A funny phenomenon happens with watch collectors. We often go through cycles deciding whether we LOVE a watch or just LIKE a watch. It can take time to “gel” with a watch and this process is not always immediate. After the so-called honeymoon period wears off, we are often faced with the realization that we are not wearing our new watch as much as we thought we would. Perhaps this is because we watch collectors love the hunt or maybe we are fickle creatures always looking for the next big thing to own. Or maybe the timepiece has not yet been personalized to match our individual ย style. Sometimes, the perfect solution is just a STRAP SWAP away.
Changing a leather watchband to a metal bracelet for the Airboss Mach 6
Rarely do I completely love a factory strap that comes with a watch. Admittedly, they are usually good quality, but hundreds or thousands of other people around the world have the same exact watch. Some watch collectors want to be individuals. Changing the watch band is one way that watch wearers get to express themselves and show a little personality. For men watches are some of the few accessories where we have some freedom to explore interesting strap and watch combinations. I explore this concept in a series of articles that I call STRAP SWAP.
I have owned this particular Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 6 for many years, and it has had a fair amount of wrist time. The so-called “oxblood red” dial is a showstopper. The watch is on the larger size at 45 mm, and the red dot on your wrist might make you look like a World War II Japanese zero on the dive. haha. Victorinox Swiss Army designed the black bezel to visually diminish the bulk on the wrist and it works. This is especially important for gents with smaller wrists like mine who don’t want a saucer-sized watch poking out from under our sleeve.
The original leather strap for the Airboss Mach 6 is actually quite nice.
A real-world view of the Airboss Mach 6 “Oxblood”
The black strap with white stitching is a great match
The Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 6 is seen throughout the Watch Hunter Instagram account. It is usually seen with my two constant companions, Zach and Zoey. They are are fun loving critters and the first to tell me if a leather strap smells “played out!”. From the looks on their faces here, it looks like it’s time for a STRAP SWAP.
Wrist time spent with my two favorite buddies
Zack is thinking 2:00 is a great time for a snack!
The Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 6ย came with an excellent leather strap that is well made and comfortable. It has a deployant enclosure that allows the wearer to set the size by locking the clasp into one of the appropriate sizing holes, of which there are many. The wearer can put on or take off the watch in seconds using the push-button clasp, which is convenient. I really have no complaints with this system and the style of the wristband works great. But, I still was not wearing the watch as much as I should.
Victorinox Swiss Army has nice deployment clasp hardware for a comfy fit.
Watch collectors are often influenced by other people’s watches that they encounter. When I was writing an article about the rare blueย Airboss Mach 6 Limited Editionย (see below), inspiration hit. I noticed that the owner had fitted a metal bracelet to his Airboss Mach 6 LE and it looked fantastic! The robust 5-link bracelet really increased the visual heft of the watch and removed the unsightly gap between the lugs when a leather strap is used. It increased the actual heft too because metal bracelets are always heavier than leather straps.
The Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 6 family of watches comes with 2 sets of holes in the lugs for accepting both leather straps and metal bracelets. It would not be a surprise to Swiss Army that a bracelet would fit these watches because they designed it this way. The bracelet was probably available as an option. It’s just that you do not usually see the Airboss Mach 6 for sale with a bracelet very often. It would be a rare combination, especially now because you can no longer buy the bracelets from the company.
My inspiration for the strap swap was my pal’s Swiss Army Airboss Mach 6 LE on a Swiss Army Bracelet. Photo: westsiderkg
I already owned the bracelet, having removed it from a Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 4. The watchbands are interchangeable between these watches so it would cost me nothing except a few minutes of effort to try to swap the leatherย for metal links. I decided to try the same thing with one of my Airboss Mach 6 watches. You would think that this would be straightforward, but I ran into a hitch almost immediately. The spring bars that fit snuggly in the OEM watchband were too fat to fit into the bracelet that had smaller end link holes. Uh oh…
Fat versus skinny spring bars
The local shop would have sold me two spring bars at the correct size, but it it was going to cost $15. I was about to gladly pay those when I found two loose 1.4 mm spring bars that fit! Woohoo! I used my digital calipers to make sure they were the right width and thickness. This tool is invaluable for watch collectors. In case you were wondering, the thicker spring bars measured only .4 mm wider, but it was enough to prevent me from using them.
Calipers take the guesswork out of measuring small objects like spring bars! 1.4 mm was the correct width.
There is an annoying issue that can happen when installing the bracelet. The solid end links have a notch that must mate with a slot on the watch. As sexy as that sounds, it can be a pain toย get everything to line up. Having the proper spring bar tools and patience is key to fitting a bracelet. If you miss it the alignment, the end link can flap about as seen below! Luckily, I was able to push it into the locked position without taking it back off of the watch…
Make sure the end link is seated into the alignment notch or you will get this!
The result is as good as I suspected it would be. This braceleted Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 6ย looks amazing and has a different character than it did when the watch was on black leather. It is more of an extrovert than an introvert, that is for sure. Some people might call it blingy because it brings more attention to your wrist. You cannot help but look at the watch.
Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 6 on a bracelet
The appearance is more muscular and masculine. If you ever thought that the original leather strap looked too delicate or dainty, then fitting a bracelet could solve that issue. This combination is undeniable.
The bracelet gives the Airboss Mach 6 a powerful stance
I experienced an unexpected consequence of installing the bracelet. Bracelets do not always fit as well as a leather watchband because adjusting a bracelet is done by adding or removing links. It can be tricky to get just the right fit. Make it too tight, and it feels like you are wearing a shackle. Make it too loose and it becomes a jangly mess that looks sloppy. Luckily, this bracelet has decently sized links an even a few half-links that let you fine-tune the fit. Because some watch bracelets do not have micro adjustments, they can sometimes feel tighter or looser throughout the day as your wrist expands or contracts. It’s best to find an average size to fit the bracelet to cover both ends of the spectrum.
Almost all the links except one were removed for my thin wrist
I plan to keep myย Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 6 “Oxblood” on the bracelet from now on. These bracelets are not easy to come by in the wild or atย my favorite strap and bracelet source for Victorinox Swiss Army, which is Reflections of Infinity in the U.K. Apparently, they are no longer available from Victorinox Swiss Army. You might have to find a loose bracelet or buy a donor Airboss Mach 4 ( Model 24045), which uses a bracelet (modelย 001146). Unlike many simple endeavors to customize a watch, this one will take some effort and time. Good luck upgrading your Airboss Mach 6 with a stunning bracelet! It will be worth it!
