How To Remove Links From Fossil Watches Quickly

I believe you all might be familiar with fossil watches, if not let me tell you that “Fossil” is a popular wristwatch brand that has numerous watches for every taste. Selecting a wristwatch for yourself could be difficult, with so many brands and models on the market as well as on online platforms. All those brands are enough to make your head spin.


However, Fossil is the brand that keeps popping up everywhere when it comes to watches. Wherever you go shopping, you will surely see this name. People who are fond of fossil watches know how reliable and long-lasting these watches are.

How To Remove Links From Fossil Watches

No watches in the world come in one true size. There are always variations in the fitting depending on the size of the wearer. Well, this is not something that cannot be fixed. With the correct tool and method, you can resize the fossil watch band and end up wearing the most comfortable automatic watches.

This is what you will learn in this article i.e how to remove links from fossil watches and how to adjust fossil watch bands.

Tools to remove watch link

Aforementioned, fossil watches come in a variety of bands. Each part of that band is interconnected with the help of a “link”. To shorten the band or to get your desired fit, you have to remove links from the fossil watch.

It’s not that without tools you cannot remove fossil watch links, you can. But, tools make the process easier and quicker for you. Thus, I recommend using the below tools. These fossil watch tools can be purchased online or from any watch repairing store.

  • WATCHBAND BLOCK HOLDER:
WATCHBAND BLOCK HOLDER

Fossil watch band adjustment gets easier with the watchband block holder as this holder lets the watch sit properly while you adjust, repair, or remove links from the watch.

  • Pin punch:
PIN PUNCH

This is a device or tool used to remove stubborn pins from the watch. These are metal pins that are designed in a V-shape to prevent its tip from slipping around the watch. Fossil watch band pins are easier to remove when you have a sturdy holder and a set of pin punches.

  • Watch hammer:
WATCH HAMMER

These are watch hammers having one soft side and one metal side. Jewelers and watchmakers use this hammer to adjust the size and shape of the object. Similarly, you can use this hammer to do your fossil watch adjustments. This is a great tool to have on your workbench if you are looking for a truthful method on how to take out watch links.

which link to remove?

How to remove links from fossil watches? Before diving straight to this question’s answer. You must first decide which link you need to remove or how many links you have to remove to get your true size. There’s a small trick to tell this.


Follow the below steps to know how to make links out of a watch band.

  • Step 1: The first thing you have to do is wear the watch on your wrist.
  • Step 2: Tighten the band to the level of your choice.
  • Step 3: Once you are satisfied with the way it fits your wrist.
  • Step4: Gather the links which seem extra and need to be removed.
  • Step5: Take someone’s help to gather the extra part of the band while you see or analyze how many links are gathered together. 
  • Step6: The loose hanging links will indicate to you how many links you have to remove.
  • Step 7: If you are not able to accurately detect the number of links to be removed, then simply remove one link less than you expect. This is because it is always easier to remove one extra link after you have removed the first link whereas it is difficult to add one extra link back in. Thus, I recommend removing one less link from the band. 
  • Step8: Take off the watch and start removing links from a watch that you decided on removing.

Removing links from a watch gets easier when you know the exact number of links to be removed. I am sure now you know how to take links off a watch or how to add links to a fossil watch.

How to remove links from fossil watches?

Fossil wristwatches come in different sizes and styles. Fossil watches with leather or nylon straps are easier to fit or detach. But, that is not the case with metal wristwatches. They do not fit easily. Thus, they always need to be adjusted with the help of fossil watch tools. If you want to know tricks on how to resize a watch at home or how to remove watch pins and links from the fossil band, keep reading ahead.

Now you might think that there’s just a single procedure on Michael kors watch link removal or fossil watch link removal. But, no. Although the links used in each type of metal wristband are the same, the pins they use are different. Some links are connected through screw pins and some through split pins. Thus, the procedure will vary based on each pin link type.

Let's quickly check step by step process on how to remove a link from a fossil watch for each link type.

  • Hairpin links

How to remove links from a watch band with arrows? Hairpin links usually have one arrow, thus the procedure must be this; 

HAIRPIN LINKS
  • Tools used: Hammer, bracelet holder, pin punch.

