I don't get this gra for NATO straps

peasant

that some people have.

I think they're awful actually

When I got this in the post yesterday


I had the NATO strap already bought for it. Not because I wanted a NATO strap, but because I wanted a grey strap to match the center colour of the watch and a NATO one was the only one I could find.

Sure ..it matches the colour perfectly ...but it's crap

Ok ...so this watch wasn't really meant for a NATO strap ...but 99% of the watches that end up on one weren't meant for them either.

What annoys me so much about them ...well I've worn one for one day and here's a comprehensive list of all the faults I've discoverd with it so far:

It's too bloody long ...which means you have to loop the excess around the second keeper which means you have a bulge on the side of your wrist ...a very annoying bulge.

You can't cut the bloody thing either, because holes are so tightly spaced, there is no "meat" inbetween to cut it.

Then there is this other keeper on the opposite side of the bulge ..so two annoying bulges.

It attracts dirt ...one day and the overlapping parts are already a different shade of grey than the bits underneath (guess that's why it's washable)

It's too thin and already loosing shape. The bit that isn't doubled up is already assuming a U-shape because the edges are curling up

It's uncomfortable ...not the strap as auch, that's fine ...but the lumps and bumps are annoying.

In short ...why anyone would willingly and knowingly ditch a perfectly serviceable strap for one of these pieces of crap is beyond me (other than in an emergency)

As for Rolexes and Omegas on Nato's ....paleeeze :rolleyes:

Bullseye1

Not a fan of those either. Not a fan of mesh although some people love them.

Mycroft H

I like natos!

They look cool

There comfortable coming from a reisin strap that I had to take off every couple of hours.

Easy to clean, just throw it in the washing machine, job done.

And they will last forever

Mycroft H

Going OT but that is a nice looking watch peasant

marcus1971

Never had one and don't want to ever get one.....although,
I have seen pics of some watches that look awesone on NATOs or ZULUs..

http://www.acquiremag.com/style/watches/tudor-heritage-chrono.php

Seen some 1016 & 5500 Explorers that looked good on them too,
Daniel Craig seems to favour them on his Rolex when he is him and not the Bond fella, the smaller watches seem to look ok on them, from a distance anyway.
(Is Rolex the pl. of Rolex? or is it Rolexexes? or Rolex' or Rolexsis? or just plain old Rolexs....ahh who cares)

I would imagine wearing a watch on one wouldn't feel to good though, the balance must be all top heavy and they always look too wide with the double looping and all.

Maybe they are best left to fixed springbars where they belong.


* The agreed method for shortening them according to the blokes that like them appears to be melting the excess off withthe edge of an iron or for putting extra holes in: the tip of a soldering iron.

Wibbs

I love em. Fave strap by far. I find them comfortable and secure. That said most of my watches are fixed bar or military issued so... I like the diff non standard colour options out there. The rest would be leather strapped. I could never ever abide bracelets of any kind. Made me sweaty and always knew the watch was there.

Wibbs

marcus1971 wrote: »

The agreed method for shortening them according to the blokes that like them appears to be melting the excess off withthe edge of an iron or for putting extra holes in: the tip of a soldering iron.

This. Cut the length with a scissors and then melt the edges. I've a skinny wrist so I've done this in the past

marcus1971

Wibbs wrote: »

I love em. Fave strap by far. I find them comfortable and secure. That said most of my watches are fixed bar or military issued so... I like the diff non standard colour options out there. The rest would be leather strapped. I could never ever abide bracelets of any kind. Made me sweaty and always knew the watch was there.

Ever tried a paracord watchband?, I've seen a few military types wearing them here in the states.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUUxriu9PTk&feature=related

Wibbs

That's pretty cool.

Wibbs

I have to say for me the single most irritating strap I've worn is the Bund style one.

I have the Heuer Bund watch so figured Id go the whole hog. I wear one of the full cuff style straps on a Trench watch I have and that's very comfortable, but god the Bund really irritated me. I lasted about an hour before it went in the drawer and it remains there mint to this day. Slapped on a NATO and never looked back. I'm not keen on the tropic/divers style strap either. Meh I'm just odd.

peasant

I think the Bund(eswehr) strap wasn't designed to be comfortable, but rather to protect valuable issued equipment from common soldiers' wrist sweat.:D

Same as Bundeswehr boots aren't comfortable ...just extremely durable (I still got a pair of mine 20 years and lots of abuse later)

Bullseye1

Nice Heuer.

Wibbs

Yea they are. Designed for Italian air force by Leonidas. Later when Heuer bought that brand the Luftwaffe bought them in for the same purpose. The Swedish air force later used them too*. Here's my actual one(the only chrono I have);

Handwind, flyback chrono function(reset to zero as its running) no date and on a NATO strap. The picture doesn't show it well, but the colour of the strap bands match the aged tritium lume on the dial and hands very nicely. Its sits nicer and far more comfortably on the wrist than on the official Bund strap.





