Fratello Goes Hands on with the Komfit, Klip, Beads of Rice, and Rivet Bracelets

In a recent article, FratelloWatches delved into five of Forstner's most popular universal bracelet designs: the Komfit, Klip, 7- and 9-Row Beads of Rice, and Rivet bands.  Anyone looking for tips on how best to pair these bracelets would be well-served by taking a look!  

Now, for some background on the bracelets that Fratello spent time with:

The Komfit, Forstner's flagship bracelet, is a proprietary design originally developed and patented by Forstner in 1939 (originally as the Komfit Military Type design).  The Komfit was one of the first bracelets that could be resized without the use of tools, simply by sliding the locking mechanism along the length of the bracelet and fixing it in place once the correct fit was reached (hence the name, Komfit). 

As many enthusiasts are aware, the Komfit band played a part in some of the most historic events of the 20th century, including the Apollo missions, during which the bracelet made it to the surface of the moon.  

Forstner offers the Komfit in several configurations.  The classic Komfit is true to the original design from the 1940s, and is available with either a straight end piece or a horned end piece, just like Forstner offered way back when.  While the classic Komfit is among our favorite bands of all time, Forstner also created a more contemporary version of the bracelet with a wider central mesh portion (18mm vs. 16mm on the classic Komfit).  The Wide Version Komfit band is also offered with the choice of a straight end piece or a horned end piece, like the classic Komfit.   

The Klip is another band from Forstner's mid-20th century catalog, debuting in the 1940s with the same design Forstner uses today, including the alternating finish and push-button clasp.  Like the Komfit, the Klip band can be easily resized without tools, and was another very early entrant in the category of tool-free adjustable bracelets.  

One of the coolest features of the Klip is that it can be attached to fixed lug bars, like those on CWC watches (and many vintage pilot watches), as shown below.  

The Forstner Klip, although an historic band, is made with contemporary proportions in mind, being 18mm wide at the central bracelet portion, and is offered in sizes 18-22mm at the end piece.  More information on the Klip's dedicated page linked here.  

Forstner's 7- and 9-Row Beads of Rice bracelets, like all of Forstner's universal fit bands, are based on historic designs from the mid-twentieth century.  And yep, Forstner made these back then too (in particular, Forstner's successor Jacoby Bender), albeit in a much narrower width to accommodate then-current sizing preferences.  

The beads of rice, in general, is considered by many to be one of the most classic bracelet designs of all time, and was affixed to some of the most sought after vintage watches ever made, such as the Patek Philippe Ref. 130, shown below:

But why did Forstner make two versions (actually three, considering that Forstner also offers a 5-Row Beads of Rice as well) of the beads of rice band?  Pretty simple:

The 7-Row beads of rice is made with vintage proportions in mind, having a 16mm wide central bracelet portion and end pieces in widths from 16mm-20mm.  This is for all the vintage enthusiasts out there, and it is just as charming as you'd expect for a vintage-inspired design.  

The 9-Row Beads of Rice band, on the other hand, was made with more contemporary portions, having an 18mm central bracelet width and offered in sizes ranging from 18-22mm at the end piece.  It's absolutely gorgeous, and pairs well with just about anything.  

The Forstner Rivet Bracelet is another classic mid-20th century design originally from bracelet maker Gay Freres, who was possibly the most influential bracelet maker of the 20th century.  Their credits are too long to give proper justice to, but you can thank them for the Oyster and Jubilee bands (for Rolex), as well as the Ladder bracelet (for the Zenith El Primer), among many others.  They were so successful, in fact, that they were purchased by Rolex.  Forstner (or, more accurately, its successor Jacoby Bender), was lucky enough to manufacture many of these styles on behalf of Rolex and others for the United States market.  

So what's special about the Rivet band, aside from it having a great design?  Among other things, the Rivet bracelet was the precursor to the Oyster.  Forstner's version of the Rivet band recreates its first iteration - a non-tapering three link design secured by real rivets.  The Rivet bracelet evolved into many iterations, including a 5-link design (soon to be available from Forstner), a tapered design, and, ultimately, the Oyster bracelet with no rivets.  

Forstner's version of the Rivet band comes in two configurations: one in which all links are expandable (stretch links) just like the vintage version, and another with solid links.  Forstner's solid link Rivet band, though, has a little secret--we included one stretchy link behind the clasp so that the bracelet can expand on the wrist as needed without having to resize via the micro adjustment on the clasp.

Finally, Forstner's version of the Rivet band was made with contemporary proportions in mind, having an 18mm wide central bracelet portion, and is offered in 18mm-22mm end piece widths.  

Wish the Rivet were made with vintage proportions?  You won't have to wait long!  Forstner is soon releasing a 5-link Rivet band with the classic 16mm bracelet width.  Stay tuned for the announcement, and thanks for reading!