Review of the Artem Sailcloth with RM-style deployant

As per request from @42mmwasmadeingeneva here is a review of a strap/clasp pair that I own.

It should be noted that both products can be purchased independently from Artem. Also, don't mind the star rating, it makes little sense to give a rating for dial and movement here...

For those that don't know, Artem is a company that makes straps. Their straps are well made and expensive. They call the style here Sailcloth but it's some sort of plastic on top and the underside is rubber coated leather. I think the straps are a decent match if

• You want a strap for a bigger watch (they are substantial in thickness and take time until the break in).

• You are fine with black or blue.

• You can find you lug width and correct length.

• You are willing to pay a high price.

Their website gives a size guide, please ignore that because it doesn't add up. You shouldn't trust it and instead measure your wrist and ideally go by straps that you own. If your wrist is 16cm the short length will be optimal. Getting the perfect length is of utmost importance if you get it on the deployant.

Speaking of the deployant, it is a bit like the strap which is to say good but bulky.

Here is a picture next to a regular butterfly deployant.

This makes it look as if they are comparable. The RM-style (top) may appear bigger when worn though. Here's how they look when they are curved around the folding piece

As you can see the strap does not sit entirely flush with the blade. This is down primarily to the design of the deployant. The side without the holes cannot be pushed down further because the attachment system doesn't allow it (the cut out in the strap is too small). Speaking of attachment system, the short end is fixed by a screw. It must be held on both ends with a screwdriver while removing or putting in place. That's annoying. But what's even more annoying is that it will come out again unless you fix it with Loctite. At first I thought it was just shoddy quality but it was the screw coming off. With Loctite it stays put and feels sturdy (that's what Loctite is for so no surprise here). In general I am not a Loctite-Nazi but here it's really needed, I don't use it on any bracelets but I did put on some here. I got mine on a strap already and Artem didn't use Loctite, or at least not properly.

On the side with the holes it could go flush in theory but there is nothing preventing the "buckle" (ie the thing that you use to fix to the holes) to flare out (unlike with your regular butterfly deployants). The holes are very large (and so is the pin of the buckle) which means you need to punch big holes into a strap if you want to use the deployant elsewhere. Also, I would't rule out the possibility that the holes widen a little with time so that the strap "unbuckles" easily. Not an issue on the wrist and my strap is still good but there could be a slight chance that the buckle comes out while putting the watch on. Never happened to me but I thought I mention it. Also, the blades leave marks in the strap because they have pointy ends.

On the plus side, the leaf spring system is very secure and yet allows for a bit of stretch when the forearm flexes. It is very good. I haven't seen the one Richard Mille uses on their clasps (which this seems inspired by) but I believe Chatelain makes this system for the likes of Blancpain and I was hands on with that. I can say that while the Blancpain deployant was better finished, this feels just as solid.

Overall I would rate it better than most butterfly deployants with buttons. These however vary wildly in quality. The one shown in the image is an 18mm version from ABP Paris and it is excellent (and expensive) by the way. While most bargain clasps off eBay will likely be worse than this, most high quality OEM clasps are probably better but also much more expensive. As such this feels, in a way, appropriately priced in my opinion.

Much of the same comments I would say also applies to their Omega style clasp (which I also have). It is bulky, secure, better and more expensive than the cheap ones from eBay but worse (and cheaper) than one from Omega.