A not-uncommon problem with Garmin watches is the watch pin supports (what I call "ears") breaking. The watchband pulls out of the watch. Here, I had re-inserted and Super Glued the watch pin "collar" into the watch.

How to Repair Broken Garmin Watchband Pin Supports

Felix Wong's avatar
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This post outlines how to repair broken Garmin watchband pin supports, also known as “strap lugs” or “ears.”

Judging by this thread, there are many other people who have experienced this problem with Garmin watches, including at least these models:

  • Garmin 45
  • Garmin 245
  • Garmin 645
  • Garmin 645 Music (the one I have)
  • Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music
  • Garmin Vivoactive HR

In my case, the watch was perfect for about 18 months before one of the plastic ears broke. Then, in the next few months, two more broke. I am waiting for the fourth one to break.

For several other people, the pin supports broke after 15-18 months too—perhaps aging of the plastic caused it to become brittle. Each time the plastic broke, not very much force was applied to the watch band to pull it out of the watch casing along with a metal pin collar insert.

The first time it broke, I was merely doing the push-ups. I did have the watch band a bit tight, and the expansion of my wrist caused the strap lug to break.

Below are three practical solutions.

Solution #1: Contact Garmin to Replace the Watch

One thing about Garmin—a great American company based in Olathe, Kansas—is that their customer support is superb and they stand by their products, often even when they are long out of warranty. I say this based off my experiences with Garmin in the late naughts when the company’s bulky, early generation GPS watches would frequently “brick,” and people’s experiences in the thread I alluded to earlier.

In that thread, people reported Garmin was replacing the broken watches with refurbished ones. Garmin must recognize that this is a common and unacceptable problem with the Forerunner 45 and 645, because they even have the following online tools for exchanging broken ones:

However, it makes sense that the refurbished watches will eventually break too. Indeed, many people have experienced just that.

When my watch first broke I didn’t search the internet and realize that Garmin was replacing the watches. So instead, I went about repairing it myself. The section and photos below describe and illustrate how I did so. Repairing your watch reduces downtime and electronic waste and may be your only option, short of buying a new watch, if Garmin opts not to replace your broken one.

Solution #2: Repair the Watch with JB Weld

I repaired the watch using JB Weld.

JB Weld is a two-part epoxy that costs around $5. It creates a super strong bond that is grindable and sandable. I’ve used it to repair a cylinder head on an old British roadster, among other things. It is a must-have item to have in your toolbox.

It does take about 24 hours to fully cure (dry). But when it does, it is much stronger than the original plastic used to make the Garmin watch cases.

When the watchband/watch pin “pulls out” of the Garmin watch, it is essential that you don’t lose the pin collar/metal insert that the pin goes into.

But if you lose the collar, I have a solution for that too! I made a new pin collar using the outer cylinder of an extra 1.5-mm outer diameter, 20mm-long watch pin I had lying around. (They are available on eBay for a few dollars.) I used a Dremel cutting wheel to cut the cylinder down to size.

After using JB Weld, I used a black Sharpie pen to color the grey epoxy after it fully dried.

The photos (way down below) illustrate how I did the repair. The photos are captioned and hopefully are adequate for you to do something similar. (If you are viewing this page on a desktop web browser, click on the photos to display the captions. Javascript needs to be on for the captions to be displayed.)

If you need more details on the procedures, feel free to ask any questions using the comment form below.

Solution #3: Use Super Glue

When a third watchband pin support broke, I was in Spain and didn’t have JB Weld with me. However, I did have Super Glue.

Super Glue worked and its advantage was that it was super quick as it dries in minutes. However, using it doesn’t look as good as when I applied, shaped, and colored the JB Weld epoxy. While the Super Glue has held up, I don’t have as much confidence in its strength as I do in JB Weld. Therefore, I view this as a temporary fix.

When I come back to my house in Colorado, I will re-do that “ear” (by sanding, chipping, or grinding off some of the excess Super Glue) and apply JB Weld instead. I may also pre-emptively apply JB Weld on the fourth “ear” that has not broken yet.

