Omega Nato Straps

Posts
68
Likes
82
So I have decided to bite the bullet and buy one of the Nato straps from Omega. I will be getting this online from Omega because the closest Omega Boutique is about 60 miles away from me and my local AD needs to order it. Plus if i order it from the Omega online site then i get a strap tool(needed since I busted mine) and extra spring bars. Plus it comes in a case I can use to store a watch or two on travel. So my $160 plus tax goes further by getting it online at Omega's online store. Plus there is 2 day shipping.

I have narrowed it down to two straps. One is a "bond" NATO strap made of Polyamide and the other is a gray NATO made of Polyester.

I am leaning towards the "bond" strap because it looks like it would match my watch's gray dial (which looks gray at some angles and black at others) better then the gray one would.

Looking at all the pics on the forum, it seems the Polyamide straps looks like seatbelt material and the polyester looks a bit like those military web belts.

So which is more durable over the long run? Which is more comfortable? I would like the strap to be comfortable and durable( I would like the strap to last for a while)

I am not planning any deep sea diving excursions with this strap but I have been known to get caught in heavy downpours and get soaked.

Thanks
 
Posts
202
Likes
102
I have a black Omega NATO (seen in my avatar on my 2254). It came with my Moonwatch & is a smooth "seatbelt" type strap. It's very comfortable, very well made & with good quality hardware. I find that it doesn't fit as well as my actual military NATO straps, this is because the fittings are spaced differently; the Omega NATO's buckle is positioned so as to fasten centrally, like a conventional watch buckle, the Military NATO fastens at the outside of the wrist, this gives enough strap remaining to double it back through BOTH loops. The Omega NATO doesn't have enough strap to double back through both loops (at least with my 7.75" wrist) & therefore, in my opinion, doesn't look so good.
 
Posts
18,212
Likes
27,549
My 7.5 wrist just has enough room to double back.
 
Posts
1,530
Likes
3,593
I've found them not all that comfortable to wear due to being a bit long and bulky, so I've doctored mine, and cut it so that it's as a one piece nato and I'm using it on my Seiko as shown.

 
Posts
202
Likes
102
My 7.5 wrist just has enough room to double back.
I laid my Omega NATO next to the one from my CWC RN diver, the Omega is around 5mm longer but the hardware is positioned differently with the result that the longer strap is the worst fit. There's just enough strap left to fold under the first keeper, the shorter CWC strap has enough spare to securely double under both keepers. The Omega is superbly made but it just irritates me that they've spaced the buckle & keepers "wrongly". Of course this is completely Omega's fault, nothing at all to do with my broad, flat 7.75" wrists, oh no...
 
Posts
18,212
Likes
27,549
I laid my Omega NATO next to the one from my CWC RN diver, the Omega is around 5mm longer but the hardware is positioned differently with the result that the longer strap is the worst fit. There's just enough strap left to fold under the first keeper, the shorter CWC strap has enough spare to securely double under both keepers. The Omega is superbly made but it just irritates me that they've spaced the buckle & keepers "wrongly". Of course this is completely Omega's fault, nothing at all to do with my broad, flat 7.75" wrists, oh no...

It’s done so that the buckle sits opposite the watch and not offset like a traditional nato.
 
Posts
967
Likes
1,019
Mine has been through a lot and I think they are durable as hell.
 
Posts
336
Likes
164
4 years on my Bond NATO from Omega still looks and wears well. Been in the washing machine in that time but regardless of the stick for paying that money, it's infinitely more comfortable than any of the other dozens I have.
 
Posts
202
Likes
102
It’s done so that the buckle sits opposite the watch and not offset like a traditional nato.
You mean it's wrong?
 
Posts
8
Likes
2
Just few days back I bought two NATO (yelow and dark blue) in OB at FCO. Originaly is blue croco on Speedy so I wanted something for hot climat and decided to try NATO. I must say that my expectations were low for NATO straps, but actually I am surprise how these starps are well done and like them a lot. It is easy to change them whichis soo practical. ATTACH]834051[/ATTACH]
 
Posts
2,890
Likes
11,948
Just few days back I bought two NATO (yelow and dark blue) in OB at FCO. Originaly is blue croco on Speedy so I wanted something for hot climat and decided to try NATO. I must say that my expectations were low for NATO straps, but actually I am surprise how these starps are well done and like them a lot. It is easy to change them whichis soo practical. ATTACH]834051[/ATTACH]
I have both of these NATO’s on my Apollo 8. They are expensive, but I’ve spent loads on nato’s Over the years and these are the most comfortable I’ve ever worn and the only ones that have stuck.

Highly recommend the seatbelt ones.
 
Posts
367
Likes
501
Bit expensive but worth it.
When's the last time you bought something better than you thought you needed and were disappointed?
 
Posts
8
Likes
2
When's the last time you bought something better than you thought you needed and were disappointed?

True, not that soon.
 
Posts
68
Likes
82
Hello Folks,

I swore I replied back to this thread but I guess I did not hit reply. Thanks for all your replies, I ordered the strap online. It arrived about 2 days later. If you saw the shipping box, you might have though Omega mistakenly shipped out a watch as the box is that big

Inside was the red kit with the tool and spring bars

The strap does have an oddity to it. The 3rd keeper has the metal exposed on the backside instead of covering it with fabric like all others do. This has been discussed here in the past on this forum. The keeper does not cause any issues for me. However I suspect the bottom keeper is like this for the sole purpose of Omega having something to add all the wording on it (stainless steel and part number)

The only issue I have is that that it is both a bit too long and a bit too short. What i mean by this is that the strap is long enough to be comfortable on the wrist but the remainder of the tail both sticks out too far from the keeper but is too short to be able to be looped back into the keepers

Other then that the strap is fine.
 
Posts
984
Likes
1,122
Does anybody know if OMEGA NATO straps come in sizes. I have had mine for months now and noticed that while other's have the tail overhanging and folding at the top mine only goes halfway up the side.