Ever found your pin-buckled watch a tad difficult to put on, especially when you’re in a hurry? At times there is this worry that you might just lose grip and drop it whilst trying to put it on.
It would be nice if all watches came fitted with a deployant buckle or clasp buckle by default. Can this deployant buckle be retrofitted? The short answer is, YES they can!
The deployant buckle, or known in brevity amongst people in the watch know-how as DB, is commonly seen on more expensive watches.
Today we are going to explore converting a pin buckle to a deployant buckle on a watch leather strap.
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“They make watches easier to put on, and these watches can be taken off just as quickly as they are worn.”
First you will need to determine the width between the watch lugs to purchase a leather strap of the correct size (if you need to replace a steel bracelet or worn strap), and deployant buckle of the correct size (based on the width at the buckle end of the leather strap in use).
See the links at the bottom of this page to source for this, and assuming you have acquired them, read on.
Converting Pin Buckle to Deployant Buckle on the Leather Strap
1. As mentioned, the first thing to do is to get a set of leather strap of the correct width to match the lug width of the watch we will be working on – in this case, I bought an original Hadley-Roma 18 mm (see links at end of article) to match the lugs on my Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air King.2. Next, remove the loop and pin buckle that came with the leather strap. The pin buckle is held in place by a spring pin similar to the one holding the strap at the watch lugs, and can be removed by depressing the spring-loaded pin on either end. The other loop which is secured to the strap may be left on for now.3. Bring on the deployant buckle and figure out how and in which orientation they should be fitted on the strap. It is hard to describe in words as different buckles work differently, and you will need to use your imagination a little. Folding the buckle in the close position and placing the strap on both ends while imagining the watch being worn can indeed help a lot.4. Once you’ve figured out the right orientation, it’s time to assemble the buckle to the strap. Remove the spring pin from the deployant buckle. You will need to depress one end of the spring of the pin to pry it out. This will be clearer in the following photos. If one is not provided, you may also use the original one from the pin buckle.5. Place the spring pin into the end of the leather strap. Here you can clearly see the spring tips on both ends of the pin. These tips can be depressed into the pin for assembly and disassembly onto watch lugs and buckles.6. Use a small flat tip screwdriver to depress the spring pin to fit it into the appropriate end of the deployant buckle. If you’re not used to this, it will require some practice.7. This is how an assembled buckle looks like on a leather strap – one end of it at least.8. At this point, I usually close the buckle just to see that it looks alright and that it can latch on properly. It will also give you an idea of how the other end will be assembled to the other side of the leather strap.9. The deployant buckle in the open position. Just another view. You will need to leave it open for assembly later.10. Now, take the leather strap and fit the original spring pin into the lug end of the strap.11. Fit one end first into one side of the lugs…12. …and flip the watch over and fit the spring pin to the other side of the lugs with the flat tip screwdriver. Personally I find it easier to work with the watch in this position.13. Proceed to do the same with the other leather strap for the lugs on the other side of the watch. Remember that this leather strap is free on the other end and has not been attached to the buckle yet.14. This is how the assembly looks like at this point.15. For my particular deployant buckle, I will need to remove an attachment with a pointed object. Some buckles may not have this and this step may be skipped.16. This is how the buckle now looks like with the attachment removed. You can see a pin or protrusion to which the appropriate hole on the other side of the leather strap will need to be fitted into. Proceed again to put the buckle in the close position.17. With the buckle now closed, the other side of the leather strap will need to be attached to determine the correct hole to which the buckle pin will need to be inserted into.18. For this, you will need to use your wrist. Wear your watch as you would normally, and find the hole for the pin which would fit the watch around your wrist comfortably. Remember the hole number, and then remove the watch from your wrist.19. If you are not fond of slipping the loose end of the strap into the strap loop every time you wear your watch as shown in the previous step, you may cut off the excess end, after the hole number determined in the last step. This is not conventionally done, and you may skip this step. But proceed at your discretion, for this step is irreversible.
NOTE: I DO NOT SUGGEST YOU CUT THE LEATHER STRAP AS SHOWN ABOVE, UNLESS YOU ARE VERY CERTAIN AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS. IT IS BETTER TO LEAVE THE STRAP AS IT IS, ESPECIALLY IF THE LEATHER STRAP IS VALUABLE AND EXPENSIVE.
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20. This is how the strap looks like after it is cut. Remember, this is not how it is usually done, but this is my own method, for convenience. The strap would latch on more securely to your wrist if that cut end could be fitted into the strap loop on the other side.21. Push the buckle pin protrusion into the correct hole on the other strap as shown above.22. Refasten the attachment removed earlier in Step 15 to secure the entire installation, to prevent the strap and its protrusion pin from slipping out of the hole.23. This is how the other (top) side looks like. At this point you may be tempted to neatly trim off the end of the excess strap which protrudes out, but the excess length is best left to remain, for a more secure fit.24. To conceal this jarring exposed end of the strap, some marker pen work is recommended. The same colour as the strap’s outside surface should be used – in this case, black.25. The watch strap and deployant buckle assembly is now complete. Latch the buckle on and tug slightly at the strap to ensure that the entire installation is secure.26. This is how the other side of the buckle installation looks like. The leather loop on the strap may be cut and removed if desired, but I somehow decided to leave it on.27. I know what you’re thinking. A vintage watch of this pedigree probably needs a better leather strap, or at least a better deployant buckle – maybe an original Rolex DB instead of an OEM one like this. You’re right – I couldn’t agree more! But the original buckle is ridiculously expensive, not something I’m willing to spend money on for now, but will probably do so some day. Just not today…28. In any case, the deployant buckle works well and keeps the watch securely on my wrist just fine!
DEPLOYANT BUCKLE AND WATCH BAND
LEATHER STRAP WITH DEPLOYANT BUCKLE OR CLASP
DEPLOYANT BUCKLE OR FOLDING CLASP
PRECAUTION: WHEN CHOOSING AND PURCHASING STRAPS AND BUCKLES, ALWAYS BE SURE TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT SIZE TO FIT THE LUGS ON YOUR WATCH. MOST STRAPS HAVE DIFFERENT WIDTHS AT LUG END AND BUCKLE END DUE TO THE NATURAL TAPERING OF THE STRAP, OFTEN DIFFERING BY 2 MM ESPECIALLY WITH LEATHER STRAPS. MEASURE ACCURATELY WITH A RULER BEFORE PURCHASING. IF THIS PROJECT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF WORK FOR YOU, YOU MAY JUST PROCEED AND BUY STRAPS PRE-FITTED WITH DEPLOYANT BUCKLES GIVEN BELOW:
Rubber and Leather Strap Pre-fitted with Deployant Buckle
