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Mille Miglia: How to change strap on butterfly clasp?

Plaasbaas

IWC-hoarder and PAM-hunter
Supporter
Certified
4/4/21
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Hi everybody,

I seem to be too stupid to detach the strap from the butterfly clasp of my Mille Miglia.
There is a srewdriver slot at one end of the metal pin, but the pin won't come out,
and obviously I don't want to force it.

Is there some trick to it? Suggestions? Any help would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.



Without strap it's supposed to look similar to this:
 

DrHack

Active Member
10/8/20
345
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SoCal
I don't know why there's a screwdriver slot, but to me it looks like a press-fit pin. I don't see any threads on your last photo.
 

Plaasbaas

IWC-hoarder and PAM-hunter
Supporter
Certified
4/4/21
2,664
6,086
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DrHack Thank you. I can turn it a bit with a screwdriver but it won't go far and it does not come out.
I also tried to just push it out to one side or another, but it won't budge, only a few millimeters. Then I
thought that the pin could be held in place by a little screw, pushing against it from the side through the
loop where the pin goes through, but there is no screw that I can see either. I'm really puzzled.
 

DrHack

Active Member
10/8/20
345
240
43
SoCal
I bet that the metal holding the pin in the clasp is tight. Do you have one of those pin removal tools? I'm guessing that's what will work here. They're cheap, here's a photo I grabbed:
 

Plaasbaas

IWC-hoarder and PAM-hunter
Supporter
Certified
4/4/21
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DrHack Thanks again, yes I have that tool! I will try this weekend (gently). Good idea.
 

Kingpin32

Horology Curious
24/8/21
15
1
3
It is an actual screw. My strap was a bit short and I wanted to replace it. After a great deal of trying to unscrew it. I tried using a tool to push it through. Still didn't work. I pushed just enough of the slotted part out of the strap. Took a pair of pliars and started twisting. Surprisingly it came out quite easily. I think the issue with this clasp is that slot for the head of the screwdriver is not deep enough to get the torque necessary to break free the initial turn.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk
 
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Plaasbaas

IWC-hoarder and PAM-hunter
Supporter
Certified
4/4/21
2,664
6,086
113
Germany
It is an actual screw. My strap was a bit short and I wanted to replace it. After a great deal of trying to unscrew it. I tried using a tool to push it through. Still didn't work. I pushed just enough of the slotted part out of the strap. Took a pair of pliars and started twisting. Surprisingly it came out quite easily. I think the issue with this clasp is that slot for the head of the screwdriver is not deep enough to get the torque necessary to break free the initial turn.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk


That makes sense, thank you. I am gonna try again according to your advice. So far I was unable to unscrew it and it's lying unused in the drawer ever since.
 
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