This guide covers our folding clasp. It is flat, has a single hinge and no push buttons. You open it by pulling the bow. The clasp is made of polished stainless steel and is attached to the strap with a spring bar.
Do you have a different clasp? See our guides to the safety folding clasp and the butterfly clasp.
How it works
Opening and closing the folding clasp
When you open it, only the clasp unfolds. The strap stays closed in a loop with the watch, and you slide it over your hand. You do not need to change the length for this.
- Open the claspPull the bow until the clasp opens.
- Take off the watchSlide the strap and the watch over your hand.
- Tuck in the endTo put the watch on, slide the strap over your hand. First tuck the free end into the keepers.
- Close the claspPress the bow down until the clasp clicks shut.
Opening in pictures
Tip: keepers first, then the clasp. This puts less strain on the keepers.
Length
Setting the strap length
You set the length once, when you fit the strap for the first time. For this, the clasp has a small blade with a fixed pin under the bow. The blade is held on one side by a hinge, which you can recognise by the small hole on the side.
- Open the claspPull the bow until the clasp opens.
- Open the bladePress the blade down on the side opposite the hinge. It opens.
- Choose the lengthPull the strap through the opening until the watch fits well.
- Fix the strapPress the strap onto the pin at this point and close the blade.
Changing the length later
You can do this at any time, with the same steps.
Video · 2:20 min
Video: fitting and adjusting the folding clasp
The video shows how to fit a folding clasp to an existing strap and adjust it to your wrist. To fit it, you need a spring bar tool.
Fitting
Replacing a pin buckle with the folding clasp
The folding clasp fits many leather straps that have a pin buckle today. Check first:
- The old buckle is attached with a spring bar. If not, the folding clasp cannot be fitted.
- The strap is no more than 3 mm thick at the end with the holes. The clasp is not suitable for metal bracelets.
- The width matches. Measure the strap at the buckle, not at the lugs of the watch.
What you need: a spring bar tool. A new spring bar comes with the clasp.
- Remove the old buckleSlide the fork of the tool between the strap and the buckle and compress the spring bar. Take off the buckle.
- Remove the tonguePull the spring bar fully out of the strap from the side. You can then take the tongue off the old buckle.
- Refit the spring barPush a spring bar into the channel at the end of the strap. The notch of the old tongue will then sit under the closed clasp.
- Position the claspPut one end of the spring bar into the hole of one clasp arm. Compress the other end until it fits between the arms.
- Let it click inRelease the spring bar so that its tip slides into the opposite hole. Pull gently to check that the clasp is secure.
- Set the lengthThread the end of the strap with the holes and set the length as described in Setting the strap length.
Our guide on replacing the buckle of a watch strap also shows how to remove and fit a spring bar.
The folding clasp is also sold on its own, in polished stainless steel or gold, from 12 to 22 mm, among our single buckles. Already fitted, you will find it on our straps with folding clasp. There you can choose a steel, gold or black clasp.