Super Compressor on an after market bracelet

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jkbarnes
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Re: Super Compressor on an after market bracelet

Post by jkbarnes »

rkovars wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 5:48 pm I think the SC lives best on the tropic rubber, a NATO or a leather strap myself.

Mai-Tai NATO from Worn and Wound. They just dropped a rust colored one that might be a bit better matched but the Mai-Tai is still quite good.
Agreed, this watch screams for a tropic strap!

And rkovars, that Mai-Tai NATO looks fantastic! What a color!
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Re: Super Compressor on an after market bracelet

Post by stefs »

When a fabric strap for a black bay is around the £200 mark I struggle to see how the correctly fitted cw can be outrageous at £160.
Have a look at a replacement bracelet for say a ti planet ocean :shock: .

Certainly I would rather have screwed links but the fit finish and frankly excellent on the fly adjustment clasps make them well worth the entrance fee imho
Cheers now, Paul
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Re: Super Compressor on an after market bracelet

Post by StrapMeister »

This is always going to divide opinions but if you don't try, you don't know.
Those Vintage Berwick (and BoR) bracelets from WatchGecko are excellent value for money especially when they are on sale.
Personally, I think it looks good but the main thing is that YOU like it and it's comfortable.
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Re: Super Compressor on an after market bracelet

Post by JAFO »

I think CW straps and bracelets are pretty good OEM stuff. Both good quality, and well priced. Yes, I know £160 sounds a lot when you buy a bracelet as a separate. We all know we can get a pretty decent watch for that. I only got one because it came on a half price watch in the sale, and I wouldn't have bothered with a bracelet otherwise, but I know I won't easily get an OEM bracelet, especially with QR lugs, and an adjustable clasp for any less.

Out of interest JOMW showed a bronze Zelos today, that comes with a new first, a bronze bracelet (steel bracelet with full bronze capping. He assumed it would sell out, but he said the bronze bracelet was $200 (maybe £200 extra over and above the standard strap, I am not sure), at least half the cost of the watch itself, and priced similar to CW straps. Released later this week he said.
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Re: Super Compressor on an after market bracelet

Post by A1soknownas »

jkbarnes wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 6:46 pm All that being said, I think CW bracelets in general are top notch and worth the price when compared like-for-like with other bracelets. I’m such a fan of the on the fly micro-adjustment that moving forward, I WON’T consider a bracelet without it. In fact, when I ordered a bracelet from Strapcode for my inexpensive Seiko diver, I spent the extra money to get the one with the micro adjuster. And Strapcode’s implementation is not as nice.
Exactly this, I believe that the CW bracelets are well worth the cost, especially when bought at the same time as the watch.

They have raised my expectations so much that it is now difficult to even consider another watch on bracelet without the same features.

The OP's bracelet looks OK, but not perfect for me. I am very much liking the bright nato in the other post though.
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Re: Super Compressor on an after market bracelet

Post by Kip »

Wiggles wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 5:53 pm
Because other manufacturers charge ludicrous amounts for their bracelets, doesn't mean that CW ones are reasonably priced. I very much suspect their bracelets are manufactured in China and cost less than $20. The one on my C60 Trident Pro was nothing to write home about, and didn't even have screw links. The clasp was excellent though. I think your Super Compressor looks great on that nato, so good choice !
I think you will find that the majority of bracelets for most manufacturers are made in China. It comes down to the specs and QC requested. I don't know for certain now, but there was a time that CW bracelets were made in the same location as Omega bracelets.

As to screw links... I am not certain why people think they are better other than the perceived quality. Screw links done properly use a thread lock. Removing them is more difficult to make adjustments especially if there are screws on both sides. How coordinated are you? If not you need a holding tool. The bracelet must be subjected to heat in order to soften the thread lock. Once removed, thread lock must be used again or I guarantee that the screws will loosen up and/or get lost (Putting screws on a swivel mechanism is not the best idea). Most people don't do this let alone about half the places that adjust bracelets.

By comparison, losing a split pin or pin and collar is relatively rare and both are certainly easier to work with for the average person and keeps initial costs down with no comparative loss in quality. Sure there can be issues now and then, but that is true with any system. The pin and collar system is well proven and affords few problems.

CW did make a screw link bracelet a few years ago for the C9 series. It was expensive then and would be comparatively more expensive now. It was a good bracelet, but received many complaints about how difficult it was to work with and CW was sending out a lot of screws. Hence they don't make it anymore.
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Re: Super Compressor on an after market bracelet

Post by exHowfener »

It's hard to know as a consumer if the cost/price is down to the work involved in making an item (plus profit etc.) or by comparison against others in the market. I suspect a bit of both. It's one of my personal maxims that while you don't always get what you pay for, you NEVER get what you don't pay for. At the end of the day these are luxury items and only the buyer can decide if they are worth the money.
"There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that persons lawful prey" (attributed to) John Ruskin. Well. he WAS a bit weird, but I understand the point.
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