Small wrist and deployant clasp

[Don Indiano]

Hello again guys!

I need your help, for a little question regarding straps... I just got a deployant clasp and strap, but need to adjust it.

It looks like, when you have a small wrist and have to tighten the strap, the end of the longer "half-strap" protrudes from the deployant clasp, making for an additional thickness against the wrist.
Could this be a problem (ugliness, discomfort, etc.)? (I reckon this may not be very clear)

Do any of you have a picture of how he accomodates that longer end of the strap inside the clasp? Do you cut it, fold it, etc.?
Thanks much in advance! ;-)

-Don

[Broker]

Hello again guys!

I need your help, for a little question regarding straps... I just got a deployant clasp and strap, but need to adjust it.

It looks like, when you have a small wrist and have to tighten the strap, the end of the longer "half-strap" protrudes from the deployant clasp, making for an additional thickness against the wrist.
Could this be a problem (ugliness, discomfort, etc.)? (I reckon this may not be very clear)

Do any of you have a picture of how he accomodates that longer end of the strap inside the clasp? Do you cut it, fold it, etc.?
Thanks much in advance! ;-)

-Don


I always wondered about this. I have a 6.5" wrist which is small. I didn't know if the deployment would work for me.

Todd

[SnapIT]

Hi,
I don't think it would pose much of a problem. The design allows for the extra length to be accommodated under the clasp. The one I have on my colt has never given me a moment of grief. If for some reason you have the extended version meant for larger wrists then you will have a bit flapping around if you can get it to adjust sufficiently to your wrist. The solution for this is to order the correct length first up.

[CMa]

Hello again guys!

I need your help, for a little question regarding straps... I just got a deployant clasp and strap, but need to adjust it.

It looks like, when you have a small wrist and have to tighten the strap, the end of the longer "half-strap" protrudes from the deployant clasp, making for an additional thickness against the wrist.
Could this be a problem (ugliness, discomfort, etc.)? (I reckon this may not be very clear)

Do any of you have a picture of how he accomodates that longer end of the strap inside the clasp? Do you cut it, fold it, etc.?
Thanks much in advance! ;-)

-Don
Hi Don,

As a matter of fact, I had this fear also.
I have a pretty small wrist (~ 18 cm circumference), but the deployant clasp fits very well. I don't feel that additional thickness.
Breitling genuine strap is mounted, no adjustment.
In the 1st few days I felt it a bit tough, but I accommodated with it quickly.
Check out some pictures:

[SnapIT]

Nice shots CMa, and it shows exactly what happens to the strap after adjustment.|>

[Don Indiano]

Thanks very much for your help and the pictures :-!
This is how I adjusted the strap (see pic). It looks a bit odd, but maybe just because it's my first deployant clasp :oops:

SnapIT, the strap is 110mm/90mm, and you're right, there should be several sizes. I'll look into it! :-)

Cheers
-Don

[SnapIT]

Hi Don,
It looks like you have the larger size. Ron should be able to eyeball the available sizes in the dealer catalog. You have it correctly configured its just that bit too long.

[TimeAndAgain]

I also have a small wrist and wore my deployant with the excess strap on the inside. While it was not uncomfortable to wear, after about a year I finally got tired of the 'square' look and cut off the strap to make it fit. I recently bought a different color strap for a change of pace and I doubt I'll have the 'courage' to put knife to strap for awhile. What a crazy thing - worrying about the integrity of the strap when all that I really need is for the strap to function for me and my watch...

[CMa]

Thanks very much for your help and the pictures :-!
This is how I adjusted the strap (see pic). It looks a bit odd, but maybe just because it's my first deployant clasp :oops:

SnapIT, the strap is 110mm/90mm, and you're right, there should be several sizes. I'll look into it! :-)

Cheers
-Don
You're welcome, Don :-)Glad it helped you.
Probably you see that the part of the deployant clasp with the Breitling logo is not perfectly positioned at the middle of your wrist.
Well, I found at least an advantage: you don't scratch it so easily when you hold your arm on the table (while your typing on a PC, for instance).
If it would be just 1-2 cm twisted more, than you would touch everything firstly with this part.

To TimeAndAgain, I didn't fully understand how you adjusted your strap, could you post some pics?

Cristi

[TimeAndAgain]

To TimeAndAgain, I didn't fully understand how you adjusted your strap, could you post some pics?

