Metal watch bands are both a stylish and sturdy means of wearing a timepiece on your wrist, but as anyone who regularly wears them can attest, certain types of watch bands can cause discomfort through pinching, squeezing or rough and hard sections rubbing the wrong way. Before you consider switching to cloth or leather for good, try out a few means of adjusting and altering your metal watch band, as well as the way you wear it, to see if you can't get a more comfortable fit.

Adjust the watchband for a better fit. Especially with watch bands made from segmented metal sections, if the band is too large, it will pinch and squeeze. Many watch bands are designed for users to easily remove or add extra sections. These bands are made from large segments that you can easily remove by bending the ends of the links (with your fingers or a pair of needle-nosed pliers) to make them wider or narrower.

Take care when putting on a stretchy watch. Pull the band as wide as you can with your alternate hand before gently releasing it over your wrist.

Shave or wax any hair on your wrist. If your watch is causing discomfort due to hair getting caught in the metal segments or in the chain, removing the hair at the top of your wrist will prevent this.

Examine the inside of the watch band for any burs or rough spots and file them down. Use a metal fire first, then go over the spot a second time with fine sandpaper to make it comfortably smooth.

Create a lining for the inside of the band. Cut a strip of soft leather as long as the inside of the watchband and slightly less wide. Attach the leather using a metal or jewelry glue to the back of the watch head and to the ends of the watch band.