Advice for aftermarket NATO straps - opinions?

kip595 · Apr 27, 2020

So while this is primarily in regards to the Quartz Seamaster 300 I actually use for light diving, bear with me here: I have multiple watches that have the same lug width of 20mm, including divers and general sport models. With summer coming on, I'd like to pick up several new NATOs for beach and outdoor wear not only with the Seamaster but to be interchangeable with the others if it suits the occasion (think bbq's, parties, etc....providing quarantine here eventually actually ends).

My point is, while I love Omega produced products, for this goal I really just want the straps to be of durable quality and reasonably comfortable. While I doubt anything will be as 'nice' as an OEM strap, there's also how incongruous an Omega-branded strap would be on one of my other brands like a Heuer or Seiko.

So, before anyone gets their hackles raised; I agree, Omega probably does make the best NATO for an Omega. I'd just like to hear folks' thoughts on what company or companies currently make good solid straps, preferably in Nylon or some other fabric, that aren't branded to a specific watch company and might represent not only a good value but provide variety. My thinking is that if I'm rotating between 3 or 4 watches buying a few, or even two, different straps for the price of an Omega-made one could be a better idea. I'm sure some will disagree and that's totally okay, different strokes and all that. But any thoughts on outside makers are appreciated.

*Almost forgot, a friend of mine wears his Seiko on a Mora, I believe, and he quite likes it. So right now I'm considering that as an option, but just wanted further input on what's currently out there I might have missed/might be new.

As always, thanks!

amfalconer · Apr 27, 2020

I have a couple of Phoenix straps, which whilst not a patch on the Omega ones, I’m pretty pleased with them.

They’re supposed to be the original manufacturer and supplier to the armed forces, but the colour choices are a bit limited, as you’d expect, but for £10-12 they’re not bad.

kip595 · Apr 27, 2020

amfalconer
I have a couple of Phoenix straps, which whilst not a patch on the Omega ones, I’m pretty pleased with them.

They’re supposed to be the original manufacturer and supplier to the armed forces, but the colour choices are a bit limited, as you’d expect, but for £10-12 they’re not bad.

Thanks! I hadn't even thought to look at them yet.

Skyblue44 · Apr 27, 2020

Seatbelt NATOs from Blushark and Cincy Strap Works are really nice. Ones from Cheapest Nato Straps are good too, and they have awesome variety in style and sizes.

abrod520 · Apr 27, 2020

The "seatbelt" line from Cheapest NATO Straps are the best all-rounders I've found. Not as flimsy as PhenomeNato, not as bulky as BluShark. Costs less than half of either.

Jones in LA · Apr 27, 2020

I agree that 1) Omega branded NATO straps are of the highest quality, and 2) they cost so much that one questions their relative value, given how many good alternatives are available on the open market. I own, I believe, four Omega NATOS: one came with a new Moonwatch, one was given to me as a Thank You gift by an Omega boutique, and I bought two at full price. Funny thing is, I'm not using any of those right now, though I have several watches with NATO straps on them as we speak. Why is this? Mainly because of the thickness of the material used in the Omega NATO. If you have a watch that is a little thick-ish already, like a Planet Ocean, for example, putting an Omega NATO on the watch just makes things worse (thickness-wise). For me, the ideal combination for a NATO is high-quality construction and thinness of the material.

I personally like Toxic NATO straps. They are not the cheapest, but up there on the quality spectrum, and they offer a huge range of sizes, colours, patterns, hardware finishes. Good luck on your quest!

Donn Chambers · Apr 27, 2020

I own several Omega NATOs. I also own ones from PhenomaNATO, Blushark, and the Cheapest NATO company that several members rave about.

I like all but the cheapest NATO. Yes, they are exceptionally cheap and have many more colors than others. But they are also too short for me and the keepers are all fixed. They are also quite stiff, even their “seatbelt” premium versions.

Some complain that Blushark Premium and PhenomenaNATO are too thin and flimsy. I guess they like thick straps that make the watch sit really high on the wrist. I personally like that the Blushark Premium and PhenomenaNATO straps are thinner and more supple. They fit perfectly right away with no break in and I’ve never had one of the them break.

