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  1. Spy You know my name. May 1, 2015

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    Hey all! It has been a while since I have posted, but if I am going to talk OMEGA this is the only place to do it.

    What I would like to know is, are there are any members that have bought the Nato straps from OMEGA?

    At $170 these straps are expensive compared to the average $10 to $20 Nato/RAF straps found on Google. I have a few RAF's and a Nato, but the most expensive one cost $25 with shipping. Tomorrow I am going to OMEGA in Natick, Mass to pick up the black and grey Nato and I am excited about it, especially, since I will probably not be getting another watch for several decades.

    Strap.png
     
  2. Buckeyes#1 Things come with instructions? May 1, 2015

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    Wow! Those are quite a bit more expensive than I would have thought.
    Are the really 10x better than a "normal" NATO strap?
     
    BrianMcKay likes this.
  3. repoman May 1, 2015

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    I have the red and black strap. Let me say right off the bat, they are not 10x better than other good brands of straps, but, they are genuine Omega, the hardware has nice laser engraved "OMEGA" logos on it, the fabric is top quality, the colors are consistent and rich. If cost is an issue, I would look at other brands. I bought the red and black because I loved that color combination.
     
  4. Nobel Prize Spell Master! May 1, 2015

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    Way too expensive, but if you have the money and the brand and genuine article appeal why not?

    Are they 10x better? Not even close, but they are great quality and look good.

    I would pay 29.99 to $40 for them. 170 is a little much.
     
    BrianMcKay and Matty01 like this.
  5. friendharry May 1, 2015

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    I have few Omega NATO and the quality and finish is way higher than any of the other NATO straps I have
     
  6. yinzerniner May 1, 2015

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    I've tried about 30 different natos. The Omegas are definitely the nicest out there, but that quality will cost you a ton.
    The hardware is unmatched. Finish quality, laser engraving, usability and solidity are awesome. Seriously, it's the nicest metal pieces I've ever seen on a nato.
    The nylon they use is incredibly finely stitched and the holes are burnished impeccably. The strap disappears when you're wearing it.
    However, the price is incredibly prohibitive. If this strap cost even $80 I would say that the quality justifies the price - however, at $170 it is not worth it at all.
    The tactical Nylon / Leather straps are in a whole different league though - those really are worth their price.
    If you don't mind having a non-Omega Nato then the brand that's closest to quality is the Zuludiver brand. The weave is the tightest outside of Omega, the hardware is a nice satin finish as opposed to polished like Omega, and the holes and sides of the straps are very nicely burnished. The only downside is the limited design options.
     
    BrianMcKay likes this.
  7. Xtof May 1, 2015

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    I have bought one and use it on my Seamaster Pro AC.

    Can the difference in prices be explained by the difference in quality?

    My feedback is the following: I have never managed to keep my other NATO straps more than few hours in real outdoor environments, especially wet.

    Because of its higher quality, the Omega NATO strap is the first NATO that I could continue to wear after water sports. It is for me a good alternative to the Seamaster rubber strap. Therefore, I do not regret this buying.

    Hereafter my latest living experience:

    [​IMG]
     
    Spy and 300 like this.
  8. Fer Seamaster May 2, 2015

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    That is the key question!

    x10 price = x10 quality???
     
  9. M'Bob May 2, 2015

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    I don't think you can look at it that way with luxury items. Most of them rarely will work applying this formula - you just have to decide if you want to disproportionately pay to get (often) a minor quality increase.
     
    yinzerniner likes this.
  10. yinzerniner May 2, 2015

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    Like m'bob said, there are always diminishing returns when it comes to luxury item price points. But as a rule if you're considering an overpriced luxury item that you adore vs a moderately priced counterpart, and you can definitely afford the luxury item, err on the side of luxury. You will always feel better overpaying for something you love as opposed to underpaying for something you don't.
     
  11. Spy You know my name. May 4, 2015

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    Well, I got it. I got the SPECTRE strap (big surprise given my name, huh? ;)).

    I am impressed with the quality, thus far. Yes, the price is high but so are our watches. And of course this is, by far, the most expensive Nato strap I own. All of my Nato/RAF straps are same as the Goldfinger strap and range from $5 to $20. But the material on the SPECTRE strap, and the other offerings from OMEGA, make this one superlative in craftsmanship.

    Would I buy another OMEGA Nato? Possibly. But for now, I only like the colors on this one.

    20150504_093458.jpg
     
    Event horizon likes this.
  12. yinzerniner May 4, 2015

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    Nice pickup, and if you're exceedingly happy with it who cares about the price. Great combo with your 2254, I have the same colors but with a lower-quality Crown & Buckle.
     
    jflores and Spy like this.
  13. Spy You know my name. May 4, 2015

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    Thank you. :thumbsup:
     
  14. Event horizon faux seller of watches and complete knobhead May 4, 2015

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    I think the omega nato suits the 2254 better than the sm300 reissue, bloody hell! I'd better check those natos out now you enablers have actually got me interested in them.
     
    Spy likes this.
  15. Spy You know my name. May 4, 2015

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    Be careful. Buying NATO and RAF straps can become addictive.
     
  16. maxtor71 May 5, 2015

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    The Omega straps are definitely of higher quality than several of the regular NATOs I've come across but they're not expensive because of their quality, they're expensive because they are branded 'Omega'. A watch brand like this can't/won't be selling stuff for a pittance. That's just brand suicide.

    Max
     
    canardobkk likes this.
  17. yinzerniner May 5, 2015

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    I actually think brand suicide for luxury items is charging exorbitant amounts on items that don't justify the price gouge. Nowadays with so many different options as well as the ability to find objective comparisons it makes no sense for luxury brands to obnoxiously overcharge. Everyone understands that diminishing returns are a reality when it comes to luxury goods, but the pitchforks come out when that price to performance ratio is completely off-base.
     
    BrianMcKay likes this.
  18. Buckeyes#1 Things come with instructions? May 5, 2015

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    Have to say, it looks pretty good Spy!
     
    Spy likes this.
  19. George.A May 5, 2015

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    This is an interesting debate: how much of the price difference is due to the increase in quality and how much is due to the high overcharge? I must admit, I have not tried Omega's version of nato straps, so I cannot say anything about its quality. Since I did not read one negative feedback about it from the guys who have it, I think it's safe to say the quality is pretty good (above the "regular" straps). However, I don't recall reading any negative feedback about the "regular" straps either, so it may be pretty safe to say that also those ordinary nato straps are pretty ok in terms of quality.

    In this situation, as a potential buyer, I have to ask myself this: am I willing to pay around 1,000%-1,500% times more to get an incremental increase in quality of less than 100%? Or, better yet, should I go with a (slightly) better quality Omega nato strap or should I buy 10-15 different ordinary nato straps that are pretty decent and that I can wear in rotation for a whole month without getting bored?

    From where I'm sitting, I was pretty excited about this combo when I took the picture, and that is not an Omega nato strap
    [​IMG]
     
    Travelller likes this.
  20. maxtor71 May 6, 2015

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    I'm quite sure that most of the 'regular' customers of luxury brands such as Omega and others don't do much research or any for that matter.

    It's well known you can get discounts at ADs but yet people will pay full price at the boutique, even if they are in countries where the boutique offers nothing extra other than the ability to get the watch quicker. It could be a peace of mind thing of buying an Omega product from an Omega boutique or it could just be that they don't care for whatever reason. The price of luxury goods is unsustainable anyway - even the best engineered watch that took a team of skilled professionals a year or two to build/polish by hand shouldn't really be $250k+.

    Max
     
    Edited May 6, 2015
    BrianMcKay and George.A like this.