Ritche watch bands

[Packard]

I generally dislike changing watchbands.  The small pins and my arthritic hands do battle.  The hands win eventually, but not without some strong language and a good bit of frustration.

For that reason, I replaced my last watchband with a NATO-style band.  That is less challenging that conventional bands.  But that band wore out and I decided to get a neoprene band from Ritche.  (Note, not “Ritchie” but without the second “i” (Ritche).

The Ritche bands feature pins that are similar to a tiny spring loaded barrel deadbolt. 

You hook your thumbnail on the small protrusion and slide back the plunger.  Set it in place, and you’re done.  No pins to drop.  No tools required. 

See image below, the pencil points to the protrusion that retracts the pin allowing insertion.

There is nothing inherent to the design that makes it function better.  It does make installation easier, and the materials appear to be above average.

Two of my other watch bands needed replacement.  You can order from Amazon or direct from the factory.  Orders from the factory are shipped for free.  The shipments from Amazon ship for free too. 

The prices for either are the same. 

However, if I ordered two bands directly from Ritche, they would include the third for free.  I ordered from the factory.  It was only when I received notice that it was shipped, that I became aware that it was shipping from Mainland China. The bands arrived 8 days later.

I mis-ordered.  I measured the band width as 22.8mm and assumed that a 22mm band would be required.  Apparently I was supposed to order a 23mm band.

I wrote to Ritche asking if I could exchange them for 23mm size.  Two days later I received a notification that a credit was made to my Amex account for the full amount.  They are not asking to have the bands returned.  And I bought the replacements from Amazon, arriving on Tuesday.

I’m not sure how to rate the customer relations.  Clearly I was not hurt financially by this transaction, and I ended up with three bands that I did not pay for. 

In sum, better than typical watch bands with an easy-install that actually works.  Priced competitively. 

Be careful on measuring size.  Or order from Amazon. 

 

[squall_line]

My Garmin watch was my first foray into replaceable bands.  The "quick release" version is definitely aimed towards making the bands a fashion-forward accessory.

I have to admit, I gave in with one of my watches and ordered an olive drab band which doesn't stand out much when I'm wearing it with flannel and jeans.  I also found a stainless steel band with clasp, original Garmin OEM, on Amazon Warehouse for 40% off list which I gave in and grabbed to "dress up" the watch for shirt-and-tie occasions.

My gripe, with the Garmin at least, is that my $250-ish retail watch has $40 accessory bands, and my other Garmin watch has $50 bands (which I have yet to bother with any replacements, as I only wear it for sports and yardwork).  I don't have super sensitive skin, but sensitive enough that some of the cheaper rubbers out there will either wear out my skin or my skin will wear it out.  I haven't had much of an issue with the name brand bands so far (other than the price).

 

[Crazyraceguy]

That does look like a great idea, for everyone, fingers challenged or not.
I can't stand wristwatches though. I carried a pocket watch from my teens to mid-twenties, but never replaced it after being damaged. Beyond that my phone was good enough. 

 

[Packard]

I have two Citizen Eco-drive (solar—no batteries ever) watches.  An “atomic” version that automatically sets the time from radio waves, and a rose gold conventional version that I got as a retirement gift.  About $350.00 for either one. 

The “alligator” band was actually only embossed with the alligator pattern.  The leather is cracking where the embossing was.  A quick release band.

The other band is identical but spontaneously opens threatening to have the watch drop to the floor. 

I am replacing both with smooth leather bands from Ritche.  I will report once I get them (on Tuesday from Amazon).

 

[luvmytoolz]

That does look like a great idea, for everyone, fingers challenged or not.
I can't stand wristwatches though. I carried a pocket watch from my teens to mid-twenties, but never replaced it after being damaged. Beyond that my phone was good enough.

The guys at work thinks it's really weird I won't use a smart watch like everyone else! I only use automatics (wind up) and while I don't like wearing anything while working in the shed, I feel naked going out the house without a watch!

I am a bit of a watchaholic tho and have built up quite a few from ashford.com, fantastic watch suppler! ;-)

 

[Packard]

Update:  Suzi from Ritche (mainland China) sent me a note saying that they would refund the purchase price and suggesting I choose a 23mm size band.  The note arrived 2 days after the Amex notification that a merchant credit had arrived.

