I do not use an abacus bracelet. I do use a Counter Ring. Mine will change on its own a little, but it is meant for me to track nail biting/cuticle picking during 1 hour meetings, where I can’t get my phone out.
It works perfectly for me, but if you need it to track a number for a full offline day or something I suspect the Counter Ring will not hold the value well enough.
I have only had one, so it is possible my spring is just on the low side of tension.