# IWC Deployant/Strap saga and a word of caution...



## Junior1 (Dec 3, 2014)

I recently (about 2 weeks ago) picked up a Pilot Chrono Little Prince (3777-14)
So far I am enjoying everything about the watch except for the Santoni Strap. Its been a love/hate relationship type of thing. I actually did not like the look of it when I bought the watch and made the AD throw in and order another strap. Truth be told I wasn't happy about the 21/18mm width to begin with either. I would much rather 20mm or even a 22mm strap. I think the size of the watch warrants it but that's a different argument.

Now I don't really have an odd wrist size. Not too big and not too small. I can take a standard sized Crown & Buckle strap, put it on the 4th hole, and I am good. I don't wear my watches overly tight or loose either. About a pinky width space just to account for temperature and such.

For some reason the Santoni strap on this IWC was either too loose or too tight. It just never fit me right. Not to mention by the time I buckled it, there was barely enough tail to justify the floating keeper. And like I said I don't have a crazy huge wrist. Now the saga began...

As a result of the crappy fit I ordered no less than 3 different custom straps from various makers. 1 from Spain, another in the US, another from UK. They are all custom orders with 3 week lead times. So after a day or 2 of discomfort (and being impatient) I ended up enlarging one of the holes just to make it fit. (I am starting to think my Heuer Monaco deployant has me spoiled)

Even afterwards though I still found it to really be a hassle to put on and take off with so little strap to grab and as a result I set out on the IWC deployant. I had just missed a good deal on one at another forum and the 'bay had 1 or 2 but they were either sketchy or the older part #. 
Cheapest outside of being used was Ace Jewelers in the UK but there's another 2 week lead time plus shipping time, customs, etc. (more waiting) I had figured that would be the way to go.

But, (being impatient) I decided to stop by the IWC boutique in NYC and lo and behold it was in-stock and ready to go. About 80 bucks more but no wait time, shipping/customs fees etc. After reading up I figured I would also need the shorter strap designed specifically for the deployant and as luck would have it, it was in stock as well. So armed with new parts in hand I was determined to swap everything out as soon as I could (did I mention I was impatient).

As I start to get everything set, I realized that the NEW strap is actually a completely different shade of brown from the original. Now I know handmade leather can have color differences based on a bunch of different variables but I was fed up with the stock strap and I didn't mind a little darker brown (see pictures below)

I swapped everything over, even followed directions to reverse the straps and use the short end at 6 o'clock, put it on and it actually felt pretty comfortable for once. Happy I could get it on and off without a hassle but something didn't look right.

The strap designed for the deployant has such a short end that once everything is on, the clasp itself is not centered on my wrist (see picture). I mean it wasn't bad but it just looked off. The more I looked at it, the more it needed to be just a tad longer. Longer, (dare I say it) like the stock strap. 
So there I was again, swapping everything over and reversing the short length to the 6 position. And this time it actually centered the clasp on my wrist. 
So the stock strap that I hated so much actually works better with the deployant and seems to fit much better reversed.

The bottom line is that I think the IWC deployant is worth it. Fit and finish is everything expected.
But, before buying the $300 extra strap made for it, I would suggest to see if it will work with the stock strap by just reversing the lengths.

Here's the pictures to show the differences...

*Color Differences in straps:*








*Offcentered clasp location:*














*Stock strap location:*


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## ccjoey09 (Aug 10, 2008)

There have been a few posts on here about this very issue. I have owned both but prefer the regular strap length for deploy buckles. I also hated the 21mm width on the 3777 and sold mine for that very reason. What a stupid size. 

Did you ask the AD their opinion on it? Hopefully they know it can be used on both.


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## Junior1 (Dec 3, 2014)

ccjoey09 said:


> There have been a few posts on here about this very issue. I have owned both but prefer the regular strap length for deploy buckles. I also hated the 21mm width on the 3777 and sold mine for that very reason. What a stupid size.
> 
> Did you ask the AD their opinion on it? Hopefully they know it can be used on both.


