Need a Secondary Watch Band or Strap? Know This Before You Buy!
So you got a new watch, but you want to buy some more straps and bands for it. This is common. Most watch owners have at least two watch bands for their favorite watches. The two most popular types of watch bands are bracelets and leather bands.
Types of Watch Bands
Watch bracelets are commonly made of stainless steel with individual links for adjusting to the wearers wrist size. On higher end watches, these bracelets are made of precious metals usually to match the case of the watch.
Leather watch bands are very popular for dress watches and the usual everyday watch. Sometimes on lower end pieces, this "leather" is just a synthetic material, and this material usually corrodes very quickly and breaks apart. Leather bands are a go to style colder weather as well. The only downfall to wearing a leather band frequently is that they can begin to smell, and are not meant to be in or near water.
NATO and ZULU straps are picking up in popularity more and more. These straps are made of nylon or in some cases the same material as your car's seat belt. The NATO strap has it's origin the British Military. The beauty of wearing a NATO strap is the security that comes with it; the watch will not fall off the wrist if a single spring bar fails! ON a conventional watch strap, if one spring bar fails, or breaks, the watch falls off of the wrist potentially destroying the watch. NATO straps are stylish no matter the price point, and adds character to your timepiece.
Rubber or silicone watch straps are usually used on sport watches and diver's. These are very versatile and recommended for every watch collection. They are waterproof, strong, and long lasting. They come in many colors to match your style or features on the watch!
In recent years, magnetic closure straps have become more available. I do not recommend these at all! Let me explain. The three enemies of a watch are water, shock (impact), and magnetic fields. Yes, that also means large speakers and the like. This is especially rough for automatic timepieces! When individual gears and the like become magnetized, it will effect the performance and condition of the movement. The only remedy is to get your watch "demagnetized" at your local watch maker or jeweler. Expensive service depending on the company. Never allow a magnet to rest that close to your watch.
What Watch Bands and Straps Should I Buy?
Just like with watches, there are price points and name brands that dictate whether or not you are buying a quality product. You get what you pay for!
Bracelet Checklist: Solid link ends (not folded), heavier metal weight, color matches the watch case.
Leather Checklist: Genuine leather!!! Not too stiff but not flimsy either. Stitched or sewn around the outside of the band for durability, correct color top match your belt and shoe choice.
NATO Checklist: Must be sewn around each loop ring, made of quality materials that feel sturdy and hold up to being wet without losing color, and correct sizing
Rubber/Silicone Checklist: Thicker rubber is usually a sign of quality. the only exception I can think of is found on the entry level Casio G-SHOCK DW-5600. If you have a diver's watch, you need a rubber strap for it. End of story.
Magnetic Band Checklist: Do not buy it! For your watches sake...
My Top Trusted Brands
Archer Watch Straps, Wrist Candy Watch Club, Barton Watch Bands, Fullmosa, and many more!
Add your favorite watch band companies below in the comments!
Call to Action
Thank you for reading! Be sure to subscribe to TheDPud.com and "Join the Crew" on the main page! Also make sure you only purchase through our Amazon link to help out the blog! Oh yeah, one other thing... buy some blog merch! :-) See you next time!
Types of Watch Bands
Watch bracelets are commonly made of stainless steel with individual links for adjusting to the wearers wrist size. On higher end watches, these bracelets are made of precious metals usually to match the case of the watch.
Leather watch bands are very popular for dress watches and the usual everyday watch. Sometimes on lower end pieces, this "leather" is just a synthetic material, and this material usually corrodes very quickly and breaks apart. Leather bands are a go to style colder weather as well. The only downfall to wearing a leather band frequently is that they can begin to smell, and are not meant to be in or near water.
NATO and ZULU straps are picking up in popularity more and more. These straps are made of nylon or in some cases the same material as your car's seat belt. The NATO strap has it's origin the British Military. The beauty of wearing a NATO strap is the security that comes with it; the watch will not fall off the wrist if a single spring bar fails! ON a conventional watch strap, if one spring bar fails, or breaks, the watch falls off of the wrist potentially destroying the watch. NATO straps are stylish no matter the price point, and adds character to your timepiece.
Rubber or silicone watch straps are usually used on sport watches and diver's. These are very versatile and recommended for every watch collection. They are waterproof, strong, and long lasting. They come in many colors to match your style or features on the watch!
In recent years, magnetic closure straps have become more available. I do not recommend these at all! Let me explain. The three enemies of a watch are water, shock (impact), and magnetic fields. Yes, that also means large speakers and the like. This is especially rough for automatic timepieces! When individual gears and the like become magnetized, it will effect the performance and condition of the movement. The only remedy is to get your watch "demagnetized" at your local watch maker or jeweler. Expensive service depending on the company. Never allow a magnet to rest that close to your watch.
What Watch Bands and Straps Should I Buy?
Just like with watches, there are price points and name brands that dictate whether or not you are buying a quality product. You get what you pay for!
Bracelet Checklist: Solid link ends (not folded), heavier metal weight, color matches the watch case.
Leather Checklist: Genuine leather!!! Not too stiff but not flimsy either. Stitched or sewn around the outside of the band for durability, correct color top match your belt and shoe choice.
NATO Checklist: Must be sewn around each loop ring, made of quality materials that feel sturdy and hold up to being wet without losing color, and correct sizing
Rubber/Silicone Checklist: Thicker rubber is usually a sign of quality. the only exception I can think of is found on the entry level Casio G-SHOCK DW-5600. If you have a diver's watch, you need a rubber strap for it. End of story.
Magnetic Band Checklist: Do not buy it! For your watches sake...
My Top Trusted Brands
Archer Watch Straps, Wrist Candy Watch Club, Barton Watch Bands, Fullmosa, and many more!
Add your favorite watch band companies below in the comments!
Call to Action
Thank you for reading! Be sure to subscribe to TheDPud.com and "Join the Crew" on the main page! Also make sure you only purchase through our Amazon link to help out the blog! Oh yeah, one other thing... buy some blog merch! :-) See you next time!
Hirsch, Haveston and Collareb(a bit expensive) are all fantastic options for straps too. Dave, you should have covered perlon watch straps! They are so comfortable in hot climates as spring (hopefully) comes around, Wrist Candy should sell those. Good list and recommendations otherwise!
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