# Notched Straps For An Amphibia?



## howie77 (Jun 21, 2009)

Morning chaps.. just as per the title really. A general curiosity - I'm aware that some prefer a wider strap than the standard 18mm on a regular Amphibia i.e. 420 case, so what are your experiences in using either a 20mm or 22mm and cutting notches to fit the lugs? I'm going to make an assumption here and guess that this is likely best done with a rubber strap..?

Cheers and a happy March everyone,

Howie


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

I purchased a no-name silicone notched 18mm strap off the Bay.










Banda used to make notched leather straps, but I am not sure if they still do.

Later,

William


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## Draygo (Mar 18, 2010)

I bookmarked this link some time back which might be worth a look if you fancy trying a leather instead of rubber...

HTH


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## howie77 (Jun 21, 2009)

William_Wilson said:


> I purchased a no-name silicone notched 18mm strap off the Bay.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


aha! Thanks William, I'm going to guess at the 'regular' width being 20mm then, notched to 18mm for the lugs?



Draygo said:


> I bookmarked this link some time back which might be worth a look if you fancy trying a leather instead of rubber...
> 
> HTH


That is an excellent link Draygo - cheers (and bookmarked too!)


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

howie77 said:


> Thanks William, I'm going to guess at the 'regular' width being 20mm then, notched to 18mm for the lugs?


No, it's made that way, it's an 18mm strap that extends beyond the width of the lugs.










Later,

William


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## martinzx (Aug 29, 2010)

Draygo said:


> I bookmarked this link some time back which might be worth a look if you fancy trying a leather instead of rubber...
> 
> HTH


What a great tutorial thank-you for sharing, most helpful

Cheers Martin


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## howie77 (Jun 21, 2009)

William_Wilson said:


> howie77 said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks William, I'm going to guess at the 'regular' width being 20mm then, notched to 18mm for the lugs?
> ...


This strap looks slightly tapered too? What I meant earlier though was where the lug width is 18mm - and so the notched part of the strap as well - would the rest of the strap to the buckle be 20 or 22mm? Think that makes sense...


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## Chromejob (Jul 28, 2006)

You haven't seen my last job?










I would go with 22mm if you're cutting down to 18. 1mm to trim on either side is so little that it's a PITA. Also, your lugs may be 22mm on the outside measurement. Check that.

Yes, that's the tutorial I learned from. But don't use cyanoacrylate (SuperGlue) like he did, it's too brittle and messy (act fast!) to work with. Even the gel version and with a fixative. I like something called Liquid Nails which is effective for cloth and leather, but this last strp I did with some strong bondo glue that can be cleaned off (when still wet) with water or damp rag. (I.e. super strong, but made for use with kids.) Has been holding well. You may have to clamp or hand grip the trimmed pieces for a while ... just put on an epi of TOP GEAR while you wait.

Avoid the temptation to cut the notch plenty narrow enough to fit in the gap, or cutting the trim well away from the spring bar area. This one is a nice snug fit into the lug gap, and the leather trimmed and glued back was so snug around the spring bar hole that I had to push for a while to get the bars to seat properly. Sounds hard, right? :huh: It was worth it, the strap is now plenty snug on the watch, as if made for it. :naughty: It's leather it will loose up , so a hard, tight fit at first will break in properly.

Be sure you have the proper spring bars for your watch.  Our host and many other suppliers can provide high quality ones.


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## howie77 (Jun 21, 2009)

David that's great advice, cheers - and good work too by example!

Nice USSR edition you have there too


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

howie77 said:


> William_Wilson said:
> 
> 
> > howie77 said:
> ...


I see, it's 21mm at the widest.

Later,

William


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