z3k0 Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 I just received new SS bracelet for Carrera chrono, and wanted to adjust bracelet. I went to two watchsmith shops and they couldn't do it Second one claimed that you need some special tool to do it, and I should go to AD ?? Now, I don't really want to go to AD with my rep especially since it still has wrong date dial (still trying to sort it out with Andrew ) ... Any of you guys know if this bracelet really isn't just-push-out-the-pin kind ? Or maybe pins on my bracelet are broken somehow ??? any suggestions are welcome ... bye, Ivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TmeShare Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 The Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph bracelet is identical to the OEM, and very similar to Omega pin system (if that helps at all). The links are attached by a pin that can be removed in either direction, unlike many link pins where there is an arrow on the inside of the bracelet to illustrate the direction that the pin must be removed. The Carrera pins have a small groove in the middle that fits into a sleeve that is inside of the middle link. I am surprised to hear the 2 watchmakers cannot remove the pins/links as I am certainly no watchmaker and had no problems. There is no special Tag Heuer tool needed but you will need a watch pin remover. E-bay is a good source for these tools and it is a good investment, particularly if you plan to have many watches. The watch pin remover I use is like the one in e-bay auction 120082344138 (I am not the seller, do not know the seller I just did a quick search on e-bay for you and found the one I own). The watch pin remover you want should have as long a pin as possible so that you can push the link pin out of the link as far as possible. When you have a watch pin remover insert the pin into the hole in the side of the link and turn the dial on the watch pin remover, if you have one with a long pin you will evenualy feel/hear a snap and that means that the Carrera link pin has been pushed out of the sleeve and you can now use a plier to remove the pin the rest of the way and seperate the bracelet. If you turn the bracelet to the side a small sleeve will slide out from the middle link. Remove as many links as need and do the reverse to push the link pins back in. If you do not want to buy the tool the other option is to try the watch on and guess how many links you need to remove and then remove the watch from the bracelet and go to a Tag Heuer delaer with just the bracelet and ask them to remove the number of links that you think you need so that the watch will fit. These is not the best method as your guess on the number of links may or may not be right and the Carrera bracelet has 1/2 and 3/4 links to help you find a near perfect fit. Hope the above makes sense and you get the watch on your wrist.......nothing more frustrating than having a watch and not being able to size it right away and get it on yur wrist (I use to run into this problem myself which is why I bought the watch pin remover)!! TimeShare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z3k0 Posted February 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 The Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph bracelet is identical to the OEM, and very similar to Omega pin system (if that helps at all). The links are attached by a pin that can be removed in either direction, unlike many link pins where there is an arrow on the inside of the bracelet to illustrate the direction that the pin must be removed. The Carrera pins have a small groove in the middle that fits into a sleeve that is inside of the middle link. I am surprised to hear the 2 watchmakers cannot remove the pins/links as I am certainly no watchmaker and had no problems. There is no special Tag Heuer tool needed but you will need a watch pin remover. E-bay is a good source for these tools and it is a good investment, particularly if you plan to have many watches. The watch pin remover I use is like the one in e-bay auction 120082344138 (I am not the seller, do not know the seller I just did a quick search on e-bay for you and found the one I own). The watch pin remover you want should have as long a pin as possible so that you can push the link pin out of the link as far as possible. When you have a watch pin remover insert the pin into the hole in the side of the link and turn the dial on the watch pin remover, if you have one with a long pin you will evenualy feel/hear a snap and that means that the Carrera link pin has been pushed out of the sleeve and you can now use a plier to remove the pin the rest of the way and seperate the bracelet. If you turn the bracelet to the side a small sleeve will slide out from the middle link. Remove as many links as need and do the reverse to push the link pins back in. If you do not want to buy the tool the other option is to try the watch on and guess how many links you need to remove and then remove the watch from the bracelet and go to a Tag Heuer delaer with just the bracelet and ask them to remove the number of links that you think you need so that the watch will fit. These is not the best method as your guess on the number of links may or may not be right and the Carrera bracelet has 1/2 and 3/4 links to help you find a near perfect fit. Hope the above makes sense and you get the watch on your wrist.......nothing more frustrating than having a watch and not being able to size it right away and get it on yur wrist (I use to run into this problem myself which is why I bought the watch pin remover)!! TimeShare Wow, man, thanks for all the advice. I went to another watchsmith and she (yes, it was lady in her mid sixties ) removed it with some effort. I guess the other two were to scared to hit it harder when they saw expensive watch. Anyhow, now I can wear my watch with new bracelet, and I must say I prefer it to rubber strap. Quality of bracelet is generally OK, only thing I noticed is that last links (ones that are nearest to watch) have some rough finishing and sharp edges, unlike all other links. I agree with you about how frustrating it is to not be able to wear watch because of size of bracelet - thats why I'm going to take you other advice and get that pin remover from ebay, it's really not expensive. bye Ivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TmeShare Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Ivan, glad you worked it out and ya for a few bucks the pin remover saves a lot of trouble. Sounds like you have the all Black face Carrera. I have that one and the silver dial with the black circle subdial Carrera. Heard some disturbing news that perhaps the Black Faced Carrera is the only model with the new high beat Asian 7750 and that the black, brown and silver dialed version are not the high beat version. The trusty and Joshua sites have them as high beat and I hope they are, anyway enjoy the Black Carrera (I am about the switch off the rubber