Nice brown strap for 177, and buckle question

[__iceman__]

Looking to outfit my incoming 177L with a really nice brown strap - what are the good choices out there?

And all the pics I've seen use traditional buckles. Why isn't deployant buckles popular?

 

[MMs]

deployments are a pain in the ass if you ask me. I don't like them really.
plus you need to make a majority of the strap very thin if you're going to
use a deployment, and most of us don't like the very thin straps, that's one
of the major reasons we switch to aftermarket.

and brown is a very big category. there's a ton of variables really. from shape to
material to thickness to stitching, and on and on. more specifics would help. you
literally have thousands of options to choose from.

 

[__iceman__]

Thanks - I wasn't aware that the deployant would cause the straps to go skinny. I want a proper 24/24mm kinda strap. I guess that would make the deployant big? So there are no 24mm deployants?

To qualify it, I like deployants coz I hate that traditional buckle where you have to poke that pin thru, its fiddly, takes time, and the leather gets out of shape where the pin goes in, and the whole area adopts a 'bend' where the buckle is.

I like deployants because its natural shape does not pinch the leather, and when you store your watch with the deployant in the closed position, it continues to weather the leather to the proper shape. And its just easy on easy off on your wrist.

I am a PAM newbie, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but would like to hear comments and feedback from all of you who have countless straps and experience.


On "brown"... well, I am looking for 24/24mm, 5mm thickness, "antique" brown colour. Inner lining needs to be suitable for a hot country and not "sticky" on your skin (so surface like felt, velvet, alcantara etc is a no no) and somehow it "breathes". Another thing I would like is that its thick 5mm, but yet still flexible and somehow has the ability to "mold" to you wrist shape - coz there are some thick straps that are just so impossible to be shaped nicely, and the traditional buckle encourages it to be a V shape instead of a nice oval shape to fit your wrist.

I will wear my watch not very tightly nor too snugly, so you can imagine a V shape would be "tight" no matter how loosely you buckle, and a nice nice fitted oval shape will be just right. Haha - sorry for the many details, but if any kind soul has experience and the same kind of requirement I was hoping to find out more.

 

[MMs]

24mm deployments? um... don't know, but don't really think so.

and skinny both ways, also, and mostly, in thickness, not just width.
they can only be about 2 to 2.4mm thick usually to get through the deployment.

deployments will affect the shape getting distorted as well. it's not quite a
straight shot for the strap. so it's not really a cure for the issue you speak of.

but deployments are popular I think, or at least partly so. just not with me, lol.
I see them being sold on a bunch of gen pams, so people must like them I'd assume.

chances of getting a 5mm strap in a deployment are slim. you're describing a
buckled strap with those dimensions. and the v shape vs. oval, well that has a lot
to do with the lengths of the short and long strap. if the short strap, that the
buckle is attached to, is long enough, it'll curve around the bottom of your wrist,
so the buckle doesn't sit really at the bottom, it sits off to the side some.

and yes, there are some thick straps that were made with stiff material that are very
hard to bend and shape properly. I don't really like that at all. I've chosen, for my
own homemade straps, to usually use a 3 layer design. all 3 layers are supple, but
most importantly the middle 'meat' material is super flexible. the bottom is a thin
patent type of leather, smooth, soft, durable, thin. and the top changes, I'm on an
exotic kick right now. so sueded shark, sueded gator, stingray, ostrich leg, toad, etc.

looks like your best bet is to get one of each. wear them both, and decide which
direction is best. get a deployment one, and a buckled one. there's a pretty big
difference I think between the two setups. maybe a starter strap of each kind, like
in the correct dimensions, but maybe not super high end, just something to get
the feel. then once you know exactly what you like, then you can invest in something
you'll really love to put on.

 

[Nash]

I've got my 177 on an el cheapo brown strap I used to like on my 196 with an awesome matt finish buckle I found on ebay, when I have the money to waste I'll look at another strap but I'm keeping the buckle for sure.

I cant wear them on anything that isn't 5mm and I've always hated the deployment clasps of Panerai, the stainless steel bracelets of Panerai and all of the rep Panerai strap, bracelet, clasp anything.

The 177 and the rep itself is a great looking watch especially w/ a brown strap.