I recommend Blushark mainly because their shipping is very fast and they have good deals (buy 2, get 1, etc).

kip595 · Apr 27, 2020

All these responses are why you guys and the forum as a whole is such a great resource! Thank you all!

wagudc · Apr 28, 2020

I have been happy with the Gekota NATO's.

apsm100 · Apr 28, 2020

Timefactors natos are my favourite. Strange ordering process but worth it.

vbrad26 · Apr 28, 2020

I bought a bunch from Cheapest Nato Straps
I like going this route because you can buy a bunch for cheap, and if you find something you really like, you can always find a more expensive "nicer" version somewhere else if you really wanted to.
But I think it is a great way to play around with a lot of different straps without spending a lot of money.
Plus they have a huge selection and there is nothing I don't like about them.
The ones if had in rotation for a few years have held up perfectly fine as well.

Roosa · Apr 28, 2020

I own way too many straps from a variety of companies. This is nowhere near a complete picture:

Some thoughts:

BluShark: Awesome. Their Alphapremier line is the softest and most comfortable NATO strap I've found - so soft that you might initially be concerned about its durability, but after nearly a year with it in my rotation it's holding up great. The Knit Weave collection has a beautiful two tone look that makes it one of my favorite straps to wear - not as soft as the Alphapremier but still quite comfortable. They also ship very fast.

Moose Straps: I've only tried their Premium Slim line, but it's fine. Comfort is decent, durability is decent, but the selection of designs is a bit below par.

Cincy Strap Company: Their Seat Belt line is very good - dense weave, very comfortable. I love their "Stealth Bond" look - a Bond strap with a darker grey.

Haveston: Thicker than many straps, but single-pass and short enough that I don't have to tuck in the excess. Its sliding keeper gives a nice fit. I love many of their designs, particularly the Redstone series. Comfort is fine, durability is top notch - I spilled red wine on my white one and was able to wash it out fine in the sink.

Crown and Buckle: Their standard straps are just OK - durable but rough and not particularly flexible. Their Supreme NATO line of seat-belt straps is good. Not as a soft as Omega or Blu-Shark, but plenty durable; I've ran the 22mm strap on my Lum-Tec (pictured) for well over a year and it looks like it's in mint condition; the color hasn't even faded yet.

Maratec: The first NATO straps I started wearing 10 years ago. Very durable (I have straps with many years of daily wear that I only stopped wearing due to color fade), but thick and not as comfortable as modern seat belt-style straps. The Original Zulu are stronger and more comfortable than the Mil-Series

StrapsCo: Their 'Leather' is complete and utter garbage, save your money. A plasticy "leather" effect that looks OK (not great) in person, but isn't comfortable and falls apart.

Gunny Straps: My go-to leatner strap source. Their Original NATO looks and feels wonderful.

Omega: In overall quality, these are still probably the nicest. The weave is wonderful. That said, they're $160 and most of the options I've talked about here are $20-30. Paying 8x the price isn't worth it for a 5-10% increase in comfort, so while I respect them I don't expect to buy any more.

Togri v. 2.0 · Apr 28, 2020

amfalconer
I have a couple of Phoenix straps, which whilst not a patch on the Omega ones, I’m pretty pleased with them.

They’re supposed to be the original manufacturer and supplier to the armed forces, but the colour choices are a bit limited, as you’d expect, but for £10-12 they’re not bad.

I’ll second this. I have several Phoenix nato straps and like them very much. The admiralty grey is the classic one and looks great on almost everything. I switch between the Phoenix and ToxicNATO’s which I also really like.

kpinthebay · Apr 28, 2020

Yeah, the markup for the Omega NATOs are insane. While I'm sure the Omega version is excellent, I can't fault any of the other ones I've actually tried on. My favorite so far are the Barton straps over on Amazon for around $20. Even their leather ones have adorned my DayDate and fits real nicely. Buy two, or three.

amfalconer · Apr 29, 2020

Togri v. 2.0
I’ll second this. I have several Phoenix nato straps and like them very much. The admiralty grey is the classic one and looks great on almost everything. I switch between the Phoenix and ToxicNATO’s which I also really like.

I thought I’d like the admiralty grey a bit more than I do, it comes across a bit greeny-grey especially with a darker dial. I have the ‘spectre’ style one also.