METHODS:

  • Place the watch band in the holder. Make sure the arrow is pointing downwards.
  • Take the punch tool, with the help of the metal end of the hammer, hit the pin until the pin is out.
  • Once the pin is out, separate the links and repeat the same process for another link.
  • Once you have removed your desired number of links. You must fix the bracelet back.
  • Put the bracelet in the holder. This time make sure the arrow is facing upwards.
  • Hold the links together and insert the pin inside the tiny holes in the bracelet.
  • Use the soft side of the hammer and drive the pin or force the pin until it gets back to its original position. 
  • Pin & Tube links

How to make the watch smaller? Simple, by removing the links in them. But, here the links are pin and tube type. This type of band does not have any arrows. So, how to remove watch links without arrows? To see, you must follow the below procedure. For removing links from fossil watch you will need the following tools.

PIN & TUBE LINKS
  • Tools used: Hammer, punch, bracelet holder

METHODS:

  • Place the watch on the holder.
  • Run the punch tool into the link to be removed.
  • Using the metal end of the hammer, remove the pinout of the bracelet.
  • Remove the first link and continue removing the next link following the same process.
  • Once all the desired links are removed, insert the tube and hold both sides of the watch band together.
  • Hold the links tightly and insert the pin back into the bracelet.
  • Drive the bracelet back into the holder. Use the silicon end of the hammer to firmly drive the pin into its original position.
  • This is how you can remove watch links without arrows.
  • Smart pin links

How to remove watch links without tools? Well, if they are split pins then you don’t need any tool. All you need is a small screwdriver. Follow the below steps by step procedure to remove watch links without tools.

METHODS:

  • Place the watch on a plain hard surface.
  • Get a screwdriver that is small enough to reach the watch’s pins.
  • Once you loosen up the screws in them, use your fingertips to expose both sides of the link. Now, take the screwdriver and move the pin out completely.
  • Repeat the process until all the links you’ve decided to remove are out.
  • Screw pin links

Do you want to know how to make a watch smaller removing links having screw pins? Follow the below procedure.

SCREW PIN LINKS

METHODS:

  • Decide the number of links to be removed.
  • Once decided, carefully lift the left side of the link between the fingertips.
  • Take a screwdriver and drive it into the right side of the link. To remove the link from the right side, you have to move
  • your screwdriver in an anticlockwise direction i.e towards the left side.
  • When the screw starts raising, loosen the grip on your screwdriver and try to loosen it slowly until the pin comes out completely.
  • Repeat the above process on the left side of the link as well. This is the process to make a watch smaller by removing links.

There are other methods too if you want to learn how to make a watch smaller without removing links. But, if you want to know how to remove links from a fossil smartwatch then the methods I have mentioned above will work just fine.

How to put the watch band back together?

Mere removing a link from a watch is not the objective here. You have to put the watch back how it was before. See, how you can do fossil watchband adjustment or resizing fossil watch band. 

How To Put The Watch Band Back Together?
  • When it’s time to adjust the fossil watch band, you first have to put the watch back in the bracelet holder.
  • Make sure the arrow is facing upwards.
  • Pins must go the opposite way similar to how they came out.
    Insert the pin back in the hole.
  • Do not drive the pin forcefully. Use a little bit of hammering to fit it back in the hole.

This is how you can put the watch band back together. The process takes time but it would save you from a trip to a watchmaker.

Additional tip 

  • Setting Time & Date
SETTING TIME & DATE

Setting the time and date after fossil watch band link removal because the procedure sometimes could change the previous settings. Here’s the procedure you must follow;

Set the time:

  • Pull the crown out to its maximum capacity.
  • Turn the crown in the clockwise direction to set the current hour and minute hands.
  • Drive the crown to its original position.

Set the date:

  • Pull the crown a little bit out.
  • Again turn the crown clockwise and set the current date.
  • Drive or return the crown to its original position. 

Setting time and date is not as tricky as taking links out of fossil watch. Thus, do it immediately after you are done removing fossil watch links.

How to add links to a fossil watch?

If your fossil watch band links are removable. Of course, there would be a space for adding links to fossil watches. If you have the correct tools you can successfully add links to the watch band but if you are looking forward to removing watch links without tools then that is not possible. The only choice you have is to take it to the jeweler or the watchmaker.

Conclusion

The procedure to remove links from fossil watches is tricky but if you have the right tools and patience you can do it yourself. I hope you have understood how to take off watch links easily. You have to be extremely careful while handling the pins. If you follow the steps I mentioned you can successfully remove links from a fossil smartwatch.

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