It’s a one-piece strap that slides underneath the case so that the skin never touches metal. It’s great on hot days because the nylon wicks moisture away from the skin. It also means the strap will stay on the wrist even if a spring bar pops out. The real beauty of the NATO is its simplicity.
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What is the point of a NATO strap?
What is a NATO-style strap? Put simply, it’s a practical, military-inspired watch strap that attaches separately to each of the watch’s lug bars for extra security in case one of the bars pops out.
Do NATO straps make a watch look bigger?
Classic NATO straps made from a single strap will always have some leftover on the side of your wrist – Two-Piece NATOs don’t! Another positive effect is that a two-piece NATO strap doesn’t cause any extra height of your watch, because there is no strap going underneath your watch.
Are NATO straps reliable?
Nylon – The standard material used for a NATO and the original material used by the British Ministry of Defence back in the 70’s. As you can guess by their military connections nylon NATO straps are pretty durable, weatherproof and lightweight.
What’s the difference between a NATO and Zulu strap?
Difference between NATO and ZULU straps
ZULU straps are often confused with NATO straps. ZULU strap have only 1 long strap, made of thicker nylon cloth, and has beefy rounded buckles. NATO straps have an additional strap that slides through 2 lugs, in order to have 2 straps of nylon under the watch, instead of one.
How much thickness does a NATO strap add?
Since leather, rubber or silicone dive watch straps can be up to 5 mm thick, even a 2 mm NATO webbing can seem thin, so thicker is usually better. There may be NATO straps that are thicker than 2.0 mm, but I haven’t found any. Another big difference comes in the keeper rings.
Can a NATO strap be formal?
Although NATO watch straps will almost always add a bit of casual flare, you could still wear them to your important board meeting or any other formal event. You just have to remember the golden rule: match, match, match.
Can you swim with a NATO strap?
NATO straps are especially well suited for swimming, since they lace between the spring bars and the watch. That means if one of your spring bars breaks while diving, the watch will stay attached to your wrist via the remaining spring bar.
Why is a NATO strap called NATO?
NATO strap owes its name to the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), as it had an allocated NATO stock number (NSN). NATO strap is also called G10 strap. It got this second name because of the form (named G10) which British army used for requisition of items from the stores.
Which type of strap is best for watch?
In terms of metal straps, the most commonly utilised material is stainless steel. A stainless-steel strap is strong, durable, and resistant to corrosion. The one downside to stainless steel is that it is easily scratched. Stainless-steel straps can be solid or plated.
Why are NATO straps so long?
The straps were purposely designed to be long, so the excess tail of the strap could be doubled back and tucked into the keepers a second time. The beauty in this design is the strap is “one size fits most.” Small to medium-large wrists can tuck back the excess.
Are all NATO straps the same?
NATO Straps: Not All Created Equal
The quality of NATO straps varies widely, so it’s crucial to look at a few areas: the strap material and the buckle quality.
What is a single pass NATO?
Single pass NATO straps do not have the rear ‘flap’ – therefore they are technically not a ‘NATO’ straps, but they are made from the same nylon material and may look similar.
How do I choose a NATO strap color?
Make sure to match your colors with your outfit. For example, pair a solid blue strap with a blue shirt. If you’re going with a watch with multiple colors, choose colors that go with your outfit. If you’re wearing an orange shirt, for example, you could opt for a watch with a yellow, blue, and orange stripe.
Are NATO straps casual?
The bottom line? NATO straps provide a great, lightweight, and usually more casual watch option that still looks great and evokes a classically masculine, military-inspired sense of style.
How do you hide a NATO strap?
Fold and tuck the excess strap.
With nato watches, it’s fashionable to fold the excess strap and then tuck in the tip of your tail. Fold the excess watch strap backwards and push it under one of the keepers. Then, fold the small bit of tail remaining and tuck it into one of the keepers.
Do you wear a watch above or below the wrist bone?
As far as placement on the wrist, you don’t want to wear your watch too low. Typically, you should wear it at the tip of the ulna (the bone on your wrist that sticks out). If you try keeping your watch on top of or above that bone, you’ll likely experience a bit of discomfort.
How loose is too loose for a watch?
If you can easily place 2 or more fingers underneath, your watch is too loose. You can also lift the casing and check how high you can raise it off your wrist. If there’s more than a half inch of space between the case and your wrist, it is too loose.
How big should a watch be on your wrist?
DETERMINING WATCH SIZE FOR 6-INCH WRIST OR 40MM WATCH ON WRIST
| Wrist Size (Circumference) | Recommended Size |
|---|---|
| <15cm (<6 inches) | 34mm – 36mm (Small to Midsize) |
| 15cm – 18cm (6 – 7 inches) | 38mm – 42 mm (Midsize to Standard) |
| 19cm – 20cm (7.5 – 8 inches) and above | 44mm – 46mm (XL/ Oversize) |
Can you wear NATO strap in shower?
Whereas a metal bracelet or a Nato strap (a specific kind of strap made if nylon) can handle water just fine, your leather band won’t. You should never let your leather strap get wet.
Are NATO straps bulky?
[Opinion] NATO Straps are overused and generally look too bulky for casual use. I messed up a NATO strap I had and ended up cutting off the additional flap and ring. This made it single pass which is not only as comfortable to wear but much less bulky.