Saturday, 20 August 2011
Watch Band Remover - watch repair kit, watch tools
When I bought this little kit I was amazed by the price. So many little tools at such a low price is great--unless you can only use them once before your kit has a few broken tools! The only tool in my kit worth owning is probably the hammer; the pin tools for removing band pins are incredibly cheap and slightly oversized for most of the pin holes on my bands. All of my pin tools are now either bent or broken (the blue plastic pin remover is also broken). Unfortunately the list goes on...the knife is very soft metal and burred after a few watches. The screwdrivers are a joke as is the tweezer, the spring bar remover looks like a child ground the 'U'-end so it doesn't grab the bar properly. It's much easier to go to a good hardware store and buy some small drill bits and make your own pin tools---just use hardwood dowels for the handles--and buy some good tweezers, screwdrives, and some new smooth pliers, and you'll have a far better set of tools than this junk! 16 PCS Watch Tool Kit
I had actually only ordered the kit for the plastic watch band link remover. I have a Invicta Diver's Watch Model #5017 which closely resembles the Rolex model. I really take my time at doing things slowly and correctly. However, it took me less than ten minutes to push out four link pins with the link removal tool. It is that easy. Simply, line up the top of the pins with the pin remover and carefully turn maybe about three revolutions and instantly it comes out. Note that this Invicta watch had pins with fake screw slots on one side which made me even more careful. However, this proved to be for decorative purposes only since the pins themselves resembled tiny cotter pins which is essentially a piece of wire folded in the middle. I even used the knife case opener on my wife's twenty year old seiko with equal success. Again, this stuff is not Swiss made but in my opinion is a good starter kit which gets the work done correctly. The money I saved can be used for more expensive tools should I decide to choose watch repair as a second career. Also check out the microtools website. You will be amazed with their extensive product line and offerings.
These tools look just like the higher quality tools available from various watch manufactures and retailers, but they are not just like the higher quality tools.
Very cheaply made. Barely usable to size a band.
The micro Phillips screwdriver stripped out on the first attempt to use.
One of the pin punches bent double on the first attempt to use it. Lucky there are three of them.
Don't let the low price fool you, pay the extra $10 for the real professional watch tool set.
The product arrived promptly. Ordered on Sunday was surprised to see it in mailbox on Wednesday. Already opened two watches for battery replacement and shortened two chainlinks. The watch replacement and chain-link fixing is at least five each in our neighborhood. So I think the tool has already paid for itself and saved the trouble to go to the stores. The nearby Meijer store used to replace the battery at no charge but has stopped doing that lately. I do not have any expensive waterproof watches with screwed backs so I have not used that tool. But all the other tools came in very handy.
The tool quality seems fine. No instructions. So I had to figure out. I guess these tools are meant for people who know what they are doing. Learning was not difficult. By the time I reached the third watch, I knew fairly well how to use them. May be I am a slow learner.
I wish the tools had a storage box that came along, but no big deal. Next trip to Dollar Tree should solve that.
The candies were included in my shipment too like an earlier review had mentioned. Kind of reminded me of the old time neighborhood stores. Rather pleasant.
I've read many reviews on this item and as I can understand many people are not as careful or patient when using the "cheap" tools. The pins that break will eventually break after a couple of uses. The pin for the watchband link pin remover bent when trying to remove a pin because I didn't line it up straight. I carefully bent it back and used it 3 more times. It's still working so if you broke it you weren't patient or careful enough. They are delicate items regardless if they are expensive or not. I fixed 7 watches (4 Kenneth Cole, 1 Invicta and 2 Fossil for my wife) all with success and no tools or pins were broken. I changed the length of the metal bands and changed batteries easily and with no problems. The tools I used were the watchband link pin remover, watchband holder, thee spring bar remover, the 3 Pin punches (all different size pins), the metal and plastic hammer and the case knife opener. The other tools are just extras for an "as needed" basis. So for this price it's definitely worth the money. If you're impatient, careless and really don't know what you're doing then don't purchase this item. Pay for a watchmen ($6 minimum) to do the job for you......so then you can then complain about the amount you're paying for one watch to be serviced. - Watch Repair Kit - Watch Tools - Watch Case Opener - Watch Band Remover'
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