Well this followed a link on the bargain hunters thread over a month ago, but in the end, I had to get it elsewhere - it's been quite a saga.

In the meantime I was tempted by the 300 Bronze, and also by the Marloe Pacific 66, but the order for this had already been placed, and I had already bought and received this strap in this picture.

It's an Oris Aquis Ti, weighing 113gms on the bracelet. I didn't have a titanium watch, and this is just so light. I bought this strap, not Oris, to provide a splash of colour, so the bracelet will rest in the box for a while.

I've always liked the Aquis and watched the prices steadily increase over the last few years, but as much as I like the green version, I haven't got a titanium watch, and the grey will be more versatile I think.

Thanks also to @missF for some words of encouragement along the way.

Looks fantastic. Grey on titanium is a winner. And you can brighten it up or down with various straps, as you have done. Well - get on with enjoying it

That’s a beauty! Enjoy!

In passing, changing the bracelet by unscrewing a pin is a nice way of avoiding lug scratching, but it looks like it's also a real deterrent from regular strap changing. I've just ordered a black one like this orange one though, about £25 from AliX, compared with £250 for the genuine article.

I was quite surprised when it wasn't a long pin screwing into a drilled lug, and it turned out to be like a double ended screw system, except that one end effectively works like an immovable nut, so I get a tiny screw (with a funny torx end) screwing into a threaded tube.

Many a Watch God raise their ale filled gourds in salute to your fine a$$ pick up...they all give it 2 spears up!!..

JAFO wrote: ↑Mon Jul 17, 2023 7:02 pm In passing, changing the bracelet by unscrewing a pin is a nice way of avoiding lug scratching, but it looks like it's also a real deterrent from regular strap changing. I've just ordered a black one like this orange one though, about £25 from AliX, compared with £250 for the genuine article.

I was quite surprised when it wasn't a long pin screwing into a drilled lug, and it turned out to be like a double ended screw system, except that one end effectively works like an immovable nut, so I get a tiny screw (with a funny torx end) screwing into a threaded tube.

Looks great and titanium is a great choice, a proper tool watch. These wear considerably smaller than the dimensions would suggest because of the short downturned lugs and their thinness, and to me feels like a c. 41mm watch.

I’ve not seen the AliX straps. What are they made of and what sort of clasp/deployant do they come with? The OEM strap is expensive but it’s absolutely beautiful real rubber with the best glide-lock style deployant I’ve personally experienced. I was lucky to pickup one used, but unworn, together with tool, spare spring bars and screws. It was still quite expensive but well worthwhile in hindsight.

I like the strap fastening system, you’re never going to experience a spring bar failure with it. Your wrist will break before it’ll come off.

What tool are you using to unscrew it? It’s not a torx screw head, rather what’s termed a triwing. A torx screw head has slots that are deeper and end in a point whereas a triwing screw head is more shallow with a squared off end. I’ve read accounts of the triwing screw head being ruined by trying to use a torx screw driver in them…

Thanks. I just bought an inexpensive Chinese strap. It might be fkm, but it might be silicone, although it's not picking up lint. The clasp is a cheap pressed folding clasp, but the extra strap is hidden, as with a Bader clasp. The Oris ones are very expensive aren't they.

The strap is quite long, but I don't really want to shorten it, unless I have to. I had to use a Stanley knife to trim the back of the strap slightly though as it wouldn't go far enough into the lugs initially. The black blue and orange straps cost under £25 with VAT. They have red and a couple of other colours for a bit more, probably £50 including VAT. I just searched Aquis 24mm strap. I've just ordered a black one as well actually. I don't think the blue one would be a good match.

I just said Torx, but I bought the correct 2mm Tri wing from Ali X. That's fine, although I put a bit of film over the screw head so nothing got scratched. I was surprised to see how the screw head was designed though.

There's no glidelock. There's about 8 holes about 5mm apart, with an analogous design to a Bader strap, if you need to adjust it.

There's a pair of bracelet pins on eBay for £60 at the moment.

Does this picture help?

@timor54

Here's the end of the tool I mentioned. It's the correct flat end, as you noted.

Congratulations on the new Aquis-ition.

JAFO wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 1:21 pm @timor54

Here's the end of the tool I mentioned. It's the correct flat end, as you noted.

IMG_20230718_114149108_HDR~2.jpg

This is the Oris tool which is 2.5mm.
And for information this is the Oris deployant showing the glide-lock in the middle of the 5 positions which has a total extension range of 2cm.

@timor54

I thought I read that the correct tool was 2mm and that's what I got. I put a bit of film over the screw so it didn't scratch, and that was fine.

That deployant with the extension looks really good, and I have no doubt it's a great strap, but £250 is a lot for me. A CW Cordovan at £125 is my most expensive strap. If I saw a red one in a sale that might be a different matter.