Looking to possibly switch my 357050 speedy to a NATO strap. I was looking at the straps sold by Omega and they seem quite overpriced compared to other NATOs. Comments greatly appreciated..
No. But if you happen to have the money for them or can ask a family or friends member to get you one as a birthday or Xmas present they're great quality and you'll have a branded strap. I personally use $15 to $30 dollar Natos. Can't seem self buying the omega one, but if I had one I would certainly enjoy it.
The quality is excellent. The cost is 10X (or more) that of a quality aftermarket strap. But as with many other luxury consumer goods, it's not strictly a financial decision.
I really like the thin, tight weave of the Omega NATO. I've never purchased a non-Omega NATO for my modern Omegas, so I can't compare the less expensive alternatives. For a very thick watch like the Planet Ocean cal. 8500, the desirability of a thin weave is obvious.
Yes they are worth the money. They blow cheap NATOs out of the water. I wish they had more variety, I'd buy several more.
In my humble opinion, the Omega NATOs are like sore dicks...you can't beat them. Yeppers, they are pricey...but my Omega Speedmaster Professional (aka Speedy Gonzales) is my grail watch so it gets grail NATOs...and I'm sort of a brand whore. Pictured below is my Speedy Gonzales on the Omega Barenia leather NATO and just to the right is the Omega coated nylon NATO...followed by the Omega polyamide NATO and the Omega NASA replica strap...both of which came with the Speedy Gonzales Moonwatch presentation box set.
In case it helps, here is a comparison shot of my SM300 on an unbranded $15 NATO, compared to the Omega one. Can you really justify $135 of difference ? It's hard to, but does it look and feel better ? Unquestionably.... It's somewhat like asking if a Porsche is worth it, when a Ford will do the same job getting you from A to B. If you can afford it, and it gives you pleasure, then yes it's absolutely worth it...
Just for the record...and this is 100% true..."Scout's Honor"...I'm an Eagle Scout so you are required to believe me... Although I have only had the Omega Barenia leather NATO for a few months...I have noticed that it has a VERY strong but VERY pleasant leather aroma. Lately, this has come in VERY handy since our youngest (Max, age 14) has been floating some major air biscuits (farts) in the car due to his protein diet. He floats ridiculous SBD (Silent But Deadly) jobs. NO PROBLEM...Omega Barenia leather NATO to the rescue...TOOL NATO. Just pop your snot locker on the handy aromatic Omega Barenia leather NATO (see pic below) and the effects of Fartmeister Max are shutdown!
Yes, a clothespin would be [much] cheaper...but you can't wear your watch on a clothespin. I'm killing two birds with one stone here.
Not to get too graphic here, but unless your son is lactose intolerant, proteins are usually well-digested and do not produce much gas. Carbs, which are not always fully broken down in the gut, are a much more likely culprit.
Heck, I dunno...I asked him why he's been so gassy lately and that's what he told me. Whatever the cause...he's a freaking gas machine!
Please get this under control, for the sake of humanity. Your son's methane production could be a significant contributor to global warming.
Oh, for sure! He's a real methane producing punk right now...and it's no wonder why he's been having issues with the girls!
NO! Not worth it one bit. Whoever did their straps should be fired. Today. The nylon and Cordura fabrics they use are superb, but the biggest fault for me is the fact that all the Natos have springbars at the buckle. WHY would they do this when every bit of marketing for the new straps as well as vintage images shows the straps' military roots? The whole point of a G10 strap is that you don't lose your watch if you pop off a springbar. Having one point of failure is just not something I feel comfortable with. I would totally splurge on an Omega branded nato, but this really kills it for me. Blancpain does a sweet nato too for their Bathyscape but it too has a springbar at the buckle. Why not make it a screw-in pin if you want buckle interchangeable? Their straps are a complete failure that had so much potential.