I really can’t fault the customer service, but ideally they would have written that they were adding guidance on measuring for the band size.  But all is good.

Apparently, they have a cost-effective way of delivering from China, but no such method for returning goods.  The 22mm is a popular size and I will hold onto these for future use.

I ordered one band from Amazon in 23mm.  If that works out, I will order additional bands directly from Ritche. I will know tomorrow. 

I used to wear battery powered watches exclusively.  My favorite is a circa 1982 “Museum Watch” from Movado.  But the price to replace batteries has skyrocketed (my last Movado battery cost $75.00), so now I wear just solar powered watches.

I did have a “kinetic” recharging watch, but you had to wear it 2 - 3 days a week to keep it charged.  The solar watches only need to be exposed to daylight to keep charged.  The solar is a better choice if you have more than one watch.

I have two “atomic” watches which sync daily with an atomic clock in Colorado.  The latest tech is a satellite (gps) watch which gets updated from a clock on a satellite.  It will also change time zones automatically, which can be handy.

 

[squall_line]

I did have a “kinetic” recharging watch, but you had to wear it 2 - 3 days a week to keep it charged.  The solar watches only need to be exposed to daylight to keep charged.  The solar is a better choice if you have more than one watch.

I have a Seiko Kinetic that I purchased in either 2000 or 2001.  That particular model uses the weight to charge a capacitor or other battery-type object which eventually loses its ability to hold a charge, even if worn regularly.

I replaced the capacitor/battery once; I stopped wearing it after I moved to a remote position job and it has since stopped holding a charge again.

There exist storage cases that will slowly rotate to keep self-winding watches charged (you know, when you have multiple multi-thousand dollar watches that you need to rotate through), but since I'm not wearing or collecting that type of watch, I haven't bothered.

 

[luvmytoolz]

I did have a “kinetic” recharging watch, but you had to wear it 2 - 3 days a week to keep it charged.  The solar watches only need to be exposed to daylight to keep charged.  The solar is a better choice if you have more than one watch.

I have a Seiko Kinetic that I purchased in either 2000 or 2001.  That particular model uses the weight to charge a capacitor or other battery-type object which eventually loses its ability to hold a charge, even if worn regularly.

The Seiko kinetics I found quite disappointing and haven't worn them in years as they seemed to require an inordinate amount of wrist movement to keep adequately charged, which can be hard working in an office. I've bought a number of Bulova automatics over the years though that I couldn't be happier with in every way!

 

[Packard]

If you are tempted to replace a watch battery at a shopping mall kiosk, never do it in the summer.  The humidity in the air will be trapped in the air-tight watch case.  You might see condensation in the watch or it might just be enough to corrode the innards. 

You are safer in the winter when the humidity is low.  But keep the watch warm before handing it to the tech so that there is no condensation on the cooler surfaces. 

If you send it back to the factory, they will change the battery in a humidity controlled room.  So no worries there.  But my last factory battery cost $75.00.  So battery powered watches (except solar) are not on my buy-list. 

 

[Packard]

Update:

The 23mm band arrived last evening.  It showed up in a tamper-evident zip-lock bag designed for retail display.

I had already removed the old band when the earlier band had arrived. 

The entire installation process, including removal from the zip-lock bag, took about 1 minute and required no tools.

The leather seems nice; the stitching looks precise.  The unique installation method requires no tools and no small spindles to handle. 

So far, a recommended purchase.  It only remains to be determined if it is durable. 

 

[luvmytoolz]

That's a very nice dial on the Citizen!

 

[Michael Kellough]

I love the convenience of an easy installation, especially when there's no need for tools. The leather and stitching seem promising too. Now, you've got me curious – have you ever explored unique finds at a Pawn shop on Oxford Street?

[member=79496]obaibullah[/member]  where is Oxford St.?

 

[Cheese]

My favorite is a circa 1982 “Museum Watch” from Movado. 

That's a good looking watch & watch strap Packard. That particular strap for under $25 seems like an incredibly good deal. It'll be interesting to see how well it holds up. Factory "luxury watch" straps start at the $200 level and then go up from there.

FWIW...within the world of watches, watch bands made from metal are referred to as "bracelets" while leather, nylon or rubber bands are referred to as "straps".