*Mine doesn't have the Bund issue marks on the back and all the numbers match so it's not a later back. It's also the lowest serial I've so far seen for one. Circa 1967. They weren't officially offered to the public until the late 70's and then only in small numbers I gather so an early unmarked one is unusual(it also has shiny as opposed to the standard matt pushers and crown). When the Luftwaffe updated their needs they sold off their stock to Sinn who refurbed them(de lumed, new dials, sometimes with Sinn on the dial) and sold them through ads in various magazines. The Germans always had very nice and expensive taste in issued watches. Flash buggers, though being sensible as Germans tend to be they have no issue selling them off at the end of their requirements. Get the few quid back. Only the Italians and the French would be near them on the flash score IMHO(the French Breuguet type 20 series is wrist orgasm time). The American stuff is very mundane in general with cost being everything. The Brits defo have their moments though. Moreso with their army unit issues. The odd Rolexes for feck sake.

Bullseye1

How would a leather strap or black bracelet look on that Bund?

Bullseye1

BTW I did a quick google on that Heuer and see Sinn also produced that model. Were Heuer and Sinn linked in the past?

Wibbs

Not quite. As I said in the post above "When the Luftwaffe updated their needs they sold off their stock to Sinn who refurbed them(de lumed, new dials, sometimes with Sinn on the dial) and sold them through ads in various magazines". Basically they approached him to refurb and sell of the military stock. Sinn went on to make a similar design watch, only with an auto movement and no link to Heuer(AFAIR no parts are interchangeable).

EDIT here's a comparison between the two http://forum.atgvintagewatches.com/showthread.php?t=621

If you see one like this;

It's a Heuer under the bonnet, with a Sinn redial and refurbishment. Many if not most of the Heuer branded Bunds you see today may have passed through Sinn too. The really anal collectors can tell by the dials, the size of the Heuer logo and if the numerals 8 and 4 have cut off top edges where they meet the subdials.

m4r10

Back to the Nato straps, I had to try one and really wanted to like it, as it was complementing the watch, but it ended up in the drawer. It wasn't meant to replace the original bracelet, especially because that is so comfortable, but it felt very flimsy and the watch kept spining around my wrist as I couldn't get the right balance (in fairness, the watch head is very heavy and probably the Nato would wotk on a lighter watch).

peasant

D'oh ...I've just realised that I've been doing it wrong!

I've looped the strap the wrong way round .. So I've changed it to the correct way round and I must say ...




...no difference whatsoever ...still hate it
The bulges have swapped wrist sides, but they are still annoying the heck out of me

Bullseye1

Are they not meant to be worn over cloths and not directly on skin?

Wibbs

Thinking more on this.... I've a theory. My wrist is small, but it's also more angular, less round. It has a distinct platform for the watch head. Even without a strap my wrist would rotate a fair bit before it fell off. IE in cross section it would be a D with the flat bit where a watch would sit. So m4r10's problem with a watch revolving on a NATO just wouldn't come into it for me. Even if I dial back a notch or even two in the strap it ain't spinning. The back of the watch hits the edge of the wrist plateau. However on the same D wrist a bracelet might(and is for me) be more uncomfortable as it's inner shape(esp with a large watch) is more an O. The O shape wrist would suit that much better. Maybe that's it?





PS I love the colours in m4r10's NATO.

Reloc8

The thinking behind them is that even if your watch breaks a springbar you won't lose the watch head, unlike with a conventional bracelet or two piece strap.

I quite like them and find them comfortable on my 8 inch wrist. I find they are pretty good even with a large heavy watch e.g. my Seiko Marinemaster.

That said, except on Diver style and some pilot watches I agree they look pretty awful.

Genghiz Cohen

Any interest in these?

peasant

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Any interest in these?

Unless you lovingly made these yourself, by lamplight, on the the old pedal powered sewing machine your gran left you (in which case they are, of course, absolutely wonderful and fantastic) ...they look to me like the worst possible outcome of a threesome between a bund, nato and velcro strap ...'orrible.

m4r10

Not to mention that, apparently, according to the pictures, you need to wear the watch the other way around, so other people can tell the time and not you. That way, a whole lot of people can admire the combo: "Excuse me sir, can you tell me what time is it on my beautiful Panerai which is attached on this lovely strap?".

Reloc8

No offence mate but by god they're awful.

Bullseye1

The Submariner looks beautiful though. I've discovered my next grail.

Mycroft H

My casio diver on a NATO

Bullseye1

That's a very nice looking Casio.