Strap Up! – How I Get the Most Out of My Watches

I do not buy many watches. At time of writing, my last watch purchase was in December of 2024. With enjoying a small collection, I tend to play around with different ways to wear my watches. In this short article, I’ll be covering my favorite straps for my watches. I did a full article on straps back in 2024, but I’m honing in on just the ones I’m really enjoying right now.

This isn’t meant to be a guide for you to follow, but maybe I’ll show you something that you like!

My Taste

I’m quite picky with my watches, and the same goes for the straps. I’m generally just wearing sports watches, and keep the straps sporty too. I’ve really found my home in two different types; nylon straps, and rubber straps.

Nylon Straps

For nylon straps, I’m a big “military” fan. Whether in the form of a NATO strap, a Marine Nationale strap, or a paratrooper strap, I like them.

Over the last year, the para straps from CNS have been my go-to. I’ve got about a half dozen of them, in different colors and materials. My preference comes in how comfortable they are. Unlike NATOs or some other nylon straps, you aren’t limited to buckle-and-notch holes. With how these straps work, you basically have unlimited adjustment.

You simply slide the loop part of the buckle, and you can tighten or loosen the strap in fast order. In the rather variable climate of Northern Utah, this is very handy. Between cold mornings, warm afternoons, and lots of physical activity, my wrist size fluctuates a fair bit each day. Being able to quickly resize the strap comes in really handy.

For the two CNS para straps that I’m showing here, they’re made from different types of nylon. The red-blue is fairly soft, while the blue-white is a little more rigid. Both are comfortable on the wrist, and have gotten a lot of wear time from me.

Rubber Straps

Rubber is generally what I’ve got on my watches. It’s comfortable, durable, and does well with sweat and water. There are three types of straps that I like, with two types of tropic-style straps, and a more modern FKM rubber.

The first is the “waffle tropic” style.

The waffle tropic style has a waffle pattern on the underside of the strap, and a bit more of a basket weave on top. These help to provide some airflow to the wrist, and get sweat and water out from under the strap.

The waffle tropic is my favorite watch strap full-stop, and is my default for most watches. Comfy, classic, and easy to use. With a lot of modern waffle tropics, they come with quick release springbars already in the strap, which is quite handy too.

The second rubber strap is pretty close to the first, and it’s the “big hole” tropic. The ones that I use are FKM rubber, and have an almost leathery pattern on them. These tend to be pretty soft, and shorter than the waffles.

Not only are the straps thinner, but they’re shorter too. I really like these on my smaller watches, as it makes them wear even smaller. These also tend to have a little stretch to them, which means you can wear them tightly, but without it being uncomfortable. My second favorite, but still one that I’m rocking pretty often.

Bringing up the rear is the “modern” style FKM rubber. These are comfy and contoured, but tend to be a little on the wide side.

Most of these FKM  straps that I’ve enjoyed are like the white one on this Markwell. Very comfy, nice buckle and keeper, but very little taper. I don’t mind the lack of a taper on a larger watch, but it can be a little strange on a small one. That being said, comfort is to the maximum here.

Some Watch Philosophy

I am a fan of a small watch collection. However, it’s easy to see a watch, want it, and then pull out a card and buy it. I’m a big fan of really thinking a watch purchase through before buying, and I’ve found that strap changes have helped me to avoid buying new watches. Rather than buying something new, I can spice up something that I already own. It’s a lot cheaper than a new watch, and more sustainable too.

Without getting a soapbox (because I will), I really do like holding onto watches. As I’ve figured out what I like, it’s made me appreciate my favorite watches even more. With strap changes, it’s pretty easy to keep what I’ve got, and keep those great watches functioning into the future. Every time that I see a review or post about “this watch is great, but I hate the strap or bracelet”, I wonder why they don’t just change it. Unless the strap or bracelet is permanent, any watch can be made better with a good replacement.

The Verdict

Rubber (or silicon) is my preferred way to wear a watch, but nylon gets a lot of love too.

I’m a creature of habit, and like what I like. My picks come from experimentation, but once I hone in on the straps that work, I stock up on more of them. That being said, it sure is hard to find fun 19mm straps for my TAG, but pretty easy for everything else.

What way do you like to wear your watch?

If you’d like to check out my other works for The Escapement Room, follow this hyperlink. I can also be found at PrimerPeak here, YouTube here, and WatchCrunch here.