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More secure watch band pins / springbars (lost both original ones in 12h, F6 Pro)?

KrapfenKringel
over 3 years ago

I use an elastic watch band, the downside is that this band can hold onto the spring mechanism and compress the watchband-pin so it opens.

I used this watch band for a half a year and it never happened, but it happend twice in one day now, first while carrying some stuff where I had to push my hand inside a sort of tube and it opened the lower pin.

Then later in the night it opened up the top pin while pulling my hand away from under the pillow. My first thought was, ok the non original replacement pin sucks (the lower one was lost during the accident earlier), but it was the other one that opened up, the remaining original Garmin one.

So what alternatives are there? A pin that needs more force or even a tool to move the spring, a pin that is smooth and give no attack points for a elastic band to hold on and pull it open (Garmin one is really easy to grip).

Has Garmin used these pins before? Its odd that both failed within 12h, maybe the springs lost tension somehow, did Garmin do tests? I noticed my old F5 has fixed pins.

Edit / Conclusion: 
- quick fit bands are probably fine
- elastic bands (like Nick Mankeys) can catch them-self in the grooves meant to release the spring-bars and pop them out if stretched in an unlucky angle
- replacement spring bars arrived, they show the same tension as the old one I got left, so I guess it was just bad luck having them pop out in such a narrow time-frame suddenly

- the F6 uses a very uncommon large pivot diameter (that's the term for the end of the bar that fits into the watch), so there aren't probably any alternatives to use
- on diving watches it seems to be common to replace spring-bars every 6 month (again quick-fit user should be fine as the quick-fit mechanism covers/protects the spring-bar releases)
- Garmin customer support has replacements to send out, but not all support employees know about this and my say "not we can't help", try again with a different one

- for elastic bands you might want to check if you could fit a tube over the spring-bar or use nail-polish to glue them semi-permanent and smooth out the grooves a bit with it

  • 0 over 3 years ago
    KrapfenKringel said:
    I use an elastic watch band, the downside is that this band can hold onto the spring mechanism and compress the watchband-pin so it opens.

    A non-Garmin band? 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to philipshambrook

    Yes a band that just wraps the pins directly, without the Quickfit mechanism. But that doesn't invalidate that those pins should stay in there securely. Or that it was fine for 6 months.

    It's a very basic system use for decades from many manufacturers, those pins have one job, to stay safely in there and they should be able to manage that. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to KrapfenKringel

    Strange.. mine are so stiff, i always chip a nail trying to remove them.... i would be shocked if am elastic band pinches and pulls them out. 

    Sorry, im no help. But something is fishy here..

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to KrapfenKringel

    All I can say is that I've been removing and replacing my Garmin quickfit bands from my watches without any issues or concerns about the pins.

    KrapfenKringel said:
    I use an elastic watch band, the downside is that this band can hold onto the spring mechanism and compress the watchband-pin so it opens.

    So, is this a problem because of the band rather than any defect in Garmin's spring pins? Perhaps it's taken 6 months for the problem to arise?

    KrapfenKringel said:
    Has Garmin used these pins before?

    Garmin's earlier watches had spring pins - 910XT, 310XT. Can't remember what the 920XT had but I've certainly never had any issues with the pins.

  • +1 over 3 years ago in reply to philipshambrook

    The best information I can give you, since the Fenix 6 was released, through all means that we are in contact with our customer base, I have not come across even one Fenix 6 series watch owner with an issue with their band pins.

    My gut instinct would be concern towards the 3rd party elastic band you are using with your watch.

  • +1 over 3 years ago in reply to Garmin - Chris
    Garmin - Chris said:
    The best information I can give you, since the Fenix 6 was released, through all means that we are in contact with our customer base, I have not come across even one Fenix 6 series watch owner with an issue with their band pins.

    Then it appears my outstanding request through Garmin Support has been totally ignored.

    Back in October 2019 I contacted Garmin Support in the U.S. by telephone and asked if I could purchase two spare 26mm spring bars for my fenix 6x Pro.  I am no newb when it comes to watch parts or parts suppliers, but I have been unable to find an aftermarket springbar that both works well with the Garmin Quickfit bands and fits snugly into the lugs on the watch.

    At the time, Garmin Support advised me that the springbars by themselvs had not yet been designated an "orderable replacement part" or some such designation and could not be supplied to me.  I was told they would advise me when the springbars became available for order.

    I have heard nothing from Garmin Support yet.

    So, as it stands now, if anyone loses one or both of the 26mm springbars that come standard on the fenix 6x Pro, they are out of luck.  There is no aftermarket replacement part that meets the requirements, and Garmin is unable to supply a replacement.

    do you have any info on replacement 26mm sprinbars for the fenix 6x Pro?  Any info would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Two ways that might resolve the issue:  Some finger nail polish dabbed onto the sliding prongs of the spring bar will keep them from sliding and can easily be removed with acetone.  Or find a thin plastic straw (perhaps from a spray can) and install it over the spring bar to act as roller. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to AndreiDracul

    Well it is a help, I can just press mine together without getting an imprint in my fingers. So they are definitely not ok. I don't even have to use my fingernails, I can just pull them out of the watch with my fingers very easily (no fingernails needed).

    Its good to know its not supposed to be that easy.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Garmin - Chris

    Well one user mentions it breaks fingernails removing them, mine are far from this in tension.

    Question remaining is, have they been this way from the start or did something happen. I started using my Nick Mankey strap in December, I remember already being surprised how easy I got them out (But didn't give it a thought because its my first watch with this system). But I never fiddled with them before. And now 5 month later both original pins failed in one day, thats odd and would suggest a further decline in spring tension.

    I was using the watch in salt water in October, maybe thats a bad thing for the springs?

    I have had ball point pens that give more resistance, don't know a better comparison.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 4543228

    Sounds good, but I lost one, so first I need to find one with the diameter that fits into the watch.