No watch tools? A Swiss Army Knife might help.

DISCLAIMER: Do this at your own risk. If you scratch/destroy your watches, don't blame me!

Lets face it - we love our watches, but not all of us are experts in fixing/servicing them. We ordered the tools online, but how much do we really use them? Most of us really use them for the following purposes:
1. Changing straps
2. Resizing bracelets
3. Opening case backs to take pics of the movement (we wouldn't dare touch the movement).

So out of all the tools out there, we would use the following:
Mallet, case back opener, springbar remover tool, pin punch, screw driver and a link remover.

Now I didnt have any of them untill I finally ordered a 16 pieces tool kit from eBay for $10, but I was still able to do most of the stuff without one. How do you ask? I did it all with a Swiss Army knife (SAK), a free strap changing tool that I got with a watch strap and an ordinary paper clip.


Let me elaborate:

1. Changing straps: Ok, here, I admit I was using a spring bar remover which I received for free with a strap I ordered and then got one in the tool kit. So really its the same. For screw bars, we can use this nail filer -

Screw driver from the took kit

SAK nail filer
See how thin it is? Perfect for changing strap on a Panerai or in my case, a PAM homage.

2.) Resizing bracelets: Not all of us buy watches directly from an AD and therefore at times we have to resize the bracelet ourselves. For that we require these tools:
a) A link pin remover

b) A mallet

c) A pin punch (seen at the other end of the springbar remover tool)

Now how can the Swiss Army knife help here?
a) Use your fingers to grip the watch and you a paper clip to push the pin out(link pin remover)


b) A mallet - see how we can improvise and use the SAK here as a mallet?

c) A paper clip can be used for a pin punch.


3. Opening Casebacks: Here is one of the the case back remover tool from the tool kit (for non screw down casebacks). The SAK too has a thin and sharp knife that can be used to open casebacks.

Who knew a SAK could be so useful for us WISes ;) ?