How to Make a Wire Chain Watchband

You can find everything you need for this jewelry making project at WigJig!

Jewelry Making Supplies:
39 inches of 18 gauge wire
1commercial clasp
Watch face with loops

Jewelry Making Tools:
Round Nose Pliers
Flush Cutter
Chain Nose or Bent Chain Nose Pliers (2)
Nylon Jaw Pliers
Fine Step Jaw Pliers (recommended)
Ruler
Any WigJig Jewelry Making Jig
Two 3/16" Super Pegs for the jig
20 minutes of free time

Jewelry Making Skills Required:
Ability to make loops in wire.
Ability to make wire components by wrapping wire on a WigJig jewelry making tool.
Ability to wrap wire loops closed.

Here is a detailed description of the jewelry making project - for a complete version of this project including pictures, please visit WigJig University (click here)!

Step 1: Cut 13 wire segments of 18 gauge wire each 3 inches long. For this project soft wire is probably preferred.

Step 2: Using your step jaw pliers or round nose pliers, make a half loop in the end of each wire segment. You will not need a full loop because this loop will be cut off the finished piece. You need just enough to hold the wire on a peg.

Step 3: Using your nylon jaw pliers, straighten all 13 pieces of wire. Hold the wire by the half loop that you made to make it easier to pull the wire through the jaws of your nylon jaw pliers.

Step 4: Position one regular metal peg and two 3/16" Super Pegs in your jig as shown at left. Place the initial loop in your wire on the regular metal peg and wrap the wire around the Super Pegs as shown. Do this for all 13 wire segments. When you remove the wire component from the jig it should appear as shown at right.

Step 5: Connect the second of the two loops that you made to the loop on one side of your watch face. (The watch shown above is our item 3232 from our Internet store.) The second loop is the one with the straight wire segment shown on the left in the pictures above. Once the loop is connected, grasp the loop with your bent chain nose pliers as shown at right. By holding the loop in your pliers as shown you are making certain that the loop won't be bent out of shape as you wrap the wire around itself to close this loop. Push the end wire segment (no loop) down and around the center of this wire component. Next grasp the opposite loop and do the same thing with the wire segment attached to that loop (with 1/2 loop). When you have completed this your wire component should appear as shown at left.

Step 6: Using your flush cutter cut the excess wire leaving enough wire so that the end of the cut wire will be even with the beginning of the wrap on the opposite side loop. Please not the length of the wire at the cut in the picture at right.

Step 7: Using your bent chain nose pliers or your bent closing pliers, squeeze the end of the cut wire flat on each side. That completes the process for making one link and adding it to the watchband.

Next we will discuss the steps involved in assembling the watchband.

Step 8: On one side of your watch you will need to connect six chain links and on the last link you will connect your clasp to the final loop. Obviously, you will connect the clasp before you wrap the last loop in the chain closed, then wrap that loop closed.
Step 9: On the opposite side of the watch, you will need to connect seven links to the watch face. The final link in the chain will become the catch for a lobster style clasp like the one show in the picture at right.

When that is completed, try your new watch on. You may want to adapt this design by adding or subtracting a link or two. The 13 links plus a lobster clasp used in the watch above right are about the correct length for a normal 7" wrist.