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The Wonderful World of Straps...

A primer about what your choices are and how to get what you want. Forum visitors photos with their straps on Panerai watches are shown at the bottom of the page.

Everyday we see questions about straps for Panerai watches

1. What do the numbers mean?

2. Who makes the best straps?

3. Where can I find cheaper straps?

4. What size buckles do I need?

5. Do I need to use tubes?



And many more questions that concern the Panerai Enthusiast.

Hopefully this primer will help you understand the differences and what you need to know in order to find what you are looking for in the way of straps for your Panerai watches.

To start, your watch if new, came from Panerai with a strap that was 115/75 24/22. The 115 is the length in millimeters of the side with the holes and 75 millimeters is the length on the side with the buckle.

The 24/22 stands for the width in millimeters at the lugs of the watch and the 22 stands for the width of the strap at the buckle end. Quite often you see 24/24 as those straps are not tapered and found mostly on Historic watches. Exotic skins will usually use a 24/22.


Now what size is best for you? 115/75 fits the average wrist; 6 ½ to 7 ¼ inches.

If your wrist is..........6.25 to 6.75…110/65 is your size

..............................7.0 to 7.5 needs a 120/75

..............................7.5 to 8.0 inches needs a 125/80



Obviously you see some overlap as some people wear their straps tight, others loose, some like a lot of strap showing out of the keeper and other want just a little.

We get asked about the thickness of the straps all the time. For the most part, the OEM straps are 4.8-5mm thick on the regular straps and 5mm down to 2mm thick on the deplloyant straps. Therefore you can wear both a Regular strap and a Deployant strap with a tang buckle but only a deployant strap with a deployant buckles as the side with the holes needs to be able to slide through the slot.

The people you buy your straps from should be able to help you choose the correct size for you based upon your wrist, your wearing preference and also the thickness of the strap which can also take up more length as it is less pliable. Before you buy, call the strap dealer and ask about the component parts of the strap, thickness, different lengths, special orders. When you spend your money you should be able to get all your questions answered before you buy.

You see so many straps in the marketplace. From Italy, from France, from Asia….what are the differences? Sometimes it is easier to compare straps to objects we use and understand everyday….cars, shoes, pens whatever.

Hand made straps cost more than machine made. Cost of labor. Steps of quality control. Sewn in buckles versus buckle-less straps. Quality of hides used.

All of these component parts make up the look, feel and price of your new strap. How do you tell the difference?

The best straps in the world usually come from the Artisan workshops of Europe. Hand made, exotic hides, old school workmanship. You see these products each day: Camille Fournet, ABP, TC Dirk, Time Connection are just some of the best quality straps in the marketplace.

Other straps made in Italy are sold by retailers around the world. The manufacturers include Bros, Morellato, and many small firms who have been making smaller width straps and now with the popularity of Panerai, they are getting into the 24mm arena. Many of the lines for TC straps are made in italy.

Mario Paci Straps, named after the chief Engineer of Panerai from 1983-1997, are made in the workshops of Tuscany under the watchful eye of Mr. Paci and feature distinctive hides and unparalleled quality not seen in a vintage strap before.

 

 

From the Asian manufacturing market come straps which, for the money, are decent quality. Companies in China supply re-sellers like Don, Europelli, Eastern Watch, Strap Works and even the TC straps Siciliano line of goods.

Made by machine, these straps are produced with a different quality of hide but still a great value for the money. Remember, A Hyundai and a Mercedes both have 4 wheels and will get you where you are going. Sears sells clothes and so does Georgio Armani. So straps from many different lines will give you an all around look according to what you feel like that particular day.

What goes with what????

We usually find that people prefer Vintage non-tapered straps with the Hand wound Panerai watches and the exotics with many of the automatics except the Submersibles.

Vintage straps pay homage to the watches that were made for the Italian navy in the 1940’s and 50’s and keep the your Panerai Watch looking back to the production of their Roots.

Automatics with some complications lend themselves to the Python, Beaver, Connolly, Alligator, Teju, Caiman and many, many more skins.

Deployants….which straps are made for them?

Many of the new Panerai watches have switched to Deployant buckles instead of the trusty Tang buckle. The deployant is fixed and goes on your hand like a bracelet…..the strap starts out thicker at the watch and gets thinner and thinner to be able to fit through the slot in the deployant buckle.

And a strap made for a tang buckle is pretty much the same thickness throughout.

You can wear a Deployant strap or a regular strap on a Tang buckle but only a Deployant strap on a Deployant buckle.

How much strap do I want sticking out of the Keeper?

That is like how much shirt do you want sticking out of your jacket sleeve. Some prefer a lot, some prefer very little. Some straps come with only one Keeper and others come with 2. There is no rule just personal preference.


Specs of different straps have not been discussed as people have different expectations as well as different levels of Quality. Therefore it is up to the individual to choose which type of manufacturing process appeals to them, their needs, desires and their watches.

After all, one cannot speak for all. It is up to buyer to make that distinction for themselves. Collectors as a whole can make their choices based upon the input that they see and hear from those who wear the different straps on a regular basis. Those who have paid for them and chosen to wear them.

From here on out we will be adding pictures of straps posted by our forum visitors attached to the watches and explain whose the seller is and where they came from….this is a work in progress.