Watch Band - Snap-fit - Easily Resized

This is a 3D printed watch band (watch strap) (bracelet) that uses snap-fit links. As such, it can be easily customized to fit any wrist. It isn't just for watches. You can use it with anything you wear around your wrist, as long as it uses standard watch bars for the band to attach to.

The largest version of the watch band requires less than 19 g of filament. And that includes two extra links.

Two widths are included: 22 mm and 20 mm. I am also including an adapter (in the 20mm print profile) that will let you use the 20mm watch band with watches that have 18mm lugs.

The bands uses standard spring bars (double-flange spring bars) or quick release spring bars in the appropriate size.

Apple watches are great, but odd, in that the fancy connector (known as the X206 assembly) is more high tech than it may appear. I haven't seen a decent connector that is compatible with Apple watches and also 3D printable (they don't snap into place reliably). If you know of one, let me know! Because of this, I recommend that you use adapters that make a proper attachment to your Apple watch and provide adapter holes that can accept common spring bars. These adapters are available in lots of places. But here are some links to get you started .

Three lengths of watch band are included:

- Small - about 150 mm long - Medium - about 165 mm long - Large - about 180 mm long This is the length of the band only, with the clasp closed. It does not include the length of your watch (or whatever else you may attach to your wrist).

Sizing Tips

You need to know how big your watch is by measuring the space between the lugs (where the spring bars attach). Then add the circumference of your wrist, and adjust for how tight or loose you like to wear your watch.

As an example, my wrist is about 181 mm around. The lug-to-lug distance for my Apple watch is about 45 mm. But I actually found the Medium size band (165 mm) most comfortable. So there is some slack in there. For my wrist, about 29 mm of slack (165 mm band plus lug-to-lug distance of 45 mm equals 210 mm, minus the circumference of my wrist) was most comfortable. It isn't simple enough to measure and go. But the length of the watch band is easy to adjust. See below.

You can easily print some extra links, and then remove them one by one until you get the fit you like. The links are cheap to print!

Clasp

The watch band includes an excellent 3D printed clasp that is adapted from Printschnitzel.at's fantastic 3D Printed Watch . I created the other parts myself.

By printing extra links, you can make the watch band as large as you want.

- Each link adds about 5 mm to the length of the band. Because the links snap together easily, it is simple to adjust the length of the watch band to fit your wrist perfectly. Each print profile includes two extra links in case you need to add some length to your band. The filament cost for these extra links is about 2 cents. So it is easier to print them at the same time as you print the rest of the band. If you end up not needing the extra links, recycle like you do with your purge waste (or you can skip the objects when you print). Print more if you need more.

Given that the links snap together, they can also come apart. The design was calibrated to be strong enough to hold tight in normal usage, but still be customizable. For this reason, it is important that your printer be well calibrated. Otherwise, the links may not hold tightly enough. If you scale the model too much, that will affect how strongly the links hold to each other.

After printing, let the watch band cool completely. The links may be stiff, depending upon which material you use. Start pivoting each link and it will loosen up (unless you print with PLA, see below).

Obviously, this watch band is 3D printed. As such, every print is unique, and may have imperfections as a result of the printing process. I have tried to remove the rough edges and make it nice looking. Your choice of build plate makes a difference to how it (mostly the underside) looks and feels against your skin.

The print profiles have ironing turned on, using settings that work well for me with high speed or rapid PETG. When I tested those settings with regular PETG and PLA I also got a decently nice surface. But if you are unhappy with the way your watch band turns out, you may want to turn off or adjust those settings.

The watch band was designed for PETG. The snap-fit nature of the links requires them to temporarily deform and then return to their original shape. PETG is good at this. Normal PLA is not so good. If you print in PLA, you may also find that the links bind themselves together too much, and don't loosen up well after printing. But you may be able to work through that with your slicer settings. I particularly like the result I got with Bambu PLA Tough+. It flexes just enough to snap links together and pull them apart.

You may find that the links are a little tight after printing. In most cases, they will loosen up if you try to rotate them a little. If that doesn't work, try this: Increase the X-Y Hole Compensation setting from -0.03 mm to -0.05 mm. That should fix it.