Glidelock Clasp - is it me, or is this junky?

[Mark9117]

Spent a fair sum of money at a TD on a SubC recently. The watch is terrific. The clasp seems to be less so.

It's the same Glidelock clasp that all subs are showing up with these days:

I sized the bracelet after I got it and the clasp seemed loose, a little insecure, but folding the security lock on it held it just fine.

I recently cleaned the bracelet and gave it the baby oil treatment, and since then, the catch on the clasp has been even less positive and the Glidelock mechanism wouldn't hold -- the slide moved out to the fat open position every time I tried to fasten the watch on my wrist.

I tried to fix it and learned an awful lot about the construction of the mechanism, but I was unable to make the Glidelock fasten more securely. I wound up taking another couple of links out of the bracelet and it fits pretty well, but the adjustment offered by the (over-engineered?) Glidelock mechanism is lost.


Anybody else experienced this? Is there a solution?

Thanks.

Mark

 

[alistairw]

Yes, a few people have discussed this same issue across a few of the watch forums.
One solution suggested, which I tried and works is to gently bend the sides of the clasp in from bottom edge.
Use a cloth to protect the metal finish ousted a small vice so had good control over the bending amount (0.5mm- hardly any).
When completed it should make the slide lock harder to move up and down, which is your current problem..
Good luck.

 

[alistairw]

Ousted = I used a

 

[Bonesey]

Take the clasp off the bracelet and wash in hot soapy water with a toothbrush. You don't lube the clasp, only the links because the lube makes it too easy to open.

Sent from my HTC Desire S

 

[boostin20]

I know the rep clasps can have their quirks, but I think the glidelock is heavenly. I hate the non-glidelock of the older subs. (rep or gen)

 

[maily]

I have exactly the same issue with mine driving me insane as i love the watch otherwise!!

Will washing it in soapy water with a toothbrush help stiffen it up now?

 

[Bonesey]

Well no, that's was just advice to remove as much of the oil treatment previously performed.

Sent from my HTC Desire S

 

[Mark9117]

Well, I cleaned it up as best I could and the latch latches better, but the glidelock is still totally bogus. I will just size the bracelet and ignore the mess of technology that is the glidelock.

Thanks folks!

 

[JaeRSr.]

Wow I thought it was just me!
I got two sub-cs. With one the glidelock is incredibly difficult to open. With the other the glidelock won't stay adjusted, keeps loosening.

Sent from my awesome Galaxy S3!

 

[Mark9117]

I'm seeing some indications on the intertubes that this is also an issue with some gen glidelocks. Of course, when you take it to your AD, they just replace it under warranty.

I think this thing is seriously over-engineered and has a higher rate of failure than one might expect.

Just my opinion.

 

[tr573]

I'm the one who figured out bending the sidewalls in fixes it. It may also be a fix to remove the half links so that you're pulling the final full link into the glidelock instead, as someone in my thread on RG noted that the full links seem to be a bit wider.

The key is that you want whatever is in front of the glidelock mechanism to be tight between the walls of the clasp, so that it doesnt pull up easily - if it does pull up easy, it will pull the actual mechanism up ever so slightly which is enough to make it come unlocked on these new BP factory bracelets. They are built differently from the older ones which had a much bigger "lip" going down into the clasp grooves, and would not budge unless it was fully raised/unlocked.

Hope this helps!

 

[boostin20]

Speaking of bending the sidewalls a hair, I did that on a LV sub-c because of this issue. I sold it on RG stating to the buyer what I did to fix the clasp, and he still bitched when he got it.

 

[Mark9117]

I tried bending the clasp sides and wound up with a crease in one side. It's not bad but it didn't fix it and it still works just like it did. I'm done "fixing" this. I just sized the bracelet so that it fits and gave up.

These bracelets (not just the Rolex reps, but the Omega's as well) are busting my chops. I have always liked my watches on leather. I'm leaning even more heavily that way. I have also discovered that NATO straps, in casual setting, are pretty terrific as well.