I haven't seen an image of the Speidel "Twist-O-Flex" bracelet in ages! They have evidently quit advertising & I didn't know that the company still exists. I have a very old one, at least 50 years old, which is still fully functional & the stainless steel does not show significant wear or any other sign of age. Thank you for this video!
I have it on my smartwatch. It does feel cheap but the engineering behind it I am amazed at. I love it and wish more higher end bracelets had this functionality.
I think stretch bracelets don't get the love they deserve... I just recently saw an ebay listing for a Seiko turtle 6105 "Captain Willard" that happened to be fitted with a 16mm stretch bracelet with 18mm spring lugs. I Liked the look so much I bought a similar 16mm speidel, fitted it with 22mm curved spring lugs and put it on my Seiko turtle SRP777 and I have it on as I type this. I'm thinking it will also look good on the Bulova lunar pilot chrono I see on my horizon ;).
I love these straps. They are light, they don't pinch you, they don't rip the hair off your arm, and they can be worn just tight enough that they watch does not slide or flop around as it always seems to do with metal link bracelets. It's not expensive-looking jewelry, but it just works. It is my choice for an everyday watch.
I have a Stainless steel Speidel band from the 70s or 80s, they were made in usa then and are of much higher quality than the ones made today. I wasn't aware they made a Alloy metal band by Speidel
Nice vid! Interesting note, X-15 pilots were issued Accutron astronaut watches by the Air Force. They switched out their band too but used these Spidel's. Also, Gordon Cooper requested a Spidel on his Speedmaster and was approved.
Interesting choice of bracelet. I wouldn't have thought that an expanding bracelet would have suited a Seamaster of that vintage, however the band you have chosen looks really good on it. I don't know how popular expanding watch bracelets are in America, however they seem to have gone out of fashion almost to the point of extinction here in the UK and I don't even know whether you can buy them anywhere, except online. Do you think that there are any signs of them making a come-back? You never know, you might be setting a new trend! I know of a German-based company which also manufactures quality expanding bracelets - the company is Rowi and their line of expanding bands is "Fixoflex". They are slightly different in construction to the Speidel ones and I think that they are slightly chunkier in terms of thickness which might suit your heavier Seamaster better. Might be worth checking them out.
I wish more people enjoyed expansion watch bracelets. The main criticism I hear from people are that they pull on your hair and pinch your wrists, but I've worn them for a long time and I have never experienced this problem. In terms of popularity, my local jeweler still has a Dispel display with expansion bands, if that means anything, lol.
Good vid. As you were not alive when these bracelets were popular in the 1960's, you should know the correct pronunciation: It is pronounced: spy-dell' (emphasis on the second syllable). I believe the name is German in origin. "EI" makes a long "I" sound - like "eye." Other, excellent! Keep at it!
I think it looks great i love the way it looks like its not made for the watch, and they hold a watch firmly, and not to tightly this depends if you adjust it correctly also get the right size for your watch lugs if you re fitting one with spring loaded bar holders sand them down to the correct size for the watch lugs, this also makes the watch band centralize on the spring bar fittings. As for them ripping the hairs out of your arm i was told i had hairy arms they don,t pull on mine must be the way i size and wear the band.
I was wearing Speidel (pronounced Spy-Dell btw) bracelets back in the 60's they were horrible then, and horrible now, all they do is pinch the hairs on your arm and wrist.
