A new watch almost never fits straight out of the box. Metal link bands are sized for an average wrist, which means most people need to remove a few links before the watch actually sits right. The good news is that this is one of the easiest adjustments in watchmaking, and you can usually do it at home in under twenty minutes with a cheap tool kit. This guide walks through how to figure out how many links to remove, the tools worth buying, the actual step-by-step process, and when it’s smarter to just let a jeweler handle it.
Why metal bands need adjusting in the first place
Stainless steel link bands, like the 22mm band on the Al Awaal, are shipped with enough links to fit a fairly large wrist comfortably. That’s intentional — it’s much easier for a brand to send extra links than to guess your exact wrist size and risk sending a band that’s too short. It also means almost everyone who buys a metal-band watch needs to remove at least one or two links before wearing it for the first time.
Leather and rubber straps use a buckle, so they adjust instantly. Metal bands are built from a chain of solid links, so getting the right fit means physically taking links out. It sounds intimidating at first, but the mechanics are simple once you understand what’s holding the band together.
Know your band type before you start
Not all metal bands come apart the same way, and this is the step people skip. Before you touch a tool, look closely at the underside of your band and figure out what you’re dealing with:
- Pin-and-collar links: each link is held by a small pin (sometimes with a collar or friction sleeve) that pushes out from one side. You’ll usually see a tiny arrow or dot stamped near the pin showing which direction to push.
- Screw links: instead of a pin, each link is held with a tiny screw. These need a small screwdriver rather than a pin pusher.
- Spring bar connections: some bands attach the clasp or end links with spring bars rather than pins running through the whole band. These come apart with a spring bar tool rather than a pin pusher.
If you can’t tell which system you have, don’t force anything. A quick look under a bright light with a loupe or your phone’s zoomed-in camera usually reveals which type you’re working with. When in doubt, a jeweler can identify it in seconds.
What you’ll need
For a standard pin-and-collar band, a basic watch link removal kit costs around €5–10 online or at a hardware store, and it’s worth having even if you only use it once. A typical kit includes:
- A pin pusher tool (sometimes a small hand-held press, sometimes a simple punch and hammer set)
- A few spare pins in different sizes, in case one bends or gets lost
- A soft cloth or a block of wood to rest the band on so you don’t scratch your table or the case
You’ll also want good lighting, a flat surface, and a small dish to keep the removed links and pins together so nothing rolls away.
Measure first, remove second
The biggest mistake people make is guessing. Before you remove a single link, measure your wrist properly — our wrist measuring guide walks through it in detail, but the short version is: wrap a soft tape measure (or a strip of paper you then measure with a ruler) snugly around your wrist where you’d normally wear the watch, and note the circumference in millimeters.
Once you have that number, put the watch on as it currently sits and see how much excess band is hanging past where you’d want the clasp to close. Each removable link on a typical band adds somewhere between 6mm and 9mm of length, depending on the design, so you can estimate how many links to pull before you start. It’s always better to remove one fewer link than you think you need — you can always take out another one, but putting a link back in means redoing the whole process.
The two-finger fit rule
Once the band is roughly the right size, use this simple check: with the watch clasped and sitting where you’d normally wear it, you should be able to slide two fingers between the band and the top of your wrist with a bit of resistance. If two fingers slide in with room to spare, it’s too loose. If you can barely get one finger under, it’s too tight. This small buffer matters because your wrist changes size slightly throughout the day.
Removing links step by step
This method covers the most common pin-and-collar style band. If your band uses screws or spring bars instead, the general logic is the same but the tool changes — a small screwdriver for screw links, a spring bar tool for spring bar connections.
- Lay the band flat on a soft cloth or block of wood, with the section you want to remove positioned over a gap or edge so the pin has somewhere to go once pushed out.
- Find the direction arrow stamped on the inside of the link. Pins are almost always designed to push out in one direction only — pushing the wrong way can jam or bend the pin.
- Line up the pin pusher with the pin and apply steady, gentle pressure. You’re not hammering it out violently — a slow, controlled push is enough to work it free.
- Once the pin is most of the way out, separate the two link sections by hand and set the loose link and its pin aside together in your dish.
- Repeat for however many links you calculated you need to remove, working evenly if possible — for example, removing links from both sides of the clasp rather than all from one section, so the clasp stays centered on your wrist.
- Reconnect the shortened band by pushing the pin back through the aligned links until it sits flush, then check the fit using the two-finger rule before wearing it out.
If a pin ever feels like it’s fighting you the whole way, stop. Forcing it risks scratching the band or bending the pin so badly it won’t seat properly again. That’s your cue to switch to the next section.
When to just go to a jeweler
There’s no shame in skipping the DIY route. Most jewelers and even some shopping mall watch kiosks will remove links for a few euros, and it takes them a couple of minutes with tools they use daily. This is genuinely the better option if:
- You’re not sure which link system your band uses
- You’ve tried and a pin won’t budge without excessive force
- You want a screw-link or spring-bar band adjusted and don’t own the right tool
- You’d rather not risk a scratch on a new watch you just spent money on
Bringing the watch already measured (using the wrist measuring guide above) makes the visit faster, since you can just tell them how many links to remove instead of them guessing on the spot.
Don’t throw the links away
Every link you remove is a small, valuable piece of your band. Keep them in a labeled bag or the original gift box compartment if your watch came with one. There are three good reasons: your wrist size can change over time and you may want to add links back, a watch with a full original link set generally holds more resale value, and loose links are a nice touch if you ever gift the watch to someone with a different wrist size.
If you have any doubts about your specific watch, our FAQ page covers sizing and care questions we get most often, and it’s worth a quick check before you start.
Frequently asked questions
How many links should I remove from a metal watch band?
It depends on your wrist measurement and how many links are already on the band, but as a rough guide, each link adjusts the length by roughly 6-9mm. Measure your wrist first, try the watch on with the current band length, and remove one link at a time, checking the two-finger fit rule after each removal rather than pulling several out at once.
Can I resize a watch band without buying any tools?
If your band uses pin-and-collar links, you technically can improvise with a thin nail and a small hammer, but it’s easy to slip and scratch the case or bend a pin. A proper €5-10 pin pusher kit makes the job much safer and faster, and it’s reusable for future adjustments or other watches in the house.
What if I remove too many links by accident?
As long as you kept the removed links and pins, you can simply push a link back in and reconnect the pin the same way you removed it. This is exactly why it’s worth keeping every link and pin together in a small dish or bag while you work, rather than setting pieces down loosely on the table.
Does the Al Awaal watch band use a specific quick-release system?
The Al Awaal comes with a standard 22mm stainless steel link band. Before adjusting it, take a close look at the underside of the links to confirm whether your unit uses pin-and-collar construction or another connection type, since that determines which tool you’ll need. If you’re ever unsure, a local jeweler can identify and adjust it quickly.