Brand guide
How to adjust a Michael Kors watch band
Michael Kors watches are made by Fossil Group, so the bracelets use the same four link types as Fossil. Most have arrow-marked friction pins. The difference is the size and finish of the links: wide, heavy and often two-tone or plated, which means a slipped tool leaves a very visible mark.
Identify the link type
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| One arrow on the inside | Friction pin, push out in the arrow direction |
| Two arrows pointing apart | Smartpin, comes out from either side |
| No arrows | Pin and tube: a small tube sits in the middle link |
| Screw heads on the outside | Screw pin: unscrew, do not push |
Removing links step by step
- Read the arrows. Turn the band over and find the arrows on the inside of the removable links.
- Seat the link in a holder. Arrow pointing down, the wide link fully supported.
- Push both pins of the link. One link out means two pins out. Push with the arrow.
- Remove links evenly. Same number on each side of the clasp.
- Tap pins home with the soft side. Push the pin back in against the arrow and finish with the soft face of the hammer.
When a pin will not move
Check three things before you push harder. Are you pushing with the arrow? Is the link sitting over the slot in the holder, so the pin has somewhere to go? And is the pusher tip the right diameter, filling the hole without jamming? If all three are right and the pin still does not move, it may be a pin and tube with a tight fit or a screw you missed. Look at both ends of the pin for a slot before you apply more force.
Protecting plated and two-tone links
Gold-tone and rose-gold-tone plating is thin. A tool that slips goes through it to the base metal and that mark does not polish out. Three things help: a pusher that fills the pin hole exactly, so it cannot skid on the wide link; a holder with plastic jaws; and the soft side of the hammer for tapping pins home. Some MK chronographs use screw pins. If you see screw heads, unscrew them with a flat screwdriver that fills the slot.
FAQ
How do I remove links from a Michael Kors watch?
Find the arrows on the inside of the band, push both pins of a link out in the arrow direction with a pusher in a holder, remove links evenly on both sides of the clasp, then tap the pins back in against the arrow.
Do Michael Kors bracelets have screws?
Most use pins. Some chronograph models use screw pins, which you can see as small screw heads on the outside of the band.
Can I adjust a Michael Kors watch without tools?
Not the link bracelets. Interchangeable straps with a quick-release lever come off by hand.