Thinking of buying a shark mesh for my PO. Looking for a bit of advice, I've noticed there are 2 major clasps on a shark mesh. A seat belt style and your standard hinged deployment style. Which one is the best ???. I'd be a bit nervous of the seat beat clasp coming undone and loosing my watch !, even thought this style is on the current Omega replacement mesh braclet. Then the standard hinged deployment clasp, a safer bet but tend to be fitted on non original bracelets, so would I be compromising on quality ?. Could I have an Omega hinged deployment clasp fitted to an original Omega Shark mesh ?.. Expensive way to go me thinks !.. Hinged deployment clasp, and the seat belt style clasp. (pic's off the net)
The clasp on the Omega mesh is fiddly to put on the first 20 or so times, then it becomes second nature. Its also fiddly to take off until you get the hang of it, but its unbelievably strong, the two teeth that hold the buckle in are thick, and held under pressure from a very serious spring inside the clasp. When you compare it to the actual securing mechanism in your PO bracelet (which is two bits of sprung steel wire that snap in place around a knob on the inside of the clasp) you can appreciate how tough the seat belt clasp really is. Now if you really are concerned, you can fit an Omega PloProf deployant with micro-adjuster for $325 from Ofrei, and it is arguably the best clasp on any watch right now with its millimetre fine micro-adjuster mechanism, and heavy steel construction. But you'd mainly be buying it for the adjuster, as the seat belt is one very tough nut to crack.
Never liked single deployants because the clasp never sits evenly on the bottom of my wrist. The best I've tried is the IWC Portofino, and I still took that off in favor of a regular strap and tang. I like the way that seatbelt style looks because it's more like a tang buckle.
The Rolex Submariner bracelet is the worst for that, it never lines up unless you're an absolute fatty and have a lot of links on each side. No offense to... fatties.
HMMM.. Thinking about it I suppose the seat beat clasp has to be good. To use it for diving as intended you wouldn't want your prize dive watch coming off and sinking to the depths !. Thanks guys.
I have the seatnelt mesh strap for my 2254. It is definately one of the best. I highly recommend it for an alternative to the Ploprof's bracelet.
Explanation of the ploprof clasp swap here: http://omegaforums.net/threads/mesh-bracelet-on-the-way.211/
I personally think that the seat belt clasp is suitable for anybody. I brought my daughter one and I have recieved no comments as of yet!
