In recent years, the popularity of watches with lugs has increased. Watch lug have become a popular way to customize the look of a watch, and many watches today come with lugs included.In this blog post, we will explore what is watch lug, what is the lug width on a watch,watch lug types and how to measure watch lug width.

What is a watch lug

The watch lug (or horns) are where the strap, band or bracelet is attached to the case.Lug watch are an essential part of a watch, as they provide support to the watch band and prevent it from loosening or breaking. The spring bar run from between watch lug and can either pass through the strap or slide the strap between them.

What is the lug width on a watch

Lug width watch is the most important measurement when choosing a watch band. It is the measurement of the end of the strap, which is attached to the case. The lug width is the internal distance between the lugs of the case. Between the lug of watch ,the strap is fixed to the case with the help of spring bars.

It is also important that you distinguish between the definitions of case width, lug width watch, and strap width.Case width is the distance from the top of the case lugs to the bottom of the case. The watch lug width is between the lugs of a watch on the same side.Strap width is defined as being made up of 2 values (the width of the strap head near the case and and the width of the strap tail). For example, in the watch below, the case width is 33.7mm, the lug width is 19mm, and the strap width is 19x18mm.

What is the common watch lug width?

The most common lug width watch is 20mm, but they can range from 16mm to 24mm. Some older or ladies watches have even smaller watch lug width. The Numbered watch lug size, such as 16, 18, 20, 22 or 24mm, are the majority of watches on the market today, and brands like Rolex and Omega also have mostly even numbered lug width.

Watch lug types

Wire watch lug

Early watches used so-called “wire” or “fixed” lugs, where a wire was welded to the ends of the case, leaving a gap for the strap.

Straight watch lug

Straight lugs are the most common watch lug, they are simple and straight, some are thinner and some are wider.

Shrouded or Hooded watch lug

The shrouded or hood lug are a less common style, being two rectangular lug attached to a horizontal bar.

Speedy or Bombe watch Lug

These are straight lugs with curved edges. Fast lugs were popularized on OMEGA Speedmaster watches

Explorer watch Lug

Explorer lug have a squared off appearance. They are wider at the top and thinner at the bottom. The Rolex Explorer collection popularized the Explorer lugs.

Crab Claw watch Lug

As the name implies, the crab claw lug resemble the claws of a crab and are characterized by a gap between the case and the watch bracelet.

Hidden watch lug

Hidden lug are where the end of the strap is attached underneath the case. It looks as if the strap goes directly through the case.

How to measure watch lug width

Before you buy a strap, you need to know the lug width of the strap, otherwise the strap will not fit the case if it is not the right width. However, measuring the lug width on a watch is not an easy task. You need the right method to measure the exact lug width. Here are some ways to measure the lug width.

1.put the watch on a flat table and measure the gap between the lug of watch with calipers or a straightedge to know the width of the lugs. As mentioned before, the width of the ear pieces is usually between 16 and 24mm. If you measure 0.5mm, then it is most likely a wrong data.

2.Some watches can’t see the watch lug position on the front side, so you need to flip to the back side to measure the lug width watch. Continue to use method 1 to measure the watch lug width, as shown in the figure below.

3.If the watch is equipped with a ready-made strap, you can directly look at the back of the watch band, because some watch band will have a size on the back.

Conclusion- what is a watch lug?

To conclude,lug of watch are also one of the very important watch accessories. lug on watch make sure that the watch is on our wrist and part of the watch case. As you learn more about each and every watch part, you will realize that watch design is never an easy task. So if you want to create your own watch brand or design your own watch, you need a suitable watch supplier to assist you in the above process.

FAQ

What is lug to lug on a watch

Watch lug to lug is different from watch lug.The watch lug to lug measuarement is the distance bewteen the outer ends of the watch lugs.

Watch lug pins

Watch lug pin is a small metal spring inside the watch band that helps to hold the band in place in the middle of the lugs when it is placed in the correct position and released. This way the strap is attached to the case.