Christmas Day is officially over, and amidst the torn wrapping paper and multiple plates of festive food, you found yourself opening one particular gift: the gift of a watch.
Whether this is your first timepiece or an addition to an already extensive collection, the joy of unwrapping a watch at Christmas never gets old. But wearing the watch into the new year is only half the fun. The other half lies in swapping over the strap to give it an entirely new personality. After all, the right strap doesn’t just secure your watch, it carries it into a whole new genre of timepiece.
So, whether you’ve got a diver’s watch and you want to dress it down for field adventures, or you have a pilot’s instrument and you want a more formal strap for those dressier occasions, we have you covered. Here are four of our best-selling watch straps to suit your newly gifted timepiece…
For the Dress Watch: Ostend Baranil Flat Leather Watch Strap
Ostend Baranil Thick Padded Leather Watch Strap
Those looking to dress up their Christmas gift with a smart and sophisticated watch band should take a look at our Ostend Baranil Flat Leather watch strap. Handcrafted from soft calfskin leather at the famous Tannerie Degermann in Alsace, France, this comfortable strap will instantly elevate your casual-looking timepiece for one deserving of the red carpet. It is treated to chrome and vegetable tanning before receiving generous coatings of mineral, animal and vegetable oils to give it a luxuriously soft finish.
For the Diver’s Watch: ZULUDIVER Mayday Sailcloth Padded Divers Watch Strap
ZULUDIVER Mayday Anchor Sailcloth Divers Watch Strap
Our ZULUDIVER Mayday Sailcloth Padded Divers watch strap isn’t just great for water-based adventures, but it is a reliable companion that will stand up to day-to-day wear. It has the looks of a leather strap but the functionality of a rubber one, all thanks to its ingenious design that incorporates PVC rubber printed with a sailcloth pattern. You can quite easily take this strap down into the depths of the ocean on your next dive, or simply give it a test drive in your local swimming pool.
For the Field Watch: WatchGecko Ridge Military Nylon Watch Strap
WatchGecko Ridge British Military Watch Strap
One style of watch that is deserving of several strap companions is the field watch, and with our WatchGecko Ridge Military Nylon watch strap, the combinations are endless. Available in 17 colours, some mono-coloured and others tastefully striped, this strap will instantly embellish the vintage look of your field instrument. The premium nylon has a subtle rubbed texture similar to military webbing used on 1970’s military watch straps. The material not only looks the part, but it is tough, durable and water resistant.
For the Pilot’s Watch: ZULUDIVER 1973 British Military Watch Strap
ZULUDIVER 1973 British Military Watch Strap: OXFORD
Finally, for those gifted a pilot’s watch this Christmas, or simply a timepiece that would look perfect on an aviation-inspired strap, we recommend the ZULUDIVER 1973 British Military Leather watch strap. This is one of those special watch straps that ages with you the more you wear it. It is handcrafted from oiled ‘crazy horse’ pull-up leather which absorbs the natural oils from your skin. Over time, these oils will give the leather a glossy sheen and as the days go on, each scuff and mark will add to the vintage look and be a visual of the time spent wearing it.
Never underestimate the impact the right watch strap can have on the look of your watch. That single timepiece you got for Christmas can be transformed into hundreds of different styles. All it takes is a strap…