Cristi
After I made the adjustment, I cut off the excess strap with a knife so that there's no doubling-up on the inside. It's being serviced right now, but when I get it back I'll post a picture.

[TimeAndAgain]

To TimeAndAgain, I didn't fully understand how you adjusted your strap, could you post some pics?

Cristi
Hope this helps. I just cut the end off...

http://www.u.arizona.edu/~tmeinke/Olympus/IMG_0730.jpg

[Marc-B1]

And is there no way the strap can loosen ? ( am I saying this correct ? )

[Cinq]

Looks like this:

http://sibon.triple-it.nl/images/stories/breitling/Deployant_20070307.jpg

Kind regards,

Cinq

[TimeAndAgain]

Looks like this:



Kind regards,

Cinq
Yeah, mine was like that for about a year before I got crazy with the scissors one day...

Marc B-1,
It makes no difference about it coming loose because it is just leftover.

[Cinq]

Yeah, mine was like that for about a year before I got crazy with the scissors one day...And, did it change the way the watch feels on your wrist? And don't the stitchings become loose?

There is of course also the option of ordering shorter straps (at a higher price though :-(). I think that if I get another strap, I will try a shorter one because I have to slide the strap in the clasp almost to the point where it is getting wider and thicker :roll:.

Kind regards,

Cinq

[TimeAndAgain]

And, did it change the way the watch feels on your wrist? And don't the stitchings become loose?

There is of course also the option of ordering shorter straps (at a higher price though :-(). I think that if I get another strap, I will try a shorter one because I have to slide the strap in the clasp almost to the point where it is getting wider and thicker :roll:.

Kind regards,

Cinq
There is no fraying whatsoever. I don't think it feels any different, but I cut the strap because when it was tucked inside, the extra strap with the deployant buckle was creating a squared off effect that annoyed me.

I guess if I get a new strap, I might look at shorter ones. However, I tend to buy second-hand, so I can't be too choosey. I'll be putting this on a brown croco strap whenever I get the chance (I'm super lazy when it comes to monkeying around with stuff like that).

[SnapIT]

Hi TimeAndAgain,

In the final analysis if it is more comfortable and not unsightly then its a good result. I was going to suggest that to preserve the stitching a very small dab of super glue or similar will pin the thread and prevent un-stitching. Good quality leather can be shaped with sand paper to remove the squared off edge and a bit of black leather polish or marker pen will heal the edge and finish it off. All of the above is totally optional but fairly easy to achieve.
Thanks for posting the images and letting us see what's possible.

[TimeAndAgain]

Hi TimeAndAgain,

In the final analysis if it is more comfortable and not unsightly then its a good result. I was going to suggest that to preserve the stitching a very small dab of super glue or similar will pin the thread and prevent un-stitching. Good quality leather can be shaped with sand paper to remove the squared off edge and a bit of black leather polish or marker pen will heal the edge and finish it off. All of the above is totally optional but fairly easy to achieve.
Thanks for posting the images and letting us see what's possible.
Good idea - I think I'll put the sandpaper and polish idea on my list of things to do. I also thought about the superglue idea, but this strap looks pretty well made and I don't see anywhere where glue might come in handy. I suppose if the stitching was to fray that it might help there.

[Don Indiano]

Quick update!
It appears that there are 3 sizes for this kind of straps:
standard size (110/90mm) XS XL

Don't know yet the non-standard sizes but my AD will give Breitling a phone call to determine this (and the price surcharge, if any).
(A gator strap already retails for 380 EUR [500 USD])
There were none in stock, since now 20mm straps are for dive watches in the current lineup -- and diving with a 500 bucks strap is probably not a good idea...

So later gators... :-d

-don

[v916]

Hi Don,

my navi is currently on tang type coz I got small wrists too and my dealer told me tang type would wrap small wrists better. why don't you guys go for tang type straps? coz a deployment is more convinient? i actually have a spare deployment clasp and would like to know the sizes of XS straps for a deployment clasp; please advise when this info is available.

Thanks indeed

Vin

Quick update!
It appears that there are 3 sizes for this kind of straps:

standard size (110/90mm)
XS
XLDon't know yet the non-standard sizes but my AD will give Breitling a phone call to determine this (and the price surcharge, if any).
(A gator strap already retails for 380 EUR [500 USD])
There were none in stock, since now 20mm straps are for dive watches in the current lineup -- and diving with a 500 bucks strap is probably not a good idea...

