Fabric straps - not NATO

The strap tailor UK . If his leather straps are anything to go by which I've got they will be excellent.

Did you have any luck @Felix_La_PuBelle ?

I stumbled upon these silk straps tonight. Not cheap!
Available in single pass or two piece:
https://www.rsmwatchstrap.com/products/reversible-silk-single-pass-watch-strap-blue-and-grey

https://www.rsmwatchstrap.com/products/2-piece-silk-watch-strap-orange-with-green-lining

I remember someone experimenting with old silk bow ties some time ago (possibly on TZ-UK?). I think the clasp was their stumbling block.
RSM seem to explain their discovery process quite well.

Some straps literally just arrived from Strap Bandits the other day but I haven’t had a chance to really inspect or try them on yet. I’m planning to model them on my Max Bill this weekend and will share photos.

Okay so three straps came in from Strap Bandits this week. They’re made of worsted fabrics which is a word I didn’t know until now. Essentially a type of wool fabric used make fine dress suits that isn’t thick or heavy like I usually associate with wool.

Overall

From left to right I’m calling them “grey”, “blue plaid” and “black/white”. The product pages and proper names are below.

First impression, I like the look and textures of the fabrics. I’m not precious about fashion rules for wearing dress watches vs sports watches vs tool watches, etc. and my watch straps almost never match my shoes or belts unless by pure coincidence. For most of my regular daily activities other than working out these can be every day wear straps. However, since the fabric is literally dress suit material, the only limitations I foresee are the aforementioned strenuous sweaty activity, water, or environments where they’re likely to get extra dirty or stained.

I like that they’re not overly padded but still have good structure with the leather backing. They are structured enough that heavier watch heads wouldn’t be flopping around but not overly stiff or inflexible. The inner leather is soft and supple to start and we’ll have to see how they break in.

Now using my Max Bill Chronoscope, here’s each strap in turn. The lighting conditions in my photography studio (kitchen at night) were a bit challenged so where possible I’m providing multiple shots to show the effects of different light.

Grey strap

First the grey strap. Here’s how it looks in the product page:


And in person:


On the Max Bill this is a “neutral” strap for my taste. I could throw this on anytime for daily wear without overthinking what I want to wear that day.

The above shots are in a brighter lighting environment. Below is slightly darker setting:


This strap doesn’t change too radically in different light hence more of a neutral color choice.


Blue Plaid Strap

Here’s the product page:


And in person in the brighter setting:


In the darker setting below, the colors and pattern get muted:

I’ll have to see how the blue plaid looks in bright daylight. I definitely like the blue plaid look and kind of like the idea that it may go unnoticed in certain settings then pop in others.

Black/White Strap

Here’s the product page:

And in person:


This one doesn’t change look too much in different lighting:

I like the high contrast of the black/white and it’s a consistent look in different lighting. I think this works with the minimalist aesthetic of the max bill to add some interesting visual texture.

Looking ahead

I need to live with them for a while to see how they hold up but for now I like the looks and they seem comfortable. Currently the max bill is on the grey strap by default but I’m leaning toward swapping it for the blue plaid and wear that for a few weeks as a meager attempt at making a fashion statement that no one will notice.

Incredible post @Felix_La_PuBelle Thank you.
Including the stock photos really helps. Your pictures are so much better.
I imagine that I would have overthought the cut of the pattern in the stock images to the point of inactivity. If I had ordered then I imagine I would then be confused/stressed by a different cut.
I think the straps that you received look much better than the cuts in the stock images.
Overall I think the subtle changes of the Blue Plaid is the winner, but all are a stylish statement. Thanks again for sharing in such detail. Enjoy!

I've just had a look at their website.
They have some interesting straps but as I thought, I get to this one and my OCD kicks in.
I very much doubt it would be noticeable on the wrist but that slight 'twist' on the non-buckle side would stop me purchasing.


I'd have to be able to choose one of these 'in person'.
Though looking back through your pictures again, your straps are cut much better. 🤔

For some reason I find this one even worse, though I suspect most people would see this as a very plain strap?

This is the challenge with unique strap offerings: being able to check out the real article before buying. I’m still curious about perlon, sail cloth and some other materials but at some point there’s only so much I want to spend on trial and error.

In this instance they were having a buy 2 get 1 free promo and the idea of using suit material was intriguing enough. Also the old strap on the max bill was pretty worn out and needed replacing. Tho I hear you on wanting pattern alignment to be right.

Might have to try these on the reverso.

I am partial to sail cloth and canvas. For affordable, reasonably thin, comfy-out-of-the-box sail cloth my recent experiences with Watch and Strap Co out of the UK have been positive. Dassari sail cloth is nice, but my customer service left me underwhelmed. Barton offers canvas as well, though it may be a bit thick vs what the OP wants

Another material to check out is Cordura. Durable and can be fairly thin. Many options

I too am partial to canvas as a nice balance between comfort and durability. And usually very cost effective.