Shortening a watch strap

Is it necessary to shorten your watch strap? If your watch has a strap that is too long, the watch will spin and not sit properly on your wrist. A strap that is much too long will not even stay on your hand. Explore our watch strap shortening service and visit your nearest store, either in Kamppi in central Helsinki or Tammisto in Vantaa, so you can get a watch that fits your wrist perfectly. Welcome to our service!

Watch strap shortening price

If you buy a watch from a Kulta-Aika store, we will shorten its metal bracelet for free at the time of purchase and even later. We also shorten the straps of watches purchased from our online store for free. You can write your wrist measurement in the additional information field of your order, and we will shorten the watch to fit you perfectly. The extra strap links will be delivered with your watch in the watch box.

If it is a wristwatch bought elsewhere or your old watch, the strap shortening costs from 10 euros. In all our stores, we aim to shorten the watch strap immediately on site, either while you wait or on the same day.

If it is a rarer or more intricate strap shortening, our watchmaker will shorten the watch, in which case the metal bracelet shortening takes about 3-5 business days and costs about 15 euros.

Watch strap extension

If you have spare links from your watch that were shortened at the time of purchase, we also offer a watch strap extension service. If the watch was purchased from a Kulta-Aika store, extending the metal bracelet is free. If it is a watch purchased elsewhere, extending the watch's metal bracelet costs about 10 euros.

If you do not have the extra links, we can also inquire with the watch brand's importer if they sell strap links for that particular model. In this case, the price of the links will be added to the extension cost.

Additional hole in a leather strap

We also make additional holes in leather straps that are too long. Making additional holes costs about 5 euros. If the leather strap is so long that an additional hole is necessary, you might also consider buying a new, shorter leather strap. Creating new holes is convenient, for example, for your old watch that your child would like to start wearing.

Welcome for strap shortening

Come visit our store directly:

• Watch strap shortening Helsinki - Kulta-Aika Kamppi

• Watch strap shortening Vantaa - Kulta-Aika Tammisto

We also offer other watchmaker services, with a free repair estimate if desired!

Frequently asked questions - watch strap shortening

How much does watch strap shortening cost?

Wristwatch strap shortening costs from 10 euros. At Kulta-Aika, metal bracelet shortenings for watches purchased from Kulta-Aika are free.

How do you shorten a watch?

A watch strap can be shortened by removing links. First, try the watch on your wrist to see how many extra links the strap has. Usually, the links are connected by pins, which can be pushed out with a thin tool designed for strap shortening, allowing the links to separate. Once the extra links are removed, the strap is reconnected using the same pins.

A metal bracelet may also have a so-called quick adjustment option, where a spring bar can be moved inside a concave metal part by pressing its end, thereby shortening or lengthening the strap. This way, shortening a watch's metal bracelet can be done quickly at home. Adjusting the wristwatch would then only require a small pin to press the end of the spring bar. However, watch strap shortening is always handled in our stores as well.

Shortening a metal mesh strap, on the other hand, is easy. The metal clasp simply needs to be moved by opening it with an elongated object, such as a strap changing tool. The clasp is opened, moved to the desired position, and then re-secured by pressing it back into place.

A leather strap can also be "shortened" by making additional holes in it, so that the shortest possible length of the strap is even shorter. The actual length of the strap does not, however, change in this case.

If you shorten the strap yourself, always be careful not to damage the strap or injure yourself. Shortening straps can be challenging without the right tools. So, even though it might theoretically be possible to shorten a strap at home, you can always bring your wristwatch for professional strap shortening to a Kulta-Aika store!

Can a watch strap be changed?

Generally, watch straps are easily interchangeable. The strap is usually held in place by a spring bar or a quick-release spring bar. A watch strap attached with a spring bar requires a watch tool for changing, whereas a strap attached with a quick-release spring bar can be easily changed even without tools.

Kulta-Aika stores offer a wide selection of leather and silicone straps, and we will change your watch strap for you free of charge with purchase.

Where to wear a wristwatch?

A wristwatch is generally worn on the non-dominant hand to minimize interference with daily activities. As most people are right-handed, it has also become common practice to wear a wristwatch on the left hand. The watch face is positioned next to the ulna bone on the outside of the wrist.

However, you are free to decide which hand suits your everyday life best for wearing a watch. A watch on the right hand is also not an uncommon sight.

 

Our other services:

Ring engraving, Ring enlargement, Ring reduction, Ring rhodium plating, Broken necklace repair, Ear piercing, Watch battery replacement, Watch water resistance testing, Watch strap shortening, Watch strap spring bar - replacement service, Watch glass replacement