An Enicar Beads of Rice bracelet thread - previously named "Just in from Jakarta"

Joe_A

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This popped up on FB and I decided to take a chance and see what I got . . .

And this is what showed up in about a week or so:

Enicor-BOR-082520-1.jpg

The clasp is in pretty good shape:

Enicor-BOR-082520-2.jpg

I have to admit that, when it comes to these BOR bracelets, I don't know much.

So did I do OK?

This will likely go on my Mk III when it returns from RGM with the new central hands in place of the old painted hands.
 

jbcollier

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Sherpa
Good question. Some say the inside of the clasp should also have the Enicar-in-Saturn logo — I have seen both with and without. They all seem “period” but am not sure myself.

I can say the beads of rice bracelet is one of the best looking and most comfortable straps ever made. Should look great!
 

Joe_A

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I haven't made a deep dive of this rather esoteric topic, but from what I have seen, when the raised logo does not have Enicar spelled out, then the clasp may have a ridge line parallel to the edges on each long edge as seen above. When "Enicar" appears spelled out on the front of the clasp, then there may be no ridge lines.

I've seen just the "100% stainless steel" on some bracelets as well.

I like the feel of it, but I haven't installed it yet.

The clasp itself isn't made as well as a modern double-locking replacement would be made, but it should look good on either of my Graphs.

I see people's assumptions about vintage watches and accessories being corrected or self-corrected all the time as new discoveries are made and old assumptions are challenged.

What if an item that is 50 or 60 years old had just as many after-market accessories made for it 40 years ago as were made directly for the OEM?

Borrowing from Yeats and bending the meaning: how can we know the dancer from the dance?
 

Joe_A

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I renamed the thread for a reason . . .

As I have stated, I don't know all that much about Enicar BoR bracelets, and it occurs to me that, perhaps a broadening of the scope and appeal of the thread may invite others to share what they know.

Feel free to contribute.

After acquiring a white car or a certain breed of dog, we've all had the experience of noticing, or paying more attention to, white cars or dog breeds.

When I saw the BoR bracelet go up for sale recently, I did a quick look around to see whether purchasing it may be a satisfying experience. Nico up-voted the FB post so that was a good sign. Since then, I have begun to look at other instances where an Enicar BoR bracelet has been mated with a Sherpa Graph. Alas, I see no evidence that offspring have resulted. ;)

But let's broaden the thread even further.

So far, I am seeing that BoR end-links come in 19 mm, 20 mm and 22 mm widths. The one I have just bought has 20 mm end-links.

The arc of the portion of the link which meets the case must be shaped to accommodate cases that are either 36 mm, 40+ mm or larger in diameter to accommodate a Sherpa Guide.

From what I have been finding, some of us who have Graphs have acquired bracelets with end-links that were meant for smaller cases.

Here is a photo of a watch not owned by me that appeared recently in a "WRUW today" thread elsewhere:

1054030-b494280ec786d8645a49a59d1710322c.jpg

The clasp is a bit different from mine, but what they do have in common is that the arc of the end-link appears to have been meant for a 36 mm watch case such as for a Jet or a Dive.

Here are my two end-links after a bit of reshaping or fettling as the Brits call it:

End-link-1.jpg

End-link-2.jpg


Clicking on the images will enlarge each.

A couple of things are obvious . . .
  1. The arc of the end-links suggests they were meant for a 36 mm watch.
  2. Even a beautiful watch put under such close scrutiny fairs about as well as Scarlett Johansson or Alicia Vikander would after a night of heavy drinking and not yet having got out of bed. It's a pure guess, of course.
  3. I haven't had a manicure in a long time!
  4. I'm not wearing white cotton gloves.
Levity aside . . .

I haven't checked yet for how the end-links will sit when the springbars are in place. That'll come next.

If all looks good, I may adjust the arc to accommodate the larger watch case. If I do so, I'll show the result and how I got there. I intend to polish the end-links and the clasp lightly, but the bracelet itself needs no attention other than examining the pins and the springbars more closely for possible replacement.

In the meanwhile, if anyone wishes to participate in this thread, please do!
 
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jbcollier

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Sherpa
I have “adjusted” end links in the past. I use a large drum sander on a dremel. Works well. Go slowly as there is no going back from “too far”. You can also loosen loops the link sits further back.

All this I have done for user watches. Mint watches I would just keep looking until the right end links came along.

AFAIK, beads of rice end links also came in 18mm.
 

Joe_A

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Thank you JB,

I have a 7 x 16 lathe in my workshop. I was thinking about making an arbor or drum and then gluing fine wet-or-dry to it perhaps starting with 600 or 800 and ending up with 2000 grit.

I wonder whether it is worth the bother?

Looks pretty good to start:

SG1D-BoR-082920-1.jpg

SG1D-BoR-082920-2.jpg

Outdoors on an overcast day . . .

