The Forstner Beads of Rice Bracelet

The Story

The beads of rice (sometimes called a grains of rice bracelet) is one of those quintessential watch accessories that belongs in every collection.  Once made by Jacoby-Bender in the mid-twentieth century, the beads of rice style bracelet was provided with some of the most storied watches of all time (stainless steel Patek Philippe chronographs come to mind), and for good reason.  The bracelet exudes a subtle elegance that completely transforms the look and feel of your watch over a more typical leather strap.  While it's great with virtually any vintage watch, the beads of rice works equally well with contemporary dress (or cross-over dressy/sporty) watches.  

Details

The Forstner Beads of Rice recreates the look of the vintage JB beads of rice, with some key updates.  The bracelet is beautifully finished in alternating polished and brushed stainless steel -- a finish that flows from the clasp, to the beads, and the end piece itself.  The links are solid stainless steel (unlike the previous hollow link options), and the length is adjustable in two ways: first, links may be removed by screws (instead of the more common pin system); and second, the length may be adjusted in micro-increments via the clasp.  The screw removal system is adjusted using the same method as the flat link bracelet - see here for a helpful video.  

The central portion of the bracelet is 16mm.  The end piece is fixed, with the option of selecting one of five widths (each size from 16 - 20mm).  Here are some specifics:

• Central "beads" portion: 16mm wide, 3mm thick
• Finish: alternating brushed/polished links, end piece, and clasp
• Length: adjustable (via screws on the links and micro-adjustment on clasp) to fit wrists ranging in size from approximately 5-8 inches
• Width: available in 16mm, 17mm, 18mm, 19mm, and 20mm width at the end piece.