Is the deployment clasp worth it?

[baglady]

So I was surprised when I purchased my 5205R that it came with a pin buckle (and this is my own fault; the website is clear what buckle the watch comes with).

I'm not sure what criteria Patek uses to determine which buckle comes with which watch.

That said, I looked into purchasing the deployment clasp with the logo on it... and it's $2,400 (at least in Texas). What? For that small piece of gold?

That seems quite pricey for what it is. Do you think it's actually worth it? I get that it looks good, and I like the look (and clasp functionality) better than the buckle, but I'm not sure I can justify $2,400 on those grounds alone...

[GreenLantern]

Quite honestly, and I know I'm in the minority here, but I prefer pin buckles vs. deployants.

That said, a deployant is much higher "quality" and considered far more upscale.

I just feel that it adds too much thickness on the bottom of my wrist, and I prefer it on the top. :)

[goog53]

I am not a fan of the deployants and prefer the buckle. Save your money and put that towards another Birkin

[jd57]

Agree with the previous comments - the pin buckle is more comfortable and less bulky for a dressy piece like the 5205.

[MoosicPa]

Originally Posted by jd57

Agree with the previous comments - the pin buckle is more comfortable and less bulky for a dressy piece like the 5205.

+1, I find the pin buckle more comfortable than the deployant clasp.

[jon_jon]

Do you own other Patek's with the deployant clasp? If you ever tried on the 5205, you would have known it comes with h the buckle whereas 5146 and 5396 comes with the deployant clasp.

I prefer deployant and feel it is more secure when putting on and taking off the watch from the wrist. Check to see if the leather band is included in the deployant clasp as that usually runs a few hundred dollars.

If you plan to keep the 5205 for a while, it can be worth the added expense. But if you are the type that trade in your watches every few months for another watch, of course it is not worth it.

[5Zigen]

I have the deployant clasp for my 5205 and i prefer it over the pin buckle

[ap1]

Pin guy here

[Russell996]

Deployant for everything.

[benlee]

Definitely prefer the deployant. Besides looking good, it also help to secure the watch better and add a touch of class to the watch.

[1688]

I have a fairly small size wrist and the pin buckle is definitely much more comfortable... the deployant clasp usually digs into my skin and is not as comfortable.

[WatchLurv]

I'm going to add a deployant to my 5960. For the 5205 I'll leave it as.

[baglady]

Thanks guys. haven't really decided yet. Just found it weird that it's $2500. Although if it's solid gold I suppose that makes sense (my wedding band was around the same price, and it's 22 karat gold).

[PatekSF]

Deployant.

One fatal slip with a pin buckle over a hard floor and the watch is toast. It will cost a lot more than $2400 to fix ...

[baglady]

Originally Posted by PatekSF

Deployant.

One fatal slip with a pin buckle over a hard floor and the watch is toast. It will cost a lot more than $2400 to fix ...

That's fair. I also feel like I damage the strap a lot more when I try to bend it into the buckle. The deployant strap seems a lot better for the leather.

[agsstructures]

Prefer the pin!

[Bearxj86]

Deployant to prolong life of strap as well as prevent dropping a top heavy watch. However you can always go aftermarket.

[subtona]

The pin buckle is more elegant and for me, more often provides a better fit..

However the deployant does offer a measure of security against accidental dropage.

The price of the pin buckle might be weighted against a resultant cost of service in the event you accidentally drop your watch while trying to fasten the pin buckle strap.

[tchaic]

It’s just parking money. It will always be worth about what you pay. I prefer deployant. But the tang on 5524 works great as well.

[CamSLC]

Love the look of the deployment, never owned one. I would just stop into an AD and give one a try.

[gtnator]

Originally Posted by MoosicPa

+1, I find the pin buckle more comfortable than the deployant clasp.

+3. Pin is way more comfortable and looks better too.


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[mzcloud]

I do prefer the deployment strap for all my watches.

[jag32]

Deployant is worth it.

[Vipes]

Pin buckle is usually more comfy for smaller wrists. If you do get the deployant, be aware that you may need a shorter strap so the deployant is centered on your wrist.

So $2400 plus around $600 for Patek strap.

[mitchie41]

I have a 5205G with the original Tang buckle. I purchased a deployant clasp last year from the forums and I really like the look and feel of the PP deployant clasp. Some deployant clasps are big, bulky and obtrusive, but the PP deployant is thin and barely noticeable when on the wrist.

[mixi613]

I just bought the 5205 and didn’t realize It didn’t come with the deployment. I asked my ad about it and he just ordered it for me and gave it to me 3 days ago( with a new strap). Looks much better and much more convenient (maybe not as comfortable but not so noticeable). I’d spend the extra $$$ if it was a watch you are planning to keep long term.


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[mixi613]

Originally Posted by Vipes

Pin buckle is usually more comfy for smaller wrists. If you do get the deployant, be aware that you may need a shorter strap so the deployant is centered on your wrist.



So $2400 plus around $600 for Patek strap.

Yup. I have smaller wrist and ordered the deployant sized it a couple days ago and ad had to order a smaller strap. Pin more comfortable but not noticeable and not worth the trade off of the convenience ($$$ aside) and look but you’re spot on.


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[mixi613]

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[topcat30093]

Recently bought a 5227R which originally came fitted to a pin buckle.
But I decided that as it was a special piece - to me, that I would enquire having it fitted to a deployant.
My AD said that it would cost £2,400 however if I was to have it instead of the pin buckle, they would replace the pin buckle for the deployant and the cost would be reduced to £1,900.
Which is what I decided to do.

Question, do they return the pin buckle back to Patek or keep it, to be used on another occasion?

[Russell996]

Originally Posted by Vipes

Pin buckle is usually more comfy for smaller wrists. If you do get the deployant, be aware that you may need a shorter strap so the deployant is centered on your wrist.

Originally Posted by mixi613

Yup. I have smaller wrist and ordered the deployant sized it a couple days ago and ad had to order a smaller strap.

Patek make small, medium and large straps for pin buckle and small, medium and large for deployant clasp. (Plus full custom if required)
They are different from each other with the ratio of the long and short parts varied so that for instance a deployant medium fits the same as a pin buckle medium. Also worth noting, deployant straps are designed to fit with the longer piece on the opposite lugs to a pin buckle longer piece - so if you have a well fitting pin buckle, changing to deployant will require a strap change to the corresponding deployant version and with the new strap swapped to the opposite lugs.