If you like the look of that Movado Museum Watch, and I certainly do, it's a classic design that goes back to 1948, Movado produced Museum watches in the 70's and 80's that had mechanical movements. It simply needs to be wound daily...no batteries ever.  [big grin]

The watches were available as gold plated or solid 14K gold. You can easily tell the difference by looking at the watch crown. The crown on the plated watch is just a simple, common looking crown with a Zenith logo while the crown on the solid 14K version contains a blue sapphire cabochon stone.

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Here's the difference in watch casebacks, plated vs 14K solid.

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And here's the manual wind movement manufactured by Zenith...pronounced Zeh-nith. Zenith is a Swiss luxury watch maker that's still in business. They still produce the El Primero movement that was used by both Ebel & Rolex for their early, automatic wind chronographs.

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An interesting factoid and read is that Swiss Zenith (Zeh-nith) Watch was once owned by American Zenith (Zee-nith) Electronics.
https://grail-watch.com/2021/03/03/the-fall-and-rise-of-zenith-1969-1988/

 

[Packard]

The Citizen watch shown in my post above is an “Atomic” watch, which gets updates each evening from an atomic clock in Colorado.  The movement is guaranteed to 30 seconds per months, so about one second per day.  But since it gets updated daily, it is never off by more than one second.  It was the state of the art when I bought it several years ago. 

It has been more or less left in the dust by the satellite version which since it is GPS enabled continuously updates and and sets the time zone too.

But Citizen uses a 23mm wide band, which is sort of an oddball size, as most are 18, 20, 22, and 24mm.

Also, I have had issues with the bands from Citizen.  Though leather, they included a bracelet type clasp which would release unexpectedly (and frequently).  Also, the “alligator” bands were embossed with the patterns.  If I had to guess, the dark lines were the result of a heated embossing tool.  The leather cracks at the embossed lines. 

My Movado watch, bought new in 1980 for (as I recall) $325.00, has a very slim case.  I have seen genuine Movado watches lately with a much thicker case.  It looks distinctly inelegant by comparison with the original versions.  Perhaps they are making an economy line, which would explain the thicker case. 

As for the durability, that will take time to determine. 

If you are certain of the band size, and can wait one week for delivery, Ritche offers special deals when you order direct from the factory.  Otherwise, these are available from Amazon.com and arrive in 1 to 3 days. 

For me, however, the ease on installation is a good selling point.  If the bands hold up well, I will probably buy from Ritche in the future.

If anyone wants to look, this is the link to their site: https://ritchewatchbands.com/

 

[Packard]

Correction:  The Citizen watch I pictured earlier is in rose gold and was a retirement gift.  It is not an atomic watch.

The image below is an atomic watch, and I am not sure what the finish is supposed to be.  It seems like chrome with a yellow-ish cast to it. 

 

[Charles959]

Some of the nylon straps sold by Shinola have a quick release, which is mentioned in the "Details" part of the description.

 

[Cheese]

Some of the nylon straps sold by Shinola have a quick release, which is mentioned in the "Details" part of the description.

Ya, Shinola is an interesting alternative, located in Pennsylvania...New jersey...or New York? It really is a sad situation because the US watchmakers in the early 1900's, were extremely well positioned to achieve world market share because of their large manufacturing scale capabilities. That's not unlike the US firearms manufacturers position, at the same time, because of their capability to produce parts that were interchangeable from one firearm assembly to another. Machine one part to proper specifications, and it will fit in any assembled item.

The Swiss on the other hand were hand fitting/honing a single part to fit a particular assembly. Consequently, each assembly needed a uniquely machined part in order to function properly. The final assembled watch functioned perfectly but it cost 10X what it should because of the hand fitting of critical parts.

 

[Packard]

The way I heard it it was winter work for farmers.  Each farmer made one component on a Swiss screw machine (automatic lathe), and then the pieces were collected by the manufacturer for assembly.

The very small components and similarly small machines made this possible.

And here is why watchbands are so expensive:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Bve6rn4D9go

 

[Packard]

If you don’t hear from me here, then the bands are still fine.  I have three watches that I wear (but just one at a time).  So it may take a while for a durability report.

 

[Michael Kellough]

That is another bot Packard. Interesting that this one is also touting the same pawn shop in another country. Seems they haven’t learned to consider the op’s location.