THE LOWDOWN ON STRAPS - GUIDE TO WATCH STRAPS

For obvious reasons, straps and bracelets are a critical component to both the intended usage and the visual aesthetic of their paired timepiece. Per the title, this article is all things straps

A strap can either make or break a timepiece (literally if your use exceeds the capability of your chosen strap and springbars).

With such, the strap market is absolutely saturated with categories, manufacturers, retailers, and quality levels. HOW DO YOU DECIDE.

Here, we'll strive to provide a general break down of categories/types (including use case specific), materials, reputable manufacturers and retailers, and the various levels of quality available.

 

• Categories

- Two Piece: Two piece strap are just that, two individual pieces that independently attach to the chosen timepiece's lugs. Great for aesthetic, not always the best option for labored use.

- NATO Pass Through: The NATO strap has a long history, they are the pass through strap at it’s roots. Purposeful design for secure retention of timepieces used as tools in warfare.

- Zulu Pass Through: The zulu is similar in design as the NATO, to over simplify, their primary differentiator is in their hardware (round loops for zulu, typically more squared loops for NATO)

- General Pass Through: While not a technical category, this is just what we would toss in all other pass through style straps.

 

• Materials

 To name a few of the most common material types utilized for straps: Nylon, Leather, Rubber, Cordura, Canvas.

 

• Manufacturers & Retailers 

The amount of various manufacturers and retailers on the market is absolutely extensive.

For the beginner especially, it can be difficult to balance quality and cost for an appropriate return of investment if the buyer isn't aware of what to look for.

WIth such, here are some of the primary manufacturers and retailers (along with some of their products) that we consider reasonably balanced in quality and cost for their given price ranges.

1. Affordable

The term 'affordable' is extremely relative, but for this use case we're going to $20ish or less range.

-  CWC G10: The CWC NATO strap is a well established classic, it is the current issue strap used by the British MOD. For what you're paying and what you're getting, this guy is an EASY recommend.

- Watchmens Guild CWC G10: Of course if we're going to reccomend the original, it's a given to recommend our own! Our Classic Strap is the CWC G10 NATO customized with our logo and motto. Our goal was to utilize a well established strap that came in at entry level affordability allowing the end user who wanted to support WG to do so with confidence in quality while being attainable for all!

- Crown & Buckle: While we do not have personal experience with them and cannot personally speak to the quality level, C&B is a well known and well utilized brand for affordable (maybe even cheap???) straps of all varieties (we most often here of their use of nylon pass throughs though).

 

2. Middle Ground

This range, we're considering $20-75.

- Watches of Espionage ("Five Eye" line & "Glomar" line): Our very first recommend out the gate is one of our personal favorites, WOE's "Five Eye" & "Glomar" lines! These are nylon NATOs that are the perfect middle ground of relative affordability and quality! The "Five Eye" line is a traditional metal buckle and two keeper NATO. The "Glomar" is a hook and loop with a nylon keeper strap (these are a personal favorite).

- Bark & Jack: Bark & Jack is owned and operated by Watch Influencer/YouTuber Adrian Barker. We have not personally tried out his offerings, but have heard great things and plan to pick up a few in the foreseeable future!

- Zulu Diver: Zulu Diver is another mid tier, we do not have massive experience with them aside from their leather zulu strap; but from our personal experience thus far have found them to be a reasonable option.

 - Andrew Hafferty Custom Straps: While not a massive manufacturer/retailer, Andrew produces both Cordura and Hypalon rubber pass through straps at an attainable pricepoint. We are partial to him for both types! Find him on Facebook and email "ahaff4782@charter.net".

- Pre Owned/Buy Sell Trade Threads: While this isn't a manufacturer or retailer technically, we simply can't ignore the validity of pre owned venues! Whether ebay or a buy sell trade (BST) thread on your preferred Facebook group (check out our Watchmens Guild FB Community Group! For additional reputable venues, check out Sketchy Boys Watch Club and Anti Watch Watch Club to find these threads as well). 

 

3. High End:

Finally, $75 and up. Note, these manufacturers are what we consider to be premium for their respective categories while also maintaining relative price points congruent with their reputation and extreme quality levels.

- Zulu Alpha Straps: ZA Straps is a premium strap company based in the UK. They are renowned within the space and used by many (especially within the tool watch niche). We have had several of their nylon options and are especially partial to their WOE collab pieces and OTAN. Their relatively recent endeavor into pass through leather straps has seemed well accepted as well and we intend to try one out in time.

- Zanes Handmade (Leather Straps): Zanes Handmade specializes in leather pass through straps. His straps are unique in their known thickness in contrast to most other leather strap manufacturers (you either love it or hate it, we find ourselves ascribing to the first). He manufactures in batches so keep a keen eye out for drops!

- Soturi: Last but not least, Soturi produces a variety of strap offerings but we have had a hard focus for sometime on his Cordura offerings such as the pass through Defender Cordura version (PLEASE make Ranger Green) and the two piece cordura Diplomat.

 

 

Final Notes.

Reiterating from the beginning, watch straps are an undoubted critical component to your timepiece.

In our humble opinion, the beauty of straps ultimately comes down to the unlimited customization that they provide to the end user allowing them to make any watch their own.

We hope this writeup helps you in your journey with straps and quite possibly added a item or two towards that Christmas wish list you'll soon be sharing with your wife.

 

Virtus. Validus. Tempus.

-Hunter