Wanted deployment swapping to proper buckle for beach holiday. Literally 5/10 min job. Strap ready to go in the bag and has been done before a few times for the same reason.
3 staff stood round doing nothing at the time.
Maybe I’m just a tight bastard…

£20.

Yup I’m a tight bastard then as you are bang on! Normal lady at goldsmiths who does it for free wasn’t in so I took it elsewhere.
I need a fork tool to do it myself I think.

My latest strap is with fastenings you can slide yourself. I had not known they existed until looking for a strap, and learned the lesson of how accurately you need to measure the width (who knew 2mm would make such a difference) but so much easier (and cheaper) to be able to do yourself

Wanted deployment swapping to proper buckle for beach holiday.

Why though? Is the deployment particularly flimsy?

Not really, however the buckle is far more substantial and just makes me feel it’s more secure. It will be a full week in and out of the sea in and out of wetsuits with the tight sleeves etc, wouldn’t want to lose it like I did my wedding ring! Mrsws still hasn’t forgiven me.

Not really, however the buckle is far more substantial and just makes me feel it’s more secure.

A chunky buckle may make it feel more secure but with any decently made strap it’s the spring bars at the lugs and buckle that are going to be the weakest point.

Get a spring bar tool off Amazon for half the cost of paying them to do it.

Additionally if you want security get it on a NATO strap, then if one of the spring bars fail you won’t lose the watch. Brucie Bonus, you can change NATO straps without removing the spring bars.

A chunky buckle may make it feel more secure but with any decently made strap it’s the spring bars at the lugs and buckle that are going to be the weakest point.

This ^ absolutely. Alternatively, do as natedogguk says, get a watchgecko heavyweight NATO/ZULU strap, which will give extra security, is impervious to salt water, has extra length to allow for going over a wetsuit, and needs no tools to take off the watch.
Fill yer boots!
https://www.watchgecko.com/nato-zulu-watch-straps?p=1

Plenty of straps come with a spring bar tool. I got 2 new straps from Fullmosa today. Both came with spring bar tools to remove existing straps, despite both strap having finger levers for easy of fitting.

The bond nato from Watchgecko linked by count zero is the nicest nato I have. I have 3 watches on natos from different manufacturers. The others are thicker but the stitching seems looser and a bit frayed. The gecko one feels strong, tightly stitched and thin and looks the nicest IMO.

I didn’t realise there was a tool to take out spring bars, I just use a scalpel blade.

You mean you didn’t go to Frearsons on Bridge Street!! I thought it was a local by-law that all locals had to use them for anything watch related! 🙂

I didn’t realise there was a tool to take out spring bars, I just use a scalpel blade.

Me neither until relatively recently, I just used to use a tiny screwdriver. I wouldn’t dare try it with a scalpel, I managed to jam a spring bar tool into the side of my finger the other day. At least that was only 2 wee punctures, I’d probably still be bleeding now if I done the same thing with a scalpel.

Just buy a cheap plastic watch for wearing on the beach.

I’m on my second Casio beach watch in 20years at £20-ish a pop.

Can’t do that perchy. I need to keep up my middle classness facade whilst mincing around in the 3ft surf.

You wanted a shop to change a watch strap for you? It’s a doddle to do yourself, even with improvised tools. Just a small flat screwdriver or blade to pop the bars out. Bit fiddly to put them back in but certainly not worth paying 20 quid for.

You can’t just attack these spring bars with a flat bladed screwdriver, it needs a fork tool I’d say as a minimum which im going to purchase, I don’t want any damage to the casement either.
As for the strap that’s being fitted it’s a proper job, own brand rubber version designed specifically for the watch which is a sports diver. The current deployment relies on a small (choice of adjustment) pin hole within the strap to secure it before closing and that for me is the weak point.

I need to keep up my middle classness facade whilst mincing around in the 3ft surf.

I see.

What you need then is an overly expensive plastic G-Shock watch for the beach.

You can’t just attack these spring bars with a flat bladed screwdriver, it needs a fork tool I’d say as a minimum which im going to purchase, I don’t want any damage to the casement either.

I’m a big fan of drilled lugs, they make for a really easy strap swap with just a small pin tool and without any risk of scratching the case. I can see why they might be undesirable on something super dressy and refined but I just can’t see an argument against them on any tool-type watch and don’t know why they’re not more common.

buy a bergeon 6767 and do it yourself.

The current deployment relies on a small (choice of adjustment) pin hole within the strap to secure it before closing and that for me is the weak point.

That’s the way all deployment clasps work, I’ve got them on several straps, including a leather one, and there’s never been a failure yet; any failure, as has already been mentioned, is most likely to be due to an old spring bar coming apart.
The best thing is to get a new set of spring bars and fit them, to make sure things are as strong as can be.
Which is why the NATO/ZULU straps are so good, because the extra loop of strap gives that bit of added security.

I’m a big fan of drilled lugs, they make for a really easy strap swap with just a small pin tool and without any risk of scratching the case. I can see why they might be undesirable on something super dressy and refined but I just can’t see an argument against them on any tool-type watch and don’t know why they’re not more common.

Prior to buying my Seiko SPORK, drilled lugs are something I’d never come across before, and my first thought was, why the hell isn’t that used more often!
The SKX007 that I’m getting and modding will have the lugs drilled like the SPORK, with oversized 2.5mm spring bars. Being able to just push the end of the spring bar in with a bit of wire, instead of having to faff around with a specialist tool, especially with tight-fitting rubber straps just makes so much more sense.