JOREST Watch Strap Tool Set data check
The JOREST Watch Strap Tool Set is aimed at anyone who wants to shorten a link bracelet themselves or change a strap without buying every tool separately. The package contains a link remover, spring bar tool, hammer and strap holder together with replacement pins and spring bars in several widths. In this data check we put the manufacturer and retailer information into honest context and above all explain what each individual part is needed for.
JOREST Watch Strap Tool Set
- Metal strap link remover with pin pusher and height-adjustable support for aligning the pin hole
- 20 spring bars in the common widths 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 mm are already included
- Link pusher and strap holder are combined in one tool, plus 13 replacement pins
- According to the retailer, the user manual is not necessarily in German
What is in the set and what the parts are used for
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type | Tool set for adjusting and replacing watch straps |
| Brand | Jorest |
| Link remover | Metal tool with pin pusher |
| Alignment | height-adjustable support for pin and pin hole |
| Strap change | Strap-changing tool for spring bars |
| Accessories | Double-head hammer, watch strap holder |
| Replacement pins | 13 pieces |
| Spring bars | 20 pieces in 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 mm |
| Instructions | User manual, German version not guaranteed |
| Editorial rating | 4 out of 5 |
The heart of the set is the metal strap link remover with pin pusher. It holds the strap in place and uses a screw spindle to push the connecting pin out of a link, so that the link can be removed. This very combination of link pusher and strap holder in one tool is the reason you do not need a third hand when shortening.
More important than it sounds is the tool for aligning the pin hole, which the manufacturer describes as a height-adjustable support. With it you bring the push pin and the hole of the link into exact line before applying pressure. If the pin sits even slightly at an angle, it jams in the link, and in the worst case the pin bends or the hole widens.
The double-head hammer is used on straps whose pins cannot be moved by spindle, but are loosened with light, controlled blows on the drift. The 13 replacement pins are the consumables of the set, because a pin can well give way on a tight fit. The fact that as many as 13 are included takes away the beginner's fear of the first attempt, because a failure does not immediately render the whole tool unusable.
The strap-changing tool for the spring bars covers the second major use case: separating the complete strap from the case. If you want to work particularly precisely here, the Bergeon 6767-F is the workshop reference, which in direct comparison differs mainly through its interchangeable tips. For occasional changes, however, the tool included in the JOREST set is the obvious solution, because it is already in the box anyway.
Spring bars from 16 to 24 mm: finding the right width
The 20 included spring bars cover the common widths from 16 to 24 mm, that is 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 mm. This range fits the vast majority of men's watches and a good share of women's watches, so for a spontaneous strap change a suitable bar is usually in the set. A separate purchase is therefore unnecessary in many cases, which is the price advantage of a set over individual parts.
You determine the right width at the lug opening, that is, at the distance between the two lugs of the case, not at a wide point in the middle of the strap. A ruler is often enough for this, a calliper is more accurate. If the value lies between two sizes, the watch has an odd measurement such as 19 or 21 mm, and then you need an individually bought bar in exactly that length.
A spring bar that is too short is the most dangerous wrong decision when changing a strap. It seems to sit firmly at first, but engages only a few tenths of a millimetre in the hole and slips out at the first jerky movement. How the change works step by step for leather, steel and rubber straps is shown in our guide to changing a watch strap, which should be at hand especially when the supplied manual is not written in German.
Shortening a link bracelet: how it works step by step
Before you even apply a tool, place the watch on a soft surface and look for the small arrows on the inside of the strap. These arrows show the direction in which the pins may be driven out, because many pins are tapered and can only be loosened in one direction. If you work against the arrow direction, you jam the pin and damage the link before anything has even moved.
Then you clamp the strap into the strap holder, bring the pin hole into exact line with the push pin using the height-adjustable support, and slowly turn in the spindle. The pin should move evenly, without you having to force it. If it gets stuck, turn back, check the alignment again and start over instead of increasing the pressure.
Finally, remove links evenly from both halves of the strap so that the clasp still sits centrally under the wrist. Reinsert the pins in the same direction in which you pushed them out, and then check with a light pull that the strap really holds. This pull test takes five seconds and prevents the most expensive of all mistakes, namely a watch that comes off the wrist unnoticed.
The most common mistakes when shortening link bracelets
By far the most common mistake is too much force with the wrong alignment. If the push pin and hole are not exactly in line, the pin hits the edge of the link instead of the pin, and then either the pin or the link gives way. This is exactly what the height-adjustable support of the JOREST set is for: it costs ten seconds of set-up time and saves the strap.
Mistake number two is shortening from one side only. If you remove all the links from one side, you shift the clasp up or down, and the watch then sits crooked on your wrist. So take out as equal a number of links as possible on the left and right of the clasp, and lay the removed links out before you carry on, so that you keep track.
The third mistake is losing the removed parts. Links, pins and above all collars are tiny, and a pin that has once landed on a carpet usually stays lost. So work over a light-coloured surface with a raised edge, such as a flat tray, and keep the removed links together with the watch, because they belong with it when you resell it.
When you are better off going to a watchmaker
However useful your own tool set is, there are situations in which going to a watchmaker is simply the cheaper decision. With very valuable watches, the value of the material is out of all proportion to the workshop price you save, because a scratched link edge or a worn-out pin hole stays visible permanently. With bracelets that have screwed links, too, you need an exactly fitting screwdriver, otherwise the slot rounds out.
Bracelets with collars are particularly tricky, where the pin is held by a small collar in the link. These collars easily deform when removed and then no longer hold reliably, which is a safety risk. If you see such a collar on the inside of a link and are unsure, it is better to stop at that point.
The simplest rule of thumb is this: if a pin does not move after two or three calm, correctly aligned attempts, the bracelet belongs in expert hands. Force achieves nothing here and turns a ten-minute job into a repair. A watchmaker also has the right spare parts in stock in case a link does get damaged.
Who is the JOREST set suitable for?
The set is intended for beginners who want to size a newly bought link bracelet to their wrist and then occasionally swap the strap. If you own two or three watches, a single purchase saves you several workshop visits, and the included spring bars make buying more for the common widths unnecessary. The package also makes sense as basic equipment for a small drawer of watch accessories.
If you are instead looking for a larger range with a case opener, tweezers and screwdrivers, you are better served by a more comprehensive watchmaker tool set. Care is also a useful complement: a blower removes dust from the freshly opened lug areas without scratching anything, and our guide on how to clean your watch properly explains how to get the case and bracelet clean afterwards. Our Tools and care category collects an overview of all tools and care products.
The set is not the right choice for anyone who requires a printed German manual, because according to the retailer the language version of the manual is not guaranteed. If you can live with that and read through the procedure beforehand, you get a complete package for the price of a single specialist tool. You can find further individual reviews of tools, care and storage gathered in the review hub.
Editorial verdict
The JOREST watch strap tool set does exactly what a starter package should do: it brings together the tools for the two most common jobs on a watch strap and includes the consumables as well. The strap shortener with its height-adjustable support addresses the most critical point when shortening, namely the clean alignment of pin and hole, and the 20 spring bars in five common widths save you buying extras. Points are deducted solely for the user manual, whose German language version is not guaranteed, although this can be made up for with an illustrated guide online. For its range of functions and well-considered selection, our editorial team awards 4 out of 5 points.
The text of this page was created with an AI language model and was reviewed and approved editorially before publication. Editorial responsibility lies with Seydhan Cakmak. The product images shown are not AI images but manufacturer and retailer photos from the Amazon catalogue, which we embed unchanged.
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