Hi All, My wonderful girlfriend was in our local Sydney Omega Boutique yesterday getting me a Christmas present (she's chosen a NATO strap because it "looked kinda cool") and put me on the phone to the sales person to accurately describe the watch, lug width etc. that I need for a new watch I'm putting together. The sales person (who admitted to my girlfriend that he was new to Omega) said that the official Omega NATO straps are new (true) so they don't yet have the spring bars for them. When I said "that's fine I have heaps of spring bars", he said "no you don't... not these ones". Interesting, I thought.... Paraphrasing the rest of the conversation: Me: "Pray, Mr Omega employee how are these spring bars different? Is there a special type for this strap?" Him: "Yes, they are a special curved spring bar - you definitely won't have these" I don't currently own any NATO straps and I freely admit that I don't know everything, however given that NATO straps have been around forever and a day, and I've never heard this before it seems odd. I know the official Omega ones are new to the market but I can't figure out why a curved spring bar would be better for a NATO strap. Can anyone weigh in on this? Cheers! Ash
I've got the new Speedy Pro that comes with a NATO strap....and spare spring bars, all of which are straight (I'm pretty sure about that).
My 45th anniversary Apollo XI came with the Omega curved spring bars with the stock nato strap, but I quickly put it on a bracelet with straight spring bars. I suppose there is some reason for the curved spring bar, maybe it helps the nato fit to the case a little better (ala end links).
That must be why it takes them so long to come into stock - each one is carefully hand-crafter over years while on an Omega technician's wrist... Painstaking work. On a serious note then - Thanks for everyone's input. It sounds like it's not really a thing and straight spring bars will do the job fine Note: I should point out that the Omega boutique did offer to provide the spring bars and for the strap once they came into stock for free.
I just looked up one of the new NATO straps on the Omega Extranet, and checked what spring bars Omega indicates go with that strap - they are the same as the ones used for a bracelet - straight bars. 068ST2207 to be exact. Curved spring bars are typically only used when the end of the strap is curved - what I mean by that is the hole that the spring bar goes through in the end of the strap is actually curved. This allows the strap to fit tighter to the watch head. Many modern JLC's use curved spring bars. My old Master Moon had them for example, as does my Master Compressor Momovox: Cheers, Al
I recall my 45 also came with curved spring bars. Now replaced with straight for a bracelet. I'll see if I can check with a tech on this. I agree it's strange.
Okay I just looked up the 45th LE reference and for the NATO on that watch it lists the regular strap spring bar, so 068ST2208. This is a straight spring bar - I have them in stock here so I can tell you they are straight. But they also list another one - 068ST2208A. The description does not say what the difference is between them, so I have no idea if this is a curved bar or not. To me there is no reason why you need a curved bar with a NATO strap...
Here's what an Omega tech just told me: Switzerland doesn't tell us why, but from my personal experience with NATO straps... Omegas are thicker. So the bent bars add and extra little bit of room. Most NATO straps are unlined, while ours are leather lined (for the most part)... hence the higher retail value while others are not.
In other words they effed up when the purchasing department bought straps that were too thick, and this is their fix...
Thanks for checking Al. I'll probably take them up on the offer of free spring bars at some point but good to know I don't have to wait around for them to come into stock before using my Christmas present.
Thanks but it's on someone else's wrist now as I sold it about 2 years ago I think. One of the few watches I have actually sold. Cheers, Al