strap for a real OEM Tag Heuer bracelet I have as I agree it looks better). TimeShare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z3k0 Posted February 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 Ivan, glad you worked it out and ya for a few bucks the pin remover saves a lot of trouble. Sounds like you have the all Black face Carrera. I have that one and the silver dial with the black circle subdial Carrera. Heard some disturbing news that perhaps the Black Faced Carrera is the only model with the new high beat Asian 7750 and that the black, brown and silver dialed version are not the high beat version. The trusty and Joshua sites have them as high beat and I hope they are, anyway enjoy the Black Carrera (I am about the switch off the rubber strap for a real OEM Tag Heuer bracelet I have as I agree it looks better). TimeShare Yes, I have all black Carrera, racing edition (with red chrono hands). I don't know about beat rate, it sounds quick, but I'm really not an expert Here are some pictures of bracelet end-links, and sharp edges I was talking about: All other links have very smooth finish. I'll tra to compare bracelet to gen if I get a chance. bye, Ivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TmeShare Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 (edited) The sharp edges on your bracelet is the same as my replica bracelet. I have 2 genuine OEM Tag Heuer Carrera bracelets and they are somewhat sharp in the same spot but the edge has been rounded a bit but not much different then the rep bracelet. I am actually quite impressed with the quality of the replica bracelet and it is very close, say 98%, to the OEM. If you are worried about cutting a shirt or cutting yourself the very sharp edge could probably be rounded off a bit with a dremel tool. By the way check TimeZone's Heuer/Tag Heuer forum and enter Tag Heuer Carrera Chrnongraph and there is a posting, in the long list, of F1 and rally racing drivers wearing your watch and other Carrera's (supplied by Tag Heuer no doubt). Enjoy your watch, RaceMaster Edited February 10, 2007 by TmeShare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryaku Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 (edited) Edited Edited February 13, 2007 by ryaku Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsv123 Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 Heard some disturbing news that perhaps the Black Faced Carrera is the only model with the new high beat Asian 7750 and that the black, brown and silver dialed version are not the high beat version. The trusty and Joshua sites have them as high beat and I hope they are, anyway enjoy the Black Carrera (I am about the switch off the rubber strap for a real OEM Tag Heuer bracelet I have as I agree it looks better). TimeShare That is very disturbing, if true, have been thinking of pulling the trigger on the silver dialled version. I will wait until someone can confirm that the other models are the new version of the A7750, as I had no end of problems with watches using the original version I will avoid anything with that movement like the plague. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryaku Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 (edited) It sounds very strange and unlikely to me. I strongly doubt the new carrera, whatever dial you consider, could have the old 7750 version. I had two models: brown, got by mistake and sold immediately, and black and both have the new 7750. By the way, i also purchase a grey spare dial and it looks gorgeous. Edited February 13, 2007 by ryaku Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeroflott Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 Is there an easy way of determining the new or old version of the 7750 movement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryaku Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 Pins of this bracelet are real bitches.... for the first time i couldn't resize the bracelet with micro adjustment , i haven't been able to push some pins out. Now it's little large but it's not a big issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darknight007316 Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 Pins of this bracelet are real bitches.... for the first time i couldn't resize the bracelet with micro adjustment , i haven't been able to push some pins out. Now it's little large but it's not a big issue. I haven't been able to adjust the bracelet either. My pin adjustment tool actually snapped during the process. Any other suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TmeShare Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 I haven't been able to adjust the bracelet either. My pin adjustment tool actually snapped during the process. Any other suggestions? Buy a pin removal toll with a VERY long pin to push out the Tag Heuer pin. If you look on e-bay you will see ones with shorter and long pins.............you need the longest you can get. TimeShare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryaku Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 (edited) I guess cheap pin removal hardly works with stiff pins: today i broke one pin and haven't been able to push out a couple of em. At the end i got there removing two links instead one and putting back a single link i had removed from the other part of the band. Edited February 14, 2007 by ryaku Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeroflott Posted February 15, 2007 Report Share Posted February 15, 2007 I have to agree - these pins are a real [censored] to get out. I've snapped one too - still not fully adjusted the strap. Think I'll take it somewhere to get done properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmena Posted February 15, 2007 Report Share Posted February 15, 2007 I guess cheap pin removal hardly works with stiff pins: today i broke one pin and haven't been able to push out a couple of em. At the end i got there removing two links instead one and putting back a single link i had removed from the other part of the band. I broke two. Some of them I've been not able to remove. Try this: once you have been able to push a bit the pin, then take a jewelry hammer and another pin and knock until you can make the pin inside the bracelet be as out of the hole as possible. Then take a plier and remove (strongly) the pin, taking care of not moving the pin to any side because if not it broke easily. Make the "mouth" of the plier touch all the outside part of the pin. This way it works and pin is not broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeroflott Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) Took mine to a watch repair place today and got the job done properly - she even replaced the snapped pin with another she took out. On handing me the watch back, she said it was the best rep she'd ever seen! Edited February 16, 2007 by aeroflott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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