Traditional vs Quick Release Spring Bars - Which Is Better?

A humble component that is often overlooked in the watch world but important nonetheless and plays a far bigger role than many people realise. But which variation is the best, traditional or quick release? Let’s find out.

Starting off right at the beginning, a spring bar is a small tube of metal usually less the 2mm in diameter that has a tip at each end connected by a spring that runs through the tube. The tips are able to be compressed to allow them to fit in between the lugs of a watch and then expand to fit within the pin holes on the inside of the lugs. With a strap attached to the spring bar, it’s this little component that keeps the watch secured to your wrist.

Before we get into the differences between quick release and traditional spring bars it’s important to acknowledge the truth that not all spring bars are made equal. We have spent years ensuring that the spring bars we put in our straps and sell as accessories on the website are of the highest quality. How can a spring bar be high or low quality I hear you ask? Well, just like any product, the material quality makes a difference. Our spring bars are made from 304 grade steel making them highly corrosion resistant. The design of the shoulder and tip can make a difference to how easy they are to fit and remove. Our design has a longer tip than most for more secure fitment and a larger shoulder for easy removal.

To kick of our head-to-head let’s start with the old faithful. Traditional spring bars can only be compressed by pushing the tip inwards meaning that you will often need a spring bar tool to attach and remove them from a watch. You will need to use one of the forks on the tool, the large flatter one is good for leather straps and other soft materials, the smaller fork is best for bracelets, but I find it works well for all strap types.

More Secure in Extreme Use – Some watch wearers will choose traditional spring bars because the design is slightly more secure than quick release bars. This is especially true when using fat or heavy-duty spring bars as many people do on dive watches for added security. While there is only a small difference in the real-world security between the two types of spring bar, those that push their watches to the extreme may choose the ever so slightly safer option.

Wider Compatibility – Another thing to consider is that most straps do not have the slot to allow quick release spring bars to fit. So, if you’re looking for a spring bar that will fit all straps that you own then the traditional is probably the best option. Here are some of the benefits of traditional spring bars.

Cleaner, Classic Look – This is of course very subjective, but some people will prefer the cleaner and more traditional aesthetic of a watch with traditional spring bars and no holes in the back of the strap. For me, personally it makes no difference, when the watch is on you have no way of telling what type of spring bar it is and I don’t tend to spend a lot of time staring at the back of my watches!

The overall design of the quick release is very similar to that of the regular, bar one feature. A small tab that allows the user to compress the spring with just their fingernail. These are the benefits of quick release spring bars.

Tool-Free Changes – The biggest upgrade over traditional spring bars. The tab that compresses the spring rather than using a tool, or knife if you’re risky. This turns a several minute job into one that takes a matter of seconds and simplifies the process of changing straps by a considerable margin.

Encourages More Regular Strap Changes – And because it’s so easy, you’re more likely to rotate straps for your watch. We’ll be the first to tell you that this is great for changing up the feel, look and comfort of your watch!

Lower Risk of Scratching Your Watch – Kind of goes without saying that not waving a sharp pointy metal tool around your watch while holding a strap in the other hand does reduce the risk of scratching it. That’s not to say that you can’t scratch your watch with a quick release bar, because you can, it’s just a lot less risky.

Convenient for Travel – The lack of needing a spring bar tool means that you don’t have to carry one around with you. This is an important one for me, having the ability to switch straps easily while on holiday is important. My IWC tends to be my travel watch and I can quickly switch it from a rubber strap for snorkelling to a leather for dinners in the evening helping to make the watch my perfect travel companion.

More Accessible for Beginners – Changing a strap with a spring bar tool is tricky and something it took me a while to get good at. This can put people off wanting to change their straps and so a quick release option makes changing straps more accessible to those with less practice.

To an extent it is down to personal preference. Some people may feel that the cleaner look and added security of traditional spring bars is better while others prefer the practicality and convenience of the quick release option. Objectively, the quick release option is better due to the added functionality, but some people may prefer the more traditional look of regular spring bars, especially if they don’t change their strap out very often.

The key is to decide what features you want from a spring bar and go for that. If you’ve found this guide useful. We have many more guides which can be found through the link here.