The good news is that installing a watch strap is not difficult, allowing you to quickly change the look of your watch or replace a damaged strap. You just need one tool to remove the spring bars. Some people say that you can use a needle for this, however, the dedicated tool is much easier and safer to use and is inexpensive. With the watch laid flat upside down in front of you, you will see how each side of the strap is held to the watch case by the spring bar between the lugs. 

To release the spring bar, you use the tool to compress the bar until it can be released from the holes. Be careful, the bars are spring loaded and have a tendency to fly off and disappear. Keep your fingers ready to stop it flying away.

Once separated from the case, the strap can be simply slid off the spring bar. The new strap is then slid over the spring bar, and the process reversed, compressing the bar until it pops into the hole and secures the strap.

How you clean your watch strap will depend on the material used. If the watch strap is natural leather, then a damp cloth is often enough. For metal bracelets it is a little more complex. It is often best to remove the strap from the case first, then dip into warm soapy water. Using a soft toothbrush, gently scrub the watch bracelet, taking care to get into the links and other moving parts to ensure grit and other contaminants are removed. 

Next, rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth, and your metal watch strap will be looking like new again. To keep it that way, spray a little glass cleaner on a cloth and use it to buff the surface to a lovely shine.