Have a Perfectly Fitting Watch Strap with this Tactile, Adjustable Strap Buckle by Roland Iten: It’s Both Useful and Relatively Affordable – That’s Win/Win!
by Ian Skellern
Watch straps and buckles (both pin and folding) are the nearly ideal way to fit your watch to your wrist, but they have two inherent drawbacks.
1. The standard holes in the strap are 8 mm apart, so unless you are very lucky you have to select a hole that either makes the strap too tight or too loose. Too tight is uncomfortable and too loose has the watch tending to roll around the wrist.
2. Even if you are lucky enough to find a hole on the strap that fits perfectly on one day, wrists tend to change size with both the weather and fluctuating weight.
Roland Iten, the master of mechanical luxury for gentlemen, has developed adjustable buckles that in different formats have been used by prestigious brands including F.P. Journe and Greubel Forsey.
And now he has developed an easily adjustable watch strap for collectors.
Roland Iten RWC09 adjustable buckle
Roland Iten RWC09 adjustable buckle
When developing any of his mechanical luxuries, Roland Iten places a high priority on providing a strong tactile sensation. The operation has to feel good, and this patented adjustable strap buckle is no exception.
When you rotate the adjustment disk to tighten or loosen the strap, you can feel it reassuringly click, click, click as it moves from one micro-adjustment to the next.
Roland Iten RWC09 adjustable buckle
It’s not a toy, but it does feel nice to play with!
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And you can adjust easily without removing your watch or even opening the clasp or buckle.
While the holes in your watch strap give you adjustment increments of 8 mm, the Roland Iten buckle provides infinite fine tuning between those 8 mm holes. And it’s easily adjustable on the wrist throughout the day.
Exploded diagram of the Roland Iten RWC09 adjustable buckle
Rotating the big adjustment disk turns a small cog that moves a rack inside the buckle that slides to adjust the strap. The rack locks in place in any position as the rotation of the small-diameter cog cannot overcome the friction of turning the larger adjustment disk. It’s simple and reliable.
A small spring-loaded pin slides around inside the adjustment wheel and satisfyingly clicks into tiny holes on the disk as it’s rotated. This pin isn’t necessary for the operation of the adjustable buckle, but it’s essential in providing the tactile feedback that makes adjusting the buckle feel so pleasurable.
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The standard distance between holes in a watch strap is 8 mm; the Roland Iten adjustable buckle has a micro-adjustment range of 9 mm so it comfortably provides the full range between each hole.
Roland Iten RWC09 adjustable buckle
Built-in fail-safe security
The strap can only be fitted and removed from the adjustable buckle when the adjustment disk is in the fully tight position. This ensures that there is no risk of the strap ever falling off if the buckle is knocked.
Lubrication free
Crafted in titanium and steel, the adjustable watch strap buckle has been designed, like all of Roland Iten’s products, to be lubrication free.
Tolerances are designed so that any dust simply falls out. I can attest to this from personal experience, having worn a Roland Iten belt buckle daily for nearly 20 years in all situations and environments. It works and feels as good as the first day I put it on.
Roland Iten RWC09 adjustable buckle
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Suitable for both pin buckles and folding buckles, two sizes of strap widths
The Roland Iten Adjustable Buckle can easily be fitted to watch straps with both pin buckles and folding buckles. The tang on a pin or folding buckle is held to the strap by a removable spring bar, just like the one holding the strap to the lugs, which can be removed and reinserted to hold the adjustable buckle. You can either do it yourself if you have changed your own straps or in minutes at your local watch/jewelry store.
The adjustable buckle comes in two sizes: one for straps of 16-18 mm width (widest width at the holes, not between the lugs) and straps of 18-20 mm width.
This adjustable buckle is ideal for larger watches on smaller wrists as these tend to roll around the wrist.
Roland Iten RWC09 adjustable buckle
Customizable on request
And if you want something extra-special or unique, you can ask Roland Iten to customize the adjustment disk.
Best of all, though, is the price
And best of all, this adjustable watch strap buckle is a rare Roland Iten product in that it’s both very useful and relatively affordable. From 1,890 Swiss francs, it’s by no means cheap, but the quality is excellent. And quality costs.
For more information or to order, please contact [email protected]. Note that the buckle, which is available now, has been exclusively pre-launched on Quill & Pad.
Quick Facts Roland Iten RWC09 Adjustable Watch Strap Buckle
Diameter: 25 mm
Weight: 15 grams
Mechanism: patented RWC09 adjustment buckle
Materials: titanium and steel
Complexity: 16 components
Size of strap: two options 16-18 mm or 18-20 mm strap width, maximum strap thickness at shortest hole 2.5 mm for pin buckles, 3 mm for folding buckles.
Price: 1,890-2’290 Swiss francs depending on materials Swiss francs (excluding shipping and taxes if applicable)
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Affordable? That pricing is rediculous. I can get a Rolex braclet fot that money. Or an entire entry level mechanical watch from a mid level Swiss brand.