So later gators... :-d

-don

[Cinq]

Hi Vin,my navi is currently on tang type coz I got small wrists too and my dealer told me tang type would wrap small wrists better. why don't you guys go for tang type straps? coz a deployment is more convinient?Since I have my Hirsch strap, I know that the tang buckle is more comfortable than the deployant but I remove my watch quite often during the day and that's why the deployant is more practical.

The difference between tang buckle and deployant is so big that I can't sleep with the watch on the deployant but I have no problems when it's on the tang buckle strap.

Kind regards,

Cinq

[CMa]

Hi Vin,Since I have my Hirsch strap, I know that the tang buckle is more comfortable than the deployant but I remove my watch quite often during the day and that's why the deployant is more practical.

The difference between tang buckle and deployant is so big that I can't sleep with the watch on the deployant but I have no problems when it's on the tang buckle strap.

Kind regards,

Cinq
Hi,
For the same reason - that I remove the watch a few times/day - I've chosen the deployant. It will longer the lifetime of the strap.
I have the watch - a Navi - since ~4 months now and I feel more the watch case than the deployant. I have a small wrist as well.
Plus that if the strap is so skin-tight in case of the tang buckle, perspiration will damage the strap quicker that in case you wear a deployant - some pictures I've made just above are self-explanatory.

Cheers,
Cristi

[Integrator]

I have the same problem, but no solution. My AD said that there is no short strap for deployment clasp, at least not fitting the UTC module.

I adapted a kevlar style strap first (with a knife, glue, needle and thread), but eventually I bought a normal length strap that I pulled as short as I could, and then some...

It looks kinda weird if you look closely, but strangely it's pretty comfortable.

Do you think I should cut off some of the extra leather? Maybe it will be less comfortable then, the unneccesarilly protruding piece of strap does fill out a bit, compensating a little for my small wrist, as it were.

I attach a pic. Damn, it was a tough angle to shoot!

Hello again guys!

I need your help, for a little question regarding straps... I just got a deployant clasp and strap, but need to adjust it.

It looks like, when you have a small wrist and have to tighten the strap, the end of the longer "half-strap" protrudes from the deployant clasp, making for an additional thickness against the wrist.
Could this be a problem (ugliness, discomfort, etc.)? (I reckon this may not be very clear)

Do any of you have a picture of how he accomodates that longer end of the strap inside the clasp? Do you cut it, fold it, etc.?
Thanks much in advance! ;-)

-Don

[SnapIT]

Hi Integrator,

Thanks for taking that extreme shot :-) and coming back uninjured.

As far as what is best I guess you have to judge if you are uncomfortable or not. If its not bugging you and the watch isn't out of position then leave it.
The extra length may be giving you that extra bit of support you need. Only you can tell for sure.

[Integrator]

Hi,

you're right. It's comfortable, so I'll keep it the way it is. The risk of someone looking closely at the side of my wrist and commenting "Ouch, that's ugly" is negligible. For some unimaginable reason most people don't seem to look very closely at watches...

Hi Integrator,

Thanks for taking that extreme shot :-) and coming back uninjured.

As far as what is best I guess you have to judge if you are uncomfortable or not. If its not bugging you and the watch isn't out of position then leave it.
The extra length may be giving you that extra bit of support you need. Only you can tell for sure.

[red_wagen]

I read thru the entire thread. I have some questions, are there three strap sizes (xs, average, xl)? Can I use regular straps with deployment clasps? Or do they have their own straps?
TIA

[red_wagen]

Anyone?

[SnapIT]

Hi red wagen,

Deployant straps have no holes punched nor place for a buckle to attach nor holes for a tang. They are expressly tapered to fit the clasp and have a definite right and left piece. The size of the actual straps can be ordered according to your wrist size but I believe come in three different sizes as standard. I don't have the actual specs on hand.


http://forums.watchuseek.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=153806&stc=1&d=1231208803

http://forums.watchuseek.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=153807&stc=1&d=1231208851

http://forums.watchuseek.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=153808&stc=1&d=1231208851

http://forums.watchuseek.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=153809&stc=1&d=1231208851

http://forums.watchuseek.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=153810&stc=1&d=1231208851

[red_wagen]

Thanks for the clarification :-!

[EJC]

After I made the adjustment, I cut off the excess strap with a knife so that there's no doubling-up on the inside. It's being serviced right now, but when I get it back I'll post a picture.

If you sent it to Breitling for service, you may well find it returned with a properly sized strap.