No I never went to the AD for it. I purchased the watch from the AD and because the strap had a couple of marks on it, I made him order a second stock strap as part of the deal. They did not stock the deployant on hand.

I just happened to walk into the boutique with the part numbers. The strap was a spur of the moment thing. Once I heard they were both in stock I just bought them and left. From what I had read, was that the stock strap made the deployant sit wrong so I ASSumed that would be the case. Unfortunately, it was the other way around for my wrist...


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## georgegervin44 (Apr 27, 2016)

Good info. Thanks! More pics of just the watch, please. =)


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## Don Draper (Sep 19, 2017)

I concur, more pictures please 

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## ridley (Jan 24, 2013)

I fitted deployant to stock strap & also found out that worked perfectly.

Cheers


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## Cabaiguan (Nov 19, 2008)

The clasp on the dark brown strap is the way it's SUPPOSED to fit. You are trying to center the inner side of the deployant to your wrist, not the outside buckle. The way it sits on the long strap won't fit well in the wrist.


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## Junior1 (Dec 3, 2014)

Cabaiguan said:


> The clasp on the dark brown strap is the way it's SUPPOSED to fit. You are trying to center the inner side of the deployant to your wrist, not the outside buckle. The way it sits on the long strap won't fit well in the wrist.


So what you are saying is as it sits in my 3rd picture is the correct way. 
The folded metal should follow the bottom of my wrist and not curve up the side of it.
I'll change it and give it a shot. Hopefully the clasp doesn't rub on my bones. It works fine for me in the wrong position I guess because of the shape of my wrist.


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## Junior1 (Dec 3, 2014)

OK, Swapped it and switched it back.
For me, it seems like the short side needs to be a touch longer and the long side needs to be a touch shorter just to move it a hair towards the center.
When everything sits the way it is designed, part of the deployant rests right on the bone of my wrist/arm (Radius or Radial Artery if my google-fu is correct)
As you can see in the pictures, the smooth metal sits about parallel with the bottom of the wrist but between the clasp and even the floating keeper, it lays right on the edge of my wrist. You can start to see the red marks from where it was sitting. And being left-handed its just not comfortable.
Even though the metal curves up the backside of my wrist it is much more comfortable with the stock strap...


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## Cabaiguan (Nov 19, 2008)

Definitely wear it where it feels the best on your wrist. Typically having the curved clasp rest on either the outside or inside bone of the wrist feels uncomfortable which is why the deployant strap has a shorter end at 6 o'clock. The curved clasp most comfortably sits when it's at the fleshy underside of the wrist.

That being said, everyone is different and your way is the best way for you.


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## gkatz (Apr 18, 2017)

i had a very long post regarding this not too long ago
the OG strap with the IWC deployand does not fit at all, it places the inner metel arc part of the deployant in the side of the wrist instead of the middle. sure, the outer part if the clasp (that is visible) is place in the center but this is a side effect. the proper way ofs for a middle arc to sit dead in the middle. i agree thats it looks strange when you put the short strap w. deployant but this is how its meant to be.
my solution for a 2 fold clasp, its dead in the middle, on the outside and on the inside. the only "downside" is that its not IWC ( but it costs a lot less )


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## Junior1 (Dec 3, 2014)

Here is one of the custom straps I had done from Two One Four Straps.
Mounted on the deployant. It had the OEM dimensions 21/18 but its a bit thicker and looks more beefy


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## Junior1 (Dec 3, 2014)

Another custom strap. This one is by Jose Maria Aquilar. Brown leather with brown stitching and no rivets. Its a deeper brown and seems to bring out the blue more...BTW both custom straps are working fine with the IWC deployant as long as the straps are reversed.


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## powerband (Oct 17, 2008)

Does IWC recommend that the straps be reversed when using the Deployant (short strap 6 and long strap at 12)?


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## powerband (Oct 17, 2008)

powerband said:


> Does IWC recommend that the straps be reversed when using the Deployant (short strap 6 and long strap at 12)?


I mean, I know that mid-range and high-end Seikos do this strap reversal, but just wondering if IWC officially suggests this reversal, too.

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