How to Reduce the Risk of Watch Case Breakage

Whether you’ve obtained a Garmin replacement or used JB Weld to fix your Garmin watch, there are a few recommendations I would suggest to prevent your Garmin watch case from breaking again:

  1. Keep the watchband slightly looser by one or two notches when engaging in activities that could put stress on the band, such as push-ups or pull-ups.
  2. Opt for a silicone band like the original Garmin one, as it provides flexibility and can stretch. Avoid using an aftermarket steel band, as these tend to be too rigid. I personally experienced a breakage when using a Milanese steel band.
  3. Minimize the frequency of band swapping. If you swap bands frequently, as I did with my original Garmin, you may inadvertently scratch the plastic lugs with the watchpin ends. These micro-scratches can become significant stress points where the watch case may break.

While it’s possible to reinforce the lugs on your new Garmin using JB Weld or a similar product, it may result in an unsightly appearance and could reduce the resale value.

A not-uncommon problem with Garmin watches is the watch pin supports (what I call "ears") breaking. The watchband pulls out of the watch. Here, I had re-inserted and Super Glued the watch pin "collar" into the watch.
A not-uncommon problem with Garmin watches is the watch pin supports (what I call "ears") breaking. The watchband pulls out of the watch. Here, I had re-inserted and Super Glued the watch pin "collar" into the watch.
I was able to easily repair the watch using JB Weld epoxy. The grey epoxy on the left side of the watch is the JB Weld. It takes about 24 hours to fully dry.
I was able to easily repair the watch using JB Weld epoxy. The grey epoxy on the left side of the watch is the JB Weld. It takes about 24 hours to fully dry.
I used a black Sharpie pen to make the grey JB Weld virtually unnoticeable.
I used a black Sharpie pen to make the grey JB Weld virtually unnoticeable.
I broke another watch pin support and lost the watch pin collar. So I fabricated a collar using the outer cylinder of a spare watch pin I had.
I broke another watch pin support and lost the watch pin collar. So I fabricated a collar using the outer cylinder of a spare watch pin I had.
Here I inserted the outer cylinder of a spare watch pin into a vise...
Here I inserted the outer cylinder of a spare watch pin into a vise...
... and then used a Dremel cut-off wheel to cut it down to make a new watch pin collar of about two millimeters in length.
... and then used a Dremel cut-off wheel to cut it down to make a new watch pin collar of about two millimeters in length.
The Garmin Forerunner 645 Music watch with a broken watch pin support, the new watch pin collar I made, and the white watchband.
The Garmin Forerunner 645 Music watch with a broken watch pin support, the new watch pin collar I made, and the white watchband.
I first Super Glued the new collar into place, and then applied JB Weld epoxy. JB Weld comes in two tubes that you mix in a 50/50 ratio.
I first Super Glued the new collar into place, and then applied JB Weld epoxy. JB Weld comes in two tubes that you mix in a 50/50 ratio.
The Garmin Forerunner 645 Music watch, repaired with JB Weld epoxy. I'd later use a black Sharpie pen to "color" the JB Weld.
The Garmin Forerunner 645 Music watch, repaired with JB Weld epoxy. I'd later use a black Sharpie pen to "color" the JB Weld.
The repaired Garmin Forerunner 645. From more than a few inches away, you wouldn't be able to tell it was ever broken.
The repaired Garmin Forerunner 645. From more than a few inches away, you wouldn't be able to tell it was ever broken.
I repaired the third broken watchband pin support (upper right-hand side of watch) using Super Glue while in Spain. As you can see, it doesn't look as good as the other "ears" so when I return the U.S., I will re-do it with JB Weld.
I repaired the third broken watchband pin support (upper right-hand side of watch) using Super Glue while in Spain. As you can see, it doesn't look as good as the other "ears" so when I return the U.S., I will re-do it with JB Weld.