Has anyone bought the original NATO for the new SMP 300 mc? Is it worth the money or are there near same alternatives out there? From my experience of the original rubber strap for this watch, it is far superior to any after market straps I've purchased.
I have purchased an Omega NATO strap more than a year ago. I really love it and I think its worth it. even though it's not cheap.
You will get all sorts of replies on this depending on individuals experience. mine is that I’ve bought hundreds of NATO’s, most have been hard and scratchy and a waste of money.The omega ones are different gear in my view. whether that equates to being worth 10 times more is what you need to come to terms with. In my view, they are and I wish I’d saved my money and bought a few of these.
My Seamaster 300 came with it. It’s certainly a step up from the usual NATO’s, although I can’t quite get it to fit perfectly. I guess I need to wear it more often.
When Omega released their straps they were miles ahead of everyone else. Now you can find good quality NATO straps from many manufacturers. IMO the ones that are equally good and perhaps even better than the Omegas are the Phenomenato straps. They've basically copied the Omega ones and made some improvements (brushed hardware, no spring bar in the buckle, no steel parts digging in your wrist). They are one of the few that also do not use the original NATO specs so the 12h part of the strap is longer than with a standard NATO, which makes the buckle sit below your wrist instead of on the side.
I own a variety of straps, including two Omega NATO's, and I can confidently say Crown & Buckle's Supreme NATO is 9/10th's the Omega strap for 20% of the price. Go ahead, buy two and treat your self!
Does anybody ever cut the extra length off the end of the strap so they don't have to tuck it back under? I don't love the tuck
I have posted more info under this: https://omegaforums.net/threads/new...ommanders-watch-for-the-new-diver-300m.95584/
I have 2 nato straps, one omega (came with Moonwatch) and Hamilton Pioneer Mechanical. I tried to enjoy with Moonwatch but it did not work for me. I thought about cutting the extra length but then did not want to do it. Hamilton is small in diameter. My perception is that if the diameter is smaller relative to my wrist, I like the style, otherwise somehow it disturbs me.
Do not forget about Phoenix Straps, they are also soft and smooth like PhenomeNato and Omega. Plus they are heat welded to MOD specifications instead of sewn like PhenomeNato and Omega.