That said, my NATO straps see the least amount of wrist time, perlon and bracelet see the most, followed by a cheap watchgecko leather strap, then the Natos

That said, I’m quite keen on this one, no idea of the quality though.

redzer007 · May 13, 2020

I'd skip the nato, personally not a fan, try Erikas Original. Not super cheap, but very comfortable.

If you are set on NATO's, as mentioned above the moose ones are pretty good.

Also consider a perlon strap for the summer, or a single pass nato, oh and finally the crown and buckle Chevron

killer67 · May 13, 2020

redzer007
I'd skip the nato, personally not a fan, try Erikas Original. Not super cheap, but very comfortable.

If you are set on NATO's, as mentioned above the moose ones are pretty good.

Also consider a perlon strap for the summer, or a single pass nato, oh and finally the crown and buckle Chevron

Erikas are semi-custom and very comfortable but they cost as much as a leather strap (but still worth it)

tyrantlizardrex · May 13, 2020

I have a couple of the Phoenix straps for my CWC - they’re very hard wearing, quite thick, and nowhere near as soft/flexible as some other options, but just the thing for diving.

scapa · May 13, 2020

Echo the recommendations for the Erica MN straps, which are excellent and require only a single pass, and the Toxicnatos, which are really soft and retain their colour well, and are my favourite reasonably-priced straps by far. The Maratec straps are also well-made, if not quite as soft. They're the only ones I dive with.

2FiveOhs · May 17, 2020

Roosa
I own way too many straps from a variety of companies. This is nowhere near a complete picture:

Some thoughts:

BluShark: Awesome. Their Alphapremier line is the softest and most comfortable NATO strap I've found - so soft that you might initially be concerned about its durability, but after nearly a year with it in my rotation it's holding up great. The Knit Weave collection has a beautiful two tone look that makes it one of my favorite straps to wear - not as soft as the Alphapremier but still quite comfortable. They also ship very fast.

Moose Straps: I've only tried their Premium Slim line, but it's fine. Comfort is decent, durability is decent, but the selection of designs is a bit below par.

Cincy Strap Company: Their Seat Belt line is very good - dense weave, very comfortable. I love their "Stealth Bond" look - a Bond strap with a darker grey.

Haveston: Thicker than many straps, but single-pass and short enough that I don't have to tuck in the excess. Its sliding keeper gives a nice fit. I love many of their designs, particularly the Redstone series. Comfort is fine, durability is top notch - I spilled red wine on my white one and was able to wash it out fine in the sink.

Crown and Buckle: Their standard straps are just OK - durable but rough and not particularly flexible. Their Supreme NATO line of seat-belt straps is good. Not as a soft as Omega or Blu-Shark, but plenty durable; I've ran the 22mm strap on my Lum-Tec (pictured) for well over a year and it looks like it's in mint condition; the color hasn't even faded yet.

Maratec: The first NATO straps I started wearing 10 years ago. Very durable (I have straps with many years of daily wear that I only stopped wearing due to color fade), but thick and not as comfortable as modern seat belt-style straps. The Original Zulu are stronger and more comfortable than the Mil-Series

StrapsCo: Their 'Leather' is complete and utter garbage, save your money. A plasticy "leather" effect that looks OK (not great) in person, but isn't comfortable and falls apart.

Gunny Straps: My go-to leatner strap source. Their Original NATO looks and feels wonderful.

Omega: In overall quality, these are still probably the nicest. The weave is wonderful. That said, they're $160 and most of the options I've talked about here are $20-30. Paying 8x the price isn't worth it for a 5-10% increase in comfort, so while I respect them I don't expect to buy any more.

Thank you! I ordered from CNS late last week. I'm assuming they ship from Holland given the paypal address(?).

I've found a few nonamerican shops, but would much prefer a domestic business to patronize.

Advice for aftermarket NATO straps - opinions?

kip595

amfalconer

kip595

Skyblue44

abrod520

Jones in LA

Donn Chambers

kip595

wagudc

apsm100

vbrad26

Roosa

Togri v. 2.0

kpinthebay

amfalconer

redzer007

killer67

tyrantlizardrex

scapa

2FiveOhs

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