MoT's WDF

What's your favorite watch strap or bracelet? Pick up to two (winter/summer, water/dry land, dress/casual, whatever).

(Note to Tapatalk users--this contains a poll.)

Link and leather. If I could pick more, I'd throw canvas in. I haven't had a MN strap, but I'd really like to try one.

Tough choice for me but my top pick is a good bracelet. I also really like being able to change straps quickly and easy so I'm a big fan of both drilled lugs and straps with quick-release spring bars. I think NATOs look great but don't love the extra thickness under the watch case so I tend to go for Zulus and 2-pieces NATOs.

Too hard. Dive watches I like with either canvas or natos. Leather for dresss watches. Some watches were just made to live on a link bracelet.

Not a fan of milanese, 2-piece natos or rubber / silicone.

Great question!

If I could only choose one it would have to be a bracelet (president or oyster style over jubilee/mesh/milanese/beads of rice/etc).

I had my eyes opened over the last year when I purchased the Alpina Startimer from the bay and it came on a really soft "textile" strap (cordura nylon?). Not saying it's the best out there, but it opened my eyes beyond the bracelet, traditional nato, pilot style leather straps which had been my meager prior experience.

A nice nato would be my 2nd place for their versatility, although personally I prefer the feel of a supple silicone strap.

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I voted mesh and rubber. A watch made for mesh, with a quality mesh bracelet, is just dreamy.

I really want to like NATO, I keep buying them, but they just don't seem to fit right.
I've even tried the alternate underwrist method of wearing them, which sort of works for me.

Might need to explore the 2-piece, Erika's style, or canvas instead.

Link bracelet, mesh bracelet, or leather for me typically.

I strongly prefer a good oem bracelet for both comfort and look. I have been warming up to other options more lately though.

I used to be all about bracelets, but lately I’ve begun to favor the practicality of a good NATO for ease of swapping. I happily wear them to work in business attire without any concern. I've become a big fan of Crown and Buckle's single-pass option Supreme NATOs (seatbelt-like) lately and plan to get more. I'm interested to try their Chevron adjustable offering too, but they need to get them back in stock!

I otherwise also like a good leather watch strap as they can be really comfortable after they break in. I also like a bit of contrast from the watch case with the material of the strap sometimes.

There's some I haven't tried though in the poll so my preferences may change! I'm particularly curious to get a Marine Nationale at some point. I also have a canvas watch strap on the way, which will be my first, from UncleSeiko for a Save The Ocean Samurai that I have coming in.

I am not a bracelet guy at all, though I have never tried a mesh bracelet. Give me leather all the way. Second for me is NATO, though I really like canvas too. I just got an Erika's a couple weeks ago. It is very comfortable, but I have a hell of a time clasping it. Maybe it's user error. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Boourns wrote:I just got an Erika's a couple weeks ago. It is very comfortable, but I have a hell of a time clasping it. Maybe it's user error. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It gets easier with practice. Trust me.

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Bracelet, rubber & Nato primarily with the occasional canvas. Depends on the watch or what I'm doing usually.

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TheJohnP wrote:I really want to like NATO, I keep buying them, but they just don't seem to fit right.
I've even tried the alternate underwrist method of wearing them, which sort of works for me.

Might need to explore the 2-piece, Erika's style, or canvas instead.

Link bracelet, mesh bracelet, or leather for me typically.

I am with you 100%. I want to love them. I have ordered probably 20 of them. They look great in pictures, but in real life, I hate all the extra material and hardware. And from a practicality standpoint they are great.

I too have tried the down under method, which is better, but with some straps the parts where they melt everything together that is normally not against your wrist becomes scratchy (hello blu shark). I keep thinking I will like them someday, but for now, I think they look terrible on wrist. Yet at least 2 of my watches are on NATOs as we speak.

Damn you NATOs!!!!!!!

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Dub Rubb wrote: ↑Mon Feb 04, 2019 8:42 pm

TheJohnP wrote:I really want to like NATO, I keep buying them, but they just don't seem to fit right.
I've even tried the alternate underwrist method of wearing them, which sort of works for me.

Might need to explore the 2-piece, Erika's style, or canvas instead.

Link bracelet, mesh bracelet, or leather for me typically.

I am with you 100%. I want to love them. I have ordered probably 20 of them. They look great in pictures, but in real life, I hate all the extra material and hardware. And from a practicality standpoint they are great.

I too have tried the down under method, which is better, but with some straps the parts where they melt everything together that is normally not against your wrist becomes scratchy (hello blu shark). I keep thinking I will like them someday, but for now, I think they look terrible on wrist. Yet at least 2 of my watches are on NATOs as we speak.

Damn you NATOs!!!!!!!

Sent from my LG-M322 using Tapatalk

My first nato was from Fossil ("Polyester 22mm Watch Strap"). Its material is thinner and finer than the Ague natos I picked up -- maybe 2/3 as thick. The Fossil isn't cheap, just finer, and I like it. And I really like Fossil's free (and easy) returns. They seem to always have some on sale for $8 here and shipping is free.

I bought a watch with a zulu strap with its large rings and returned it. Maybe it was just a bad pairing for the watch, but I've not looked at zulus since.

I would like to try an RAF nato. It has a fabric keeper instead of the hardware, and I've seen some that are designed to not loop back so it's less bulky. Maybe that's not cricket, but watevs.

I have 2 Erika's MN straps that are dedicated to their parent watches. They're very comfortable to wear.

I also like a Barton rubber strap on my diver. I like the way the keeper is designed to grab the strap end.

My other choice is a RAF nato. After wearing one, standard nato straps seem over complicated and ugly.

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