Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.
A nice watch strap can bring new life to your old watch or make your daily-wearer even more versatile. With how inexpensive many of today’s fabric watch straps are, it’s easy to have a drawer full of favorites that you can swap to on a whim. Whether you favor slip through straps or classic two piece, this list will have something you for.
1) Cheapest Nato Straps: Regimental Strap
Cheapest Nato Straps delivers what their name promises. Sure, the hardware they use isn’t the highest quality and the nylon is no Cordura, but they have a seemingly endless array of different styles. You could even buy several variants simply to see how they look on wrist and then invest in a similarly styled, higher quality strap. That said, the vast majority of people find CNS straps to be ridiculously nice straps for the price, and I suspect you’ll find yourself buying additional colorways from them after your first purchase rather than choosing to go with a seemingly higher quality brand.
Available for $8 from Cheapest Nato Straps.
2) Clockwork Synergy: 2-Piece Perlon in Light Grey
Perlon (a type of nylon) has been around for ages. As have Perlon watch straps, but they’re increasing in popularity and are quickly becoming the new go-to strap (so look out, Nato). Clockwork Synergy’s 2-Piece Perlon Strap is made from braided Perlon, which makes sizing a dream–simply insert the tang of the buckle in between strands. And beyond that the stretchy nature of the material makes these straps incredibly comfortable to wear.
Available for $12 from Clockwork Synergy.
3) MiLTAT: Canvas Watch Strap with Deployment Clasp
MiLTAT is many people’s go-to brand for watch straps and bracelets. Sure, they’re a bit pricier than much of the competition but you’ll see that additional cost reflected in both the design and material/construction quality. Their Canvas Watch Strap is made of double-layered canvas with thick stitches, and features a deployment clasp. This closure method is a favorite of many as it opens in two directions (making it easy to put on and secure) and the lack of a tang prevents it from wearing out the straps sizing holes.
Like this? Read these:
Available for $63 from Strap Code.
4) Watch Gecko: ZULUDIVER Seat Belt
Honesty, what can be said about Watch Gecko’s watch straps that hasn’t already been said? They make great straps for the price with a large combination of materials/colors/sizes, so you’ll definitely be able to find one you like. The ZULUDIVER Seat Belt, as its name implies, is a Zulu style strap (i.e. a slip-through strap where the end slips through a piece of hardware attached to an extra layer of fabric) made to look like the classic seat belt. While this might not appeal to everyone it is certainly a unique look and something a bit different for your watch accessories drawer. (We all have one of those — right?)
Available for $21 from Watch Gecko.
5) Eulit: Canvas with Leather Lining
Eulit makes some truly great watch straps, like their Canvas with Leather Lining. It’s made from a high quality canvas fabric, and while the highly textured nature of this fabric might make it uncomfortable for some their use of a leather backing gets rid of this potential pitfall. It features one fixed strap keeper and one adjustable keeper, helping to ensure a solid strap experience regardless of wrist diameter.
Available for $35 from Holben’s Fine Watch Bands.
Plus One – SNRP Canvas
When you get into truly high-end watch straps there are a lot of options, and SNRP is among the best. Their Canvas Strap is actually primarily made of Horween leather, but with a canvas wrap around it. This fabric is intended to fray with wear. You can keep it nice and clean by trimming and singeing the edges of the fabric or embrace the nature wear marks. Not totally sold on the style of SNRP’s canvas strap? They have dozen of different designs — all unique and all fantastic.
Available for $270 from SNRP.