SG1D-BoR-082920-3.jpg

I won't wear the watch with this bracelet until I can replace the springbars in the clasp as they are very worn. I.D. of the clasp is 16 mm and the pins should have a nice shoulder on them and have a pin diameter of at least 1 mm with 1.5 mm being preferred.

I'll order them from Esslinger.

The bracelet feels pretty good, but it has no safety feature on the clasp and it does not feel as safe as a leather strap and deployant clasp.

I may overcome my nervouseness eventually. :)
 

jbcollier

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Enicaristi
Sherpa
My concern would be with the ill fitting end links marking the case. Not a big deal with my user oriented watches but you’d want to be careful with a genuinely nice watch — don’t worry, I have a few of those as well ;-)
 

Joe_A

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My concern would be with the ill fitting end links marking the case. Not a big deal with my user oriented watches but you’d want to be careful with a genuinely nice watch — don’t worry, I have a few of those as well ;-)

Spreading the contact points between the end-links and the watch case is a good reason to take the time to fit the arc of the end-links to the case.

That's what I will end up doing. I just needed a nudge. ;)

I will most likely end up using the bracelet for my Mark III Graph which I use more as a daily driver.

I just ordered the full-shoulder spring bar pins I'll need to beef up the clasp.
 

Joe_A

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After removing the bracelet to get ready to rework it, I noticed a couple of very small scratches on the watch in an area which cannot be seen.

Upon close inspection the end-links could not have contacted that area, so the little scratches must have been there all along and gone unnoticed.

The arc represents a 38 mm diameter, neither machined or forged for a 36 mm watch nor for a 40 mm watch. I am wondering whether this arc dimension is deliberate so as to confine any marks to the area immediately adjacent to the lugs in a place that cannot be easily seen?

Adjusting the arc of the end-link so that the contact is spread out almost guaranties marks where they may be more easily seen.

I'd like to get a consensus from the more experienced - or "crowd (small crowd) source" how to handle this. I may take the discussion over to FB as well.

Also . . .

How does one remove a couple of links in an Enicar BoR bracelet?

The bracelet is obviously pinned at the links, but the pins are driven home and polished over so that they hardly can be separated out.

One way to shorten the band would be to bend a row of beads and remove them, but the beads opened to reassemble the bracelet may be a challenge to close tightly.

So far, this bracelet has lived it's life without having been stretched.

Edit: Added a couple of photos of the outer edges of the bracelet. The pins are clearly there but they have been polished over, most likely at the factory where they were made.

BoR-083020-1.jpg

BoR-083020-2.jpg
 
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hurmen

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Sherpa
Looks like your bracelet is constructed like the good old Gay Frères bracelets. As far as I know, you can’t remove the pins without destroying the links. The only way to remove links is by bending the beads.

I’d like to buy one of these Enicar BoR bracelets some day. But I’m hesitating because I’m not sure what to look for regarding originality.
 

Joe_A

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Looks like your bracelet is constructed like the good old Gay Frères bracelets. As far as I know, you can’t remove the pins without destroying the links. The only way to remove links is by bending the beads.

I’d like to buy one of these Enicar BoR bracelets some day. But I’m hesitating because I’m not sure what to look for regarding originality.

It seems as though you may be correct, hurmen. As you see in the OP, I do have some spare lugs with which to experiment if I so choose, but I do not see pushing the pins out as an easy thing to do without causing damage.

This is a cropped copy of a photo from a post made by Luca Valbonetti in the past hours over at the FB Enicar Sherpa International page where he is a moderator:

Luca-Valbonetti-bracelets.jpg

Luca is obviously a collector and he has some very nice and pristine pieces in his collection.

The bracelet in the foreground appears to be identical to the one I just purchased. I would suppose that it may be more desirable to have both the logo and the name appear on the clasp, but these bracelets do not come up for sale publicly very often and so I bought the one available rather than to wait for one that has been elusive.

Did anyone catch the faux pas in my photos of the watch with the bracelet above? I first put them together with the split in the beads showing at the end-links. :)

Opening the beads should be easy. Closing them tight is a bit more challenging, but I'll post new photographs at some point when I have put the bracelet on the intended watch.

Cheers.
 

JimJupiter

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Like Hurmen said, you have to bend the beads. Awful work, but since I just have 16.5cm wrist size..I got used to it :D

Good Luck!
 

Joe_A

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Sherpa
Like Hurmen said, you have to bend the beads. Awful work, but since I just have 16.5cm wrist size..I got used to it :D

Good Luck!

Thanks Nico,

My wrist is about 17.2 cm and the band that I now have actually fits fine on the very tightest setting on the clasp adjuster. The guy who wore it before me may have been a big guy. ;)

I can live with it the way it is, but I was considering trying to get it to center on the clasp.

I'm learning as I go.

This thread may encourage people to share their experience, concerns, advice, etc.

I won't even attempt to knock out any of those pins. :)
 
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