-bars"(or screwed bars). http://www.ofrei.com/page1130.html

Note, the wider the band, the floppier it may be. A band notching tool is most helpful/proper for what you hope to do, or use a very sharp wood chisel on a block of wood. Cut correctly the first time, leather is very hard to "shave"(but if you must, apply a little water to the edge, stick in freezer, then pull out and work quickly while it is very stiff.) Or work in a little 24 hr epoxy(thinner, soaks better), let harden and file).