I didn’t say affordable Michael, I deliberately stated relatively affordable. And I’m well aware of what else you can buy for that money. Roland Iten’s mechanical buckle is not for those buying Rolexes and mid-level watches, but rather for those fortunate few who can afford the likes of F.P.Journe and Akrivia. Like high end mechanical watches, quality costs.
Regards, Ian
This ain’t the product for you pal
It must be fun for you being able to get products for free to “review,” so you can rationalize and justify and minimize their absurd prices. That you can write it with a supposedly straight face is outrageous! What planet do you live on?
I do enjoy being able to handle high-end watches and the like, it’s not only a perk of my job, it is my job. I do have to give them back though. I’m not sure what you mean by having to rationalize the prices. Any mechanical watch is a luxury, whether it costs $100 or $100,000. I don’t feel the need to rationalize anything, most of the things we write about are way beyond my budget, but that doesn’t make them absurdly priced. Is a Porsche or a Ferrari absurdly priced just because you can’t afford it?
I am happy that there are collectors out there with much deeper pockets than mine, as without them these fantastic watches and buckles would not exist.
Regards, Ian
I do not think this is an issue to criticize you over.
However this not even a “relatively affordable” product – it is indeed plain outrageous even if you factor in that Mr. Iten deserves an extra margin for having had a great idea, does not mass produce etc.
So to put my previous writers sentiment in different words:
It is totally fine e.g. if someone sits 200, 300 or more hours at a bench to build a watch by hand and then charges 5 or low to medium 6 figures for it.
Medium to high 6 figures for the same watch just because “I can” – also fine as long as you accept that some people will call you and rightfully so, greedy. An issue that beset a lot of people and brands in the industry. Again this is already factoring in and having no problem that certain ideas, names or brands just cost extra for no apparent reason.
What about Rolex where it’e nearly all robots and nobody at a bench?
Hi Max (or anyone else),
This is a serious question: What do you think a successful independent watchmaker should do if his making a high quality watch in small quantities that he sells at say $80,000. That pays him a good wage, reimburses his development costs over a few years, allows him to develop his next watch, and pays for any staff and other admin/marketing expenses he has. He is making 50 watches a year and doesn’t want to grow any bigger than that otherwise he becomes a full time CEO instead of a watchmaker, which is what he loves.
Then he sees that his watches are in demand, he has a long waiting list, and his watches are being flipped for first $100,000, then $120,000, and they keep going up on the secondary market.
Are his watch ‘worth’ $80,000 (what it costs him) or $120,000 (what collectors are willing to pay)? And, assuming it looks like his watches will be oversubscribed for many years to come (like Dufour or Roger Smith), is it fair that extra perceived value goes to the flipper or should the watchmaker increase his price to $120,000?
Regards, Ian
And there’s another independent watchmaker who has a similarly sized set up and has put just as much work into his watch which he sells for $80,000, which he thinks is a fair price. But he isn’t very good on social media and he comes across as a bit gruff to his clients. And his brown (his favorite color) over fired enamel dial isn’t a crowd favorite.
His watches sell on the secondary market for $40,000 and he is struggling to sell any at all. Are his watches worth $80,000 (what the cost him to make) or $40,000 (what somebody is prepared to pay)? Should be drop his retail price to generate enough cash flow so he can hopefully develop a more successful model?
And answer to my previous comment should also hold true for this one.
Regards, Ian
Regards, Ian
Thank you for the interesting article. I think the mechanics of the buckle nicely match the topic of mechanical watches. I think the price is relatively affordable to most people collecting watches and having the need to solve this strap issue.
To those outraged by the article: why read this publication if you find articles about expensive mechanical devices intolerable?
I’m happy to live in a world where there are good quality options at all price levels and for all budgets.
Regards, Ian
Except he’s not selling a watch. I have a well stocked watch collection myself including most of the major brands. I e paid silly prices for items I’ve wanted. This though does not relate to any of your examples and is just absurd.
What kind of lunatic completely detached from reality would use the word “affordable” in the context of a 1900CHF (plus shipping and taxes) strap with buckle?! i’ve read your pathetic excuse for “relatively”. you’re just making it worse, by explaining that “it’s affordable for those buying FP Journe and Akrivia”. newsflash, mr Ian, for them money is never a factor, unless they’re debating between investing X tens of millions in company A or Y tens of millions on company B. so can you even put a scale on how nonsensical and detached from reality the word “affordable” fits in this article? about a 150 on a scale 1-10
I spent $5,800 on a new deployant clasp from Patek Philippe for my 5905R annual calendar. This $1,900 buckle is a bargain. Anyone criticizing the product or the author isn’t in the short list of people who Mr. Iten would care about. Enjoy your Camrys and Seikos, losers.