How to adjust a watchband

I've been meaning to re-fit my "good watch" for some time, but just never got around to it. As I lost weight over the last few years, I just kept adjusting the position of the spring bars in the metal clip. Trouble was I had gone as far as I could go that way and the watch was still loose, so I had to figure out how to remove actual links from the band itself. I assumed it couldn't be too difficult, but I'd never had to do it before so I didn't really know.

Google to the rescue! I looked up how to remove watchband links and no, it's not difficult at all. This particular page courtesy of "the Schlatter family" was most helpful.

I didn't even have to read it all that closely as between the photos provided there and simply examining my own watchband it wasn't too hard to figure out and not too hard to do either. It quickly gets even easier as you get the hang of it and gain confidence that you know what you're doing and won't break anything.

As for tools required I ended up using a small flathead screwdriver (still standard, though, i.e. not super small) and needlenose pliers. I also used a pushpin to release the spring bars in the clip for repositioning, but that has nothing to do with actually adjusting the links of the band.

I removed four links (and adjusted the spring bars in the clip) and the watch then fit fine, but just a tad on the slightly snug side, though no pinching. I decided to put one link back in and now it's a perfect fit—not too snug, not too loose.

UPDATE: I was curious to find out how to shorten a stretch band because someone I know just had to have one shortened. After some effort I was able to Google up this page with a very brief explanation and no visual aids. Only tool required is a small pen knife.

I wasn't confident I really understood so I dug up a very old cheap watch that I haven't worn in 20 years or more and examined its stretch band (aka an "expansion band"). I thought I could see what the guy was describing on the page I found, so I tried it and it worked. At least I was able to break apart the band in the middle. I didn't actually need (or want) to remove any section of links, though, so I just re-linked it where I had performed the surgery. Still, it demonstrated to me that I could in fact perform such a procedure, at least for that particular type of stretch band. My Father had a different type of stretch band on an old watch and I don't see any obvious or analogous way to operate on that one, nor do I want to since I have no idea as to its potential value.