One Guy Recommends: NATO Watch Straps

My post today centres around a new addition to my own wardrobe: a nylon “NATO” watch strap.  There’s no question that Sean Connery as James Bond looked cool as hell when he wore his Rolex Submariner on a “NATO” strap (see picture below).  So, I’m hardly the first person to trumpet these types of bands; nonetheless, I’m a late convert.  But convert I am – I’ve worn mine 6 consecutive days, and I don’t like to wear the same watch more than a day or two in a row. 

The nylon strap rose to popularity thanks to British Ministry of Defence (MOD).  The standard issue strap (called the “G10” thanks to its requisition number) has come to be known as the “NATO” strap because its stock number falls within those associated with “NATO”.  Traditionally, it came in only one colour (dubbed “Admiralty Grey”) and only in the 22mm size.  There are now two colours in the NATO stock catalogue, with both stil using the traditional chrome plated brass hardware.  It is now available in a wide range of colours and patterns, from a variety of aftermarket suppliers, most traditionally featuring vertical stripes running down the middle of the band.   Another popular variation is the “Zulu” strap, which is thicker and is worn slightly differently.

For me, the addition of a nylon watch strap stemmed not out of a particularly strong desire to wear one, but rather out of a problem: I don’t really love the standard bracelet that came with my Omega Seamaster Professional.  It’s not the clasp: I think Omega’s are some of the most functional.  Rather it was the style of the links which didn’t sit well with me (which goes to show you how personal one’s taste in watches are, as many people herald the Omega bracelets as some of the prettiest around).  The Omega has become my day-to-day, beat-around work watch, but the bracelet is a scratch and scuff magnet, it’s hot and heavy to lug around a steel bracelet all summer, and, most importantly, I just didn’t love it.  In fact, I was on the verge of selling the watch; that is until I figured I’d take a $17 flyer on a navy and steel grey NATO-style strap from Gnomon Watches.   Once it arrived (nicely packaged I might add) from Singapore, and I had taken it, along with my watch, to my Authorized Omega Dealer (or “AD” as it tends to be abbreviated on watch sites), suddenly my Seamaster was transformed.  Frankly, it looked cool as hell – just as importantly, it felt cool as hell given the light, breathable nature of the nylon.   Hopefully you’ll agree with my assessment, as I’ve provided two, rather poor quality pictures of my watch and its new strap below.

In my opinion, it’s acceptable to be worn in the summer to work (although, if you work in a particularly conservative environment, I might save it for Friday).  Really, it’s the best $17s I’ve ever spent, transforming a watch that was in my doghouse into a wrist fixture.  I highly recommend throwing one on your watch, even as summer winds down (and, what with the endless choices in colours, you can really customize your watch).  Being a Bond fan, I went with a classic NATO myself (and I’d encourage anyone to go down this road: it’s never going out of style).  Another option is to buy the watch with the strap already on.  The best affordable watch I’ve seen is this watch from J. Crew, which I’ll be discussing more in a future post.  More information on Gnomon straps can be found here: http://www.gnomonwatches.com/index.asp

Thanks for reading and I look forward to being much more active with this blog.

Corporate Style – Part 5: Watches

Introduction

Men have a tenuous relationship with jewelery.  Almost without fail, more is definitely less.  However, I would highly recommend saving room for a watch.  And not just any watch, a watch that makes sure you’re dressed acceptably wherever you are, or perhaps one that puts you in a certain mood in light of its associations with car racing, scuba diving or sailing.  In the words of British GQ editor Dylan Jones, “You can be walking along a deserted Caribbean beach, wearing only a pair of shorts, but if you’re sporting an expensive watch, then you’re still well dressed.”  There is no question that this is a true statement – there are very few better ways to tell quite a bit about a person than to take a glance at their choice of wrist wear.  For example, a man with a Chopard Mille Miglia (see below) is likely to be interested in cars.  The guy with a Corum Admiral’s Cup is almost assuredly someone that sails (or wishes that they did).  And a man with a Patek Philippe is very likely a man with great taste that run towards the traditional and has very deep pockets.

 

But you shouldn’t buy a nice watch to send a particular message to other people; you should buy it for yourself.  For many men, it comes down to a fascination with the incredible engineering that goes into a fine Swiss watch.  For others it’s a love of the elegant design or, as I said before, the frame of mind that a particular watch puts you in.  I know men that have a particular watch they wear during the work week, and something sporty like a chunky TAG Heuer diving watch that they put on over the weekend.  That watch means its time for them to relax and enjoy their time off and shakes off the prim and proper elegance of their more business appropriate weekday wear.  For others, watches are a means of celebrating something, such as a wedding, a birthday, an anniversary or a promotion.  They can even be a means of remembering a loved one or cheering yourself up a bit.  Overall men, we’ve been given a grand canvas for our personality, our interests and our own projection of who it is we want to be, and so we shouldn’t waste that opportunity.

As someone that for quite some time did not wear a watch, I now realize that this was a mistake.  Even though we now are surrounded by gadgets that tell us the time (BlackBerry’s, iPods and the like), there is still something manly and prepared about having the time strapped to your wrist.  It suggests to others that you’re responsible and, well, a man.