Any OF members have feedback on the NTTD watch with the Milanese bracelet. Looking for feedback on your experience over a 6-12 month period. Pros and Cons for a smaller wrist 6.75 in. May pull the trigger on this one

 

Did you try it on? This forum is littered with people who like and dislike it for many reasons. It really comes down to personal preference.

Personally, I like on the nato.

 

The one thing you will almost certainly need is the short version of the bracelet. The regular version will be too long and not sit comfortably. I've got a 6.5 inch wrist and moving to the short bracelet made an uncomfortable watch very comfortable.

 

I love mine, it’s probably my most comfortable watch. I find the bracelet very comfortable (7.25” wrist) and the whole package is very light weight.

 

Agreed. I do wish the clasp was a little less bulky, but the bracelet is extremely comfortable. It’s a great travel watch that can be worn on the beach and at dinner.

 

I think those that have slimmer wrists (i.e. 6.75" and less) may have challenges finding the right balance between fitment and comfort.

I feel the problem (for some) is related to clasp design and the fact that the area of the bracelet with holes doesn't bend too much. The holes limit the sizing, so if one's wrist size falls in between holes it can be either too tight or too loose. The other thing is because the mesh area with the holes doesn't flex as much, the comfort level may also depend on one's wrist shape.

Compare these two pics of the holes side vs. the mesh area with no holes, both bent to their near maximum.



Because the area around the holes doesn't flex as much, it limits how well the bracelet can conform to one's wrist shape. If it happens to conform, you're probably in the camp that feels it's super comfortable. If not, you may have challenges with comfort or may have gaps if wearing looser.

In my case, the small bracelet gave me a much better fit than the standard. The comfort is "ok", but I always envy those who say it's very comfortable. However, I've only had my watch for a little more than a month. If the area of the bracelet with the holes becomes more flexible over time, I think the comfort level will increase.

So I am also curious about what long term owners have to say about whether the bracelet becomes any more flexible over time. Especially for those who didn't feel the bracelet was ultra comfortable from day 1, but perhaps became more comfortable with time.

 

I think the fundamental issue is Omega did not release a shorter clasp to go with the shorter strap like they did for the regular leather straps.

This should fix the issue ... my 2 cents

 

A shorter clasp might help some people with fitment and/or comfort. I think it really depends on one's wrist shape and size.

For me, I'm not sure if a shorter clasp will make much of a difference. I'm ok with the standard size clasp's length. But I feel the clasp's inner tongue (for lack of a better word) is too thick and the shape causes a mark on my wrist.


My short size bracelet fits nicely around my wrist. But I can feel this part of the clasp on my skin. If this "tongue" was flatter, I probably wouldn't feel it as much.

I think this might be because the mesh area around the holes doesn't bend enough, so the shape pushes the clasp down more than it would if the bracelet were more flexible around the holes, like a leather or rubber strap. So if I wear the bracelet closer to my hand, this part of the clasp digs into my wrist. If I wear it further away from my wrist joint (as in the pic below), the comfort is fine, but not what I'd call super comfortable.

Nevertheless, I still absolutely adore this watch!

 

Great shot. This is the most comfortable and over all fantastic watch I own, and I have many watches in my collection.

 

Thanks everyone for the great feedback on the bracelet. For the shorter bracelet, does the clasp become more centered on your wrist. When I try on the watch with standard bracelet, the clasp is offset at ~8 o'clock position on my wrist.

 

Yes it definitely does. I would say the clasp sits pretty much perfectly for me with the short bracelet. I had the same issue as you with the regular.

 

Buy it don’t hesitate
I haven’t worn mine in 2 weeks - it’s out of rotation. I was reminded of how beautiful it is today when I saw it on somebody else who was commuting. I eyed it up like I didn’t own it myself wishing I had it! Defo going to wear it this weekend now

 

I started with the NATO version and it was ultimate.

Perfect for hot days but when I wear a suit for the office, I’d like the mesh.

I bought the short bracelet and it was terrible on my wrist. The best fit was the fourth hole from the case but it was way too tight to move and couldn’t wear it for more than 5 minutes. The next size up was looser but had unpleasant gaps on both sides which just made it look unappealing.

I found someone else who had smaller wrists than me, so I swapped out my short bracelet for his standard one which fit MUCH better but still not perfect.

I was on the second hole, which is comfortable but the clasp end is a little loose which causes the watch to move a little, which causes me to re-adjust often which was annoying.

Kinda sad how the bracelet doesn’t conform to everyone’s wrist and seems to be made for James Bond’s (or rather, Daniel Craig’s) wrist. Wish Omega really designed this better, to justify such a price that’s almost double the normal SMP.

I know the NATO exists and it is god-like (the Ti buckles are a nice touch) but the mesh just completes the watch in my opinion.

 

Try the bracelet on backwards. The shape of most wrists taper on the pinky end, and the clasp will be thicker on that side if reversed.

Also helps for smaller wrists if the side with the holes is broken-in.

 

So the side with the holes has broken in for you? If so, that's good news. About how long did it take?

Interesting. I just tried wearing my watch upside down and it is a tad more comfortable with the bracelet backwards. But I'm not used to seeing the bulge caused by the clasp/strap overlap on my inner wrist, which is my primary viewing watch angle. As the short bracelet is comfortable enough for me, I think I'll stick with wearing it the normal way.

 

You have to slowly force the break-in for the hole side.
I would suggest rounding off the strap as shown, and progressing to smaller diameter objects. The more flexibility you can get from that side with the holes, the better.

Shown in the picture is where I started, I was able to get to flex around a highlighter, which is pretty small diameter. Focus the flex around the hole you use.

 

You could get it to wrap around a highlighter, like a yellow marker pen? Wow, that's a lot. I'll have to give it try, thanks for the tip!

 

Yes, titanium is very flexible, just go slow.

 

I've been breaking it in manually, bending it little by little, day by day.

This is where I where I started:


Here's where I'm at about 8 days later:


The small bracelet articulates much better now around the holes. Hence comfort has increased. There's less pressure on the area where the clasp end touches the wrist.
Thanks again for the tip, I'm a happy camper.

 

I'll add that there's another positive in getting the short bracelet to articulate around the holes. If I wear the bracelet looser, it now falls more naturally around my wrist. There's less of a bulge on the sides, because the bracelet can now conform better to my wrist shape.

Previously, if I wore the bracelet close to my hand around, over the wrist joint, the clasp would start to dig into my wrist. I needed to wear it further away from the joint to be comfortable. But I can now wear it over my wrist joint, if I so choose, without issue. Looks good and feels good!