Even since I had some issues with my GF I found myself less and less interested spending my time with her, and now that I have my new BB, her most formidable rival, she has more reasons to be concerned about our “relationship.”  As such, my GF had to undergo some major facelift.

Okay, kidding aside.  I eventually was using my Garmin Forerunner 405 (GF405) less and less ever since its strap started breaking up after about two years of wear and tear.  The situation was made worse when a BlackBerry (BB) Curve came into my life and became a “useful” alternative, albeit still with so many drawbacks.   Still, my GF405 remains “the one” for me and I’m not ready part with it yet.  Upgrading to a different Forerunner isn’t really a viable option since the device itself isn’t broken so the most practical solution would be replacing only the parts that are broken—in this case, the rubber straps.

When I first visited Amazon, I was only able to find those Velcro replacement straps similar to that shipped with GF405CX.  I was quite reluctant to order one because, by experience, Velcro straps don’t last that long and they stink if you don’t wash them regularly.  Fortunately, I didn’t haste into ordering one as weeks later just as a friend of mine went to the US, replacement rubber straps for GF405s became available in the market.  Being a Garmin it does come with a premium though—the straps costs $19.99!  At least it included that screw driver-looking thingy.

The “Surgery”

Replacing GF405s’ straps are quite easy… if you’re a watch repair man!  The task may seem simple, but it really is anything but that!  If you don’t have the patience (lots of it) or are a bit clumsy (like me) I suggest you ask a friend who knows how to replace watch straps to do it for you, or better yet bring your unit to a watch repair center to spare you the trouble.

The first thing you have to do is to remove the current strap.  Be very careful in doing so (as I found out the hard way) as its contacts are very easily broken.  Don’t forcefully pull the strap as it’s apparently stronger than the watch’s plastic.

After that laborious task, I suggest that you clean your unit to remove all the gunk that have accumulated in its nooks and crannies.  I actually use isopropyl alcohol for cleaning but avoid getting it inside your unit.

Finally, time to wrap things up.  Putting the replacement straps back is as laborious as removing them.  Make sure to listen for that ‘click’ sound to be certain that the straps are securely in place, otherwise it may just look ‘attached’ and would spring back into several pieces when you wear it.

It actually took me almost half an hour (including some minutes to take pictures, see below) before I was able to complete the entire process.  If you consider yourself less skilled when it comes to ‘do-it-yourself-fixes’ it may take you more time, especially that the replacement kit does not come with any form of guide or manual.  Despite the grueling process, the result is quite worth it as your Forerunner will have a new ‘life’ pretty much like it’s brand new.  Except for those blemishes in your units of course. 😀

To those planning to do the same, Good Luck! 😀