There are many different watch clasp types because different clasp conveys different styles. Commonly you heard butterfly clasp, tang buckle, folding clasp, etc.
When you are considering to choose a watch band or discuss with your watch manufacturer of making your own watch designs, it is necessary to have more idea to choose the best watch clasp types.
Now we are going to introduce the most common clasp types.
Tang Buckle
Buckles are usually made of metal (mostly stainless steel) and are normally attached to the watch strap with a spring bar. The buckles are also available with PVD coating color which is on the watch case, so the watch looks consistent.
A tang buckle is pretty much the same as the buckle on your belt.
It features a pin that you put through a hole in the band of the watch, which will have several punctured holes in it. This allows you to adjust exactly how you want the watch to fit you, without having to get it resized.
You can also get such buckles with NATO and Perlon straps, which are much easier to adjust in the case of Perlon because of the tiny holes in the weave that give you lots of micro adjustment positions.
Butterfly Clasp
Butterfly clasp consists of two metal hinges, which unfold to opposite sides. Think of it like a butterfly spreading its wings – hence the name. When you want to put the watch on your wrist, you just fold them in, and snap them together.
As the butterfly clasp breaks apart in two directions, opening up the strap, therefore even the widest hands or the slimmest wrists can wear their favorite watch well.
Some butterfly clasps also feature hidden push buttons, which makes them easier to take off. But not all of them.
Bracelet Clasp
This clasp is not so common in high-end watchmaking, but worth understanding as it is prevalent in entry-level brands – especially those specialising in women’s watches.
The bracelet clasp is a friction-fit snap-shut closure most common in bracelet-style watches. It is even possible to get bracelets that have several removable links in exactly the same style.
The best thing about bracelet clasps is that they are usually highly adjustable.
A watch will typically have several openings attached to one another in a chain manner, which can easily be removed.
Or the opening part can be removed and then reattached to the end of the chain, depending on the design of the watch. Which allows you to adjust the length of the watch band to fit you perfectly.
Single Fold Watch Clasp
This clasp is a kind of fold over watch clasp, it features a push button release for optimum protection from loss, and have the same security as the tri-fold clasp.
It is usually for leather straps.
Deployment Clasp
The basic version of the deployant clasp is most often seen in men’s watches. It’s exclusively used in metal watches, and it’s the clasp type that is most widely used in watches.
A regular deployant clasp unfolds into thirds, to allow your hand to be able to get through the band of the watch. It then locks in place with a hook-type latch, which can sometimes be awkward to undo.
But it’s definitely at the top, in terms of how secure it is. However, watches with this clasp will have to be resized by a professional, since this often includes removing pieces of the metal watch band.
Push button clasp
Push button deployant clasps function in the same way as the regular ones, but they look differently.
The part of the clasp that is visible when the watch is buckled is much smaller – about a third of what you see on a regular deployant clasp.
And these are much more convenient to open up, due to push buttons. There is one on either side of the clasp, and you need to pinch them at the same time when you want to take off your watch. Additionally, these clasps are actually more secure than regular deployant clasps, since the buttons ensure that they can’t open up on their own.
Hook buckle
This buckle is usually used for stainless steel mesh strap, and it consists of two parts: hook and slot on another strap. People can easily adjust the wrist size of the mesh strap by moving the slot side.