Behold:



The watch on the left is a Unitas 6497 recased. It's wearing a Fluco rally strap in Horween shell, color #8.

The watch in the middle is an Elgin Type A-11. It's wearing a vintage Gemex strap in shell. Hard to see in the picture but the color is the same as the Horween shell, color #8. One wonders....

The watch on the right is a Seamaster 300. As much as I love a bracelet on a watch, and I do... for some reason this rubber strap with holes just belongs on this watch. IW Suisse, and I have one that might be "better" on the way.

I like the shell cordovan on the older watches. It's something you almost never see today, and I'm glad it's coming back. I tried the Fluco strap on the Seamaster 300 but it just didn't work for me. Perhaps on a Speedmaster it might.

Come to think of it, squinky is selling a couple of shell cordovan straps, one a Gemex like mine, the other a Kriesler, labeled 3/4. He's calling that 20mm, I call that 19mm. Gorgeous color.

I'm half-tempted to write Allen Edmonds (they're "up the street" from me) and see if I can get some shell remnants and have custom straps made!

Tom

 

Agree that the black rubber strap on your SM300 is a good match. Where did you get it? Mine is on a bracelet right now, and it's comfortable. But I'm more of a strap person and have thought about changing mine over to a strap, just haven't found the right one yet. I'd been thinking about getting a shark skin strap...

 

I got the strap on eBayPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network.

I also ordered a Hadley-Roma "vegan leather" strap on eBay.

Tom