Tips for Repairing a Watch Band with a Laser Welder

One of the more common watch repairs is the repair of the link and hinge pins. Most of the time, link pins on watches are pressed together and then are pushed into place. Through normal wear and tear the pins can crack or break, relieving the pressure. Since the pins do not have the pressure to hold them into place, they can work their way out. Sometimes the hole in the link becomes worn and will not hold even a new pin.

Tacking

Simply push the pin back into place slightly below the surface and tack with one laser shot; this will be more than enough to hold the pin in place. It will also give you the capability to drift the pin out of the band if the watch needs to be resized. The trick here is to make sure the repair cannot be seen. To accomplish this, the tack must be made below the surface of the band link.

Hinge pins can be repaired much the same way as a link pin. If the pin is stubborn and will not drift in, you can lightly tap the pin in with a hammer to get it to slide into place. Holding the band in your hand, bend the band at the hinge and tack weld the outside hinge to the pin. Then turn the band over and repeat the welding process again. There should be little or no clean up.