If you have an Audemars Piguet timepiece and you want to know how to change a Royal Oak strap to the most comfortable and sturdy designer bracelet – the Rubber B band, here is how you do it.
Select your Rubber Band
First, grab your steel AP timepiece and select a compatible Rubber B strap. If you have a 41 mm Audemars Piguet on metal, you will want to select your strap from this page here. These straps have a Velcro clasp that attaches around a titanium loop. It comes in two colors – Jet Black and Navy Blue.
Gather Your Tools
The next thing you need to do is to get two tools. The most important is a small flat head screwdriver. You can find small screwdriver kits for eyeglasses or a professional watch kit for under $10 on the internet. Even Walmart sells it. Or, you could find a cheap eyeglass repair kit at your local pharmacy such as Walgreens for even less. The screwdriver size needs to be approximately 1 millimeter in width. However, a little larger or a little smaller will probably work.
Although a professional watch kit might also have a long pin-like tool, you can just as easily use a large paperclip instead.
Most importantly, find a solid flat surface, such as a table that you can place your tools on. As we remove the screws and lug from the AP timepiece, you do not want to lose them. Since they are tiny, you definitely don’t want it to fall into a crack or a thick rug where it may get lost forever.
You might want to use a cutting board or place mat to help prevent scratching of your table surface. When we are removing the lug bar, you may need to press down, and we don’t want to cause any damage to the underlying service.
Remove the Screws from the AP Timepiece Near the Watchband
Take your small flat head screwdriver and start to unscrew the small screws protecting the lug bar on both sides of the watch band. You should end up unscrewing 4 screws. This is where you need to be careful to not strip the screw head. Having the professional watch kit allows you to find the perfect screwdriver head for your timepiece.
The rule of thumb is “Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosie.” This just means that if you want to unscrew the screw from the metal bracelet you will be twisting the screwdriver to the left. “Lefty Loosie.” By turning to the left, you loosen the screw from the watchband.
Once you are done, you can use the paperclip or a pin-like watch tool to push the lug out of the timepiece. Remember you need to have both screws removed completely on both sides of the timepiece. Be careful not to damage the body of the watch by scratching it. The lug should come out fairly easily.
If you need a bit more force to get the lug out, try to place the watch body against a soft surface on the table. Then you should have more leverage when pushing down on the paperclip to push the lug out.
Make sure you are using a large paperclip rather than a smaller one. Also, make sure the paperclip is not sharp or bent. The edge of the paperclip should be flat and it will provide an even pressure on the lug.
How to Change a Royal Oak Strap
The next thing to do in our discussion of how to change a Royal Oak strap, is to take your new Rubber B band and slide it into place into the grooves of the AP case. Look at the outcome of the finished product to make sure you are putting it in the right direction and that your final product will look correct – with the velcro strap on the outside rather than the inside of the watchband.
Before I attach the lugs, I look at the final product and it should look similar to the picture above. Once I make sure the direction is correct, I am ready to slide my lugs into place.
The lugs are the long bar that holds the watch band into place as it slides through the small circular grooves of both the watch band and the watch case.
After the lug is in place, use the paperclip to push the lug a bit deeper, to give you enough room to add the finishing screws. Use the flathead screwdriver to attach the 4 screws to the case. This time you are winding the screw to the right. “Righty Tighty.” Be sure to not over tighten the screw to the case. It should be fully flush, but take care not to strip the threading of the screw or the head of the screw.
These screws are a nice touch by AP. It secures the watchband to the AP timepiece in a way that few watch companies do. By having two screws on both sides of the timepiece, you can be sure that the watch band is secure and will not break off easily.
Knowing how to change a Royal Oak strap is one of the best skills you can have as a watch collector. You are well on your way to changing the look and feel of your collection with a simple change of the watchband. A simple color change, or upgrading to a vulcanized rubber strap will allow you to do things with your timepiece that you might not have been able to do before.
