Is There A "Best" Brand of Zulu or NATO Watch Strap?

[44Magpie]

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[44Magpie]

The fictional character James Bond joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in 1941 as a lieutenant and demobilized as commander. Volunteer Reserve officers volunteered from the merchant marine, and were often better seamen than their Royal Navy counterparts. Their officer uniforms had sleeve strips in gold and red on blue denoting rank, and the stripes were wavy to distinguish them from RN officer stripes — hence their nickname, "wavy navy."

I thought this was the basis of the "authentic Bond" strap's regimental stripe, but I've discovered that I was in error. A member of the movie crew, Daniel Craig, pulled the 16mm strap off his watch and donated it to the production. Back in the day it looked black & gray on the silver screen, but its actual colors were black and olive green with two smaller red pinstripes:

That is the pattern of an authentic Bond strap which should be called an authentic Craig strap.

Nice movie history lesson. Here is my Explorer II with the current iteration of that strap from Crown & Buckle. And I don't think it looks "bloody ugly" like one previous poster stated here.

 

[Piso Mojado]

Nice movie history lesson. Here is my Explorer II with the current iteration of that strap from Crown & Buckle. And I don't think it looks "bloody ugly" like one previous poster stated here.
View attachment 1469494

Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters. The video authentic Bond strap has three colors and it clashed with my Orient CER00007B (blue sapphire snorkeler) and its Orient logo.

IMO it was too much for the watch. If you don't think it's bloody ugly, that's fine. British isn't my first language either. Call it farshlugener or if that's too literary, verblonget as in Verblonget in Space.

 

[OilMan]

Cro

Crown and Buckle are high quality

Another vote for the Crown and Buckle Supreme Nato (https://www.crownandbuckle.com/straps-by-type/natos/supreme-nato-straps.html) although I like the Maratac ones too.

 

[IUKE12]

Yet another vote for Crown and Buckle, here a nato on my Vostok Scuba Dude.

 

[44Magpie]

No! That strap is hideous according to Piso Mojado! Better toss it in the trash!

 

[Piso Mojado]

No! That strap is hideous according to Piso Mojado! Better toss it in the trash!

Sorry you haven't understood me. It's a question of taste regarding my watch and no one else's, not casus belli IMO.

 

[Phydeaux]

Maratac bands are very good. I used a NATO (Maratac) band on a beater watch (worn every day) for over ten years with almost no signs of wear.

 

[navman]

I have always worn a watch, and almost always with either a NATO or ZULU band. Check out Blu Shark watch straps, amazing quality. Currently running a MARATAC 3 ring Ti ZULU on my Stowa Seatime.

 

[Silent H]

Check out Blu Shark watch straps

I recently got a couple Blu Shark straps, they are super comfortable and very well put together. Their colors and stitching are very well done, I'll probably be picking up a few more soon.