Watch straps make a difference in the way a watch looks. By changing the strap on a watch, the timepiece becomes new again – offering freshness and change for both men’s and women’s watches.
Among the hottest trends on the market right now for men is the donning of a NATO strap or a vulcanized rubber strap to take a classic watch to urban sporty in a matter of minutes. For women, the interchangeable concept is not particularly new. For years, many fashion-forward brands have offered bracelets, silk straps and leather straps that can be changed by the wearer in a matter of seconds. Women’s watches often arrive with satin straps, printed and stamped leathers that emulate exotic leathers, and unusual skins.
More options
But for men, new materials now abound. Among the options: rubber backed with leather for comfort and fit; fabric NATO or military straps in a wealth of hues; vulcanized rubber with imprinted patterns.
One brand that excels in the world of custom-styled, high-quality watchstraps is Crown & Buckle, an on-line purveyor that offers affordable straps. The company specializes in nylon straps and spent the first half of 2013 developing a specially made NATO leather strap with a New York City leather goods purveyor, Logan Zane.
With six months of R&D, countless revisions and incredible detailing, the new Logan Zane straps (launched a few months ago) include green camouflage that is purposely designed to offer the true sportsman wrist versatility. Every strap is hand crafted in limited numbers in New York and some feature leather sourced in the U.S.A.
Similarly, Shinola – the Detroit-based watch brand that sprouted up just a year or so ago – uses domestically sourced leather straps. Its first series of watches featured vegetable-tanned leather straps from Hadley-Roma in Florida in addition to Horween leather from that Chicago-based company.
Rubber anyone?
For those who prefer the durability of a good rubber strap, U.S.-based Rubber B produces vulcanized rubber straps that offer a secure, integrated look for certain premium timepieces (including Rolex and Panerai). The straps are micro-calibrated and engineered to achieve full blocked integration so they are motionless and gap-free when mounted to the watch. Rubber B says it is among the first in the U.S. to manufacture such precise-fit rubber straps. This brand also turns to European sources for certain of its straps. For instance, the hand stitching in its Couture series is done in France, where they utilize Gore Tenara sewing thread because of its endurance against UV sunlight and salt water. Rubber B also holds patents on its vulcanized rubber straps that fight cracking, stretching or separation.
The key factors that play a role in selecting a new watch strap include fit, quality craftsmanship, proper materials for the task at hand, and – naturally – personal choice. The ever-expanding world of watch strap options today offer enthusiasts many opportunities to create truly customized watches.
