Stainless steel watch bracelets

Bracelet styles

An oyster bracelet has three wide, flat links per row. It is the plain, sturdy choice for dive and sports watches. A jubilee has five smaller links per row, so it flexes more and catches more light. Beads of rice is an older pattern with rows of small rounded links, soft on the wrist and very much a vintage look.

Mesh is the other family. A Milanese mesh is a fine, flat weave that looks smooth from a few feet away. A heavy mesh uses thicker steel wire for a chunkier look that suits dive and sports watches. Both slide to size at the clasp, so you never take a link out. A bonklip-style bracelet is an open ladder of steel links with a clasp that slides along it; it is light, a little rattly in the best way, and pairs well with vintage and field watches.

Lug width and end links

Every bracelet here is sold by lug width, the gap between the lugs of your watch in millimeters. Match it exactly: an 18 mm bracelet slides around between 20 mm lugs, and a 22 mm one will not fit between 20 mm lugs at all. Not sure of yours? Measure it with a ruler or find your watch in the chart on the watch bands page.

The end links are the pieces that meet the case. Straight end links fit any watch with the right lug width and leave a small, even gap between the case and the first link. Curved end links follow the shape of the case for a closed, factory look, but they only sit flush on cases with a matching curve, so read the fit notes on each product page before you order.

Sizing a bracelet to your wrist

Link bracelets come long and size down. Hold the bracelet around your wrist with the clasp centered underneath, count how many links have to go, and take the same number out of each side of the clasp so it stays centered. Most links come out by pushing a pin or a split pin out in the direction of the arrow on the inside of the link; screw-pinned links need a small flat screwdriver. A link removal tool makes the job easier, and a watch shop will do it for a small fee.

A bracelet should leave room for one finger between the steel and your wrist. Wrists swell a little in summer heat and after exercise, so if you sit between two sizes, pick the looser one. Many clasps also have micro-adjust holes for the last fraction of an inch. Mesh bracelets skip all of this: open the clasp, slide it along the mesh and close it again.

Clasps

A butterfly clasp folds out from the middle and leaves an unbroken line of links on the outside of the wrist. A fold-over clasp with a push button or a safety latch is the classic dive-watch setup and the easiest to open with one hand. Mesh bands use a sliding hook, a magnetic end or a fold-over clasp that clamps onto the weave.

Fitting and care

Bracelets attach with spring bars, the same way as a strap. Push the spring bar in with a spring bar tool or a thin blade, line it up with the lug holes and let it snap into place, then give the bracelet a firm tug to check both ends. Our fit guide walks through it step by step.

Stainless steel needs little care. Rinse it in fresh water after swimming in the sea or a pool, and now and then scrub between the links with a soft toothbrush and warm soapy water to clear out skin and dirt. Brushed steel picks up fine scratches with daily wear; that is normal and part of how a bracelet ages.

Delivery and returns

Delivery is $6.95, or free on orders over $49. Most orders arrive in 6 to 14 days, and the delivery time for your country shows on each product page and at checkout. You can return an unworn bracelet in its original packaging within 30 days of delivery. Return shipping is paid by you, unless the item arrived faulty or incorrect. Details are on the delivery and returns page.