What's the difference here?

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avidmark

·Oct 19, 2026

Im considering getting an Omega nato for my 1861 Speedy and looking at two on Omegas site. Both are very similar but wildly different prices. What am I missing here?
Is it really double the price because one says "Speedmaster" on one of the keepers or is the fabric different in some other way?

 

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Jakeys

·Oct 19, 2026

The Speedy branded one has a tighter weave and claims to have Kevlar reinforcement. How much of a difference that makes I have no idea, but that's why it costs more.

Omega's polyester straps, based on what I've seen, are not as good as their polyamide options. That fancy Speedy one looks higher quality to me. All of them are arguably overpriced.

 

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Annapolis

·Oct 19, 2026

I know it’s a well-worn topic but it comes up often. I can’t speak to that particular NATO, but I’ve owned a few Omega NATOs and even more non-OEM ones, including some that cost a few dollars.

The Omega ones are certainly good quality, but you are 100% paying for branding. By no conscionable reasoning are they worth hundreds of dollars. I’d frankly be surprised if they cost more than $0.30 to produce. They’re a good thing to ask a dealer/boutique for as a throw-in gift or as a gesture after a problematic experience. But paying retail for one is silly, imo. The cheap Amazon one will function just as well, feel nearly as good (I mean, it’s a NATO), and you can treat yourself to 10 of them for the half the price of one OEM.

To your question, the metal bits appear to have different finishes too. Guess it’s way more expensive to brush than polish? 😀

 

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502 to right

·Oct 19, 2026

I bought an Omega NATO strap once. Never again. As Annapolis says, it's not worth the asking price.

My preference is for the mid-level NATO straps (around $50). I bought one from Monstraps that is every bit as good as the Omega strap for 1/4 of the price.

 

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SpeedyPrOmega

·Oct 19, 2026

Has anyone tried Phenome Nato straps? They claim to be equal quality to Omega's. I've often considered buying one to try.

 

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bralofsky

·Oct 19, 2026

Congratulations in advance.

 

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Donn Chambers

·Oct 19, 2026

SpeedyPrOmega

Has anyone tried Phenome Nato straps? They claim to be equal quality to Omega's. I've often considered buying one to try.

Phenome NaTO straps are phenomenal! 😀

I prefer them over Omega because:

1) they are longer so you can more easily get the loop under both keepers.
2) they are thinner and more comfortable than Omega’s.

Only issue to be aware of is that they do take some time to ship - it is a small business and the owner manufacturers them when he has enough orders. Also, they don’t have as many different colors like some manufacturers.

I wear my Seamaster 300 NTTD version on a regular basis.

 

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avidmark

·Oct 19, 2026

I know Omega nato are expensive and if anyone thinks they are worth the money that's entirely subjective however my original question is the difference between the two Omega natos pictured.
Just trying to determine why the top nato is $490 CAD and the bottom one is $270 CAD. Why is one $220 more than the other both being Omega? Not here to complain about the price as I love anything OEM, just trying to understand if maybe it's a limited edition, different fancy material, is the hardware exclusive for a special Speedmaster?

Edited: Oct 19, 2026

 

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TomGW

·Oct 19, 2026

SpeedyPrOmega

Has anyone tried Phenome Nato straps? They claim to be equal quality to Omega's. I've often considered buying one to try.

Yes, they’re very good but, as has been said, can take a long time (months) to arrive, due to the small batch production. Worth the wait though.

 

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avidmark

·Oct 20, 2026

Was able to find the reference numbers and @Jakeys you'r right, Kevlar is the difference in the fabric.