If you’re new to watchbands or looking to buy a gift for that special someone, knowing how to pick out the right watch strap is difficult. We interviewed Thomas Lathrop, CEO of popular watchband company Crown & Buckle, for some tips on matching up the right band to your watch.
We know that there are a lot of different types of watches out there, how does the style of the watch affect which watch band someone should buy?
My first reaction to this question is that you should always feel free wear what you like. Don’t let yourself be constrained by the “norms” for any given type of watch. If you have a dive watch but never get it wet, feel free to wear it on a leather strap. If you have a dress watch but usually wear casual attire, go ahead and pop a colorful nylon strap on it.
This is not to suggest you should ditch the black crocodile strap for a NATO if you are going to a black tie event, but just a reminder that watch straps are a relatively inexpensive, easy, and fun way to mix things up.
Dark Brown Crown & Buckle Leather Strap on Omega Speedmaster
Dark Brown Crown & Buckle Leather Strap on Omega Speedmaster
To delve deeper into the issue, there are some practical and stylistic considerations that might make your strap making decisions easier. An easy place to start is: do you need the strap to be waterproof so you can swim or shower in it? If so, you should be limiting yourself to waterproof straps such as rubber, nylon (NATO or Perlon), or even a metal bracelet. There are “water resistant leathers” out there, but they tend to be heavily treated or are simply synthetic materials that are a far cry from real leather.
Normal leather will certainly be damaged from getting soaking wet. However, if your watches only see the occasional splash from washing your hands or a few drops of rain, then you are open to just about any strap material, including leather and exotic skins.
Here are some easy fool-proof pairings to kick start your strap search:
Dive watches: Metal bracelets are traditional, waterproof, and are very versatile from a style standpoint. Nylon NATO straps are waterproof, add a layer of safety if a spring bar breaks, and come in hundreds of colors for a fun twist. Rubber straps are durable, waterproof, come in many colors, and are easy to keep clean. Leather works well with dive watches if you don’t require any water resistance. In general, thicker straps with full stitching tend to look good with dive watches.
Rolex Sea Dweller on Crown & Buckle Black Label Brown Leather Strap
Rolex Sea Dweller on Crown & Buckle Black Label Brown Leather Strap
Chronographs: Typically water resistance matters less with chronographs, so leather straps are a good starting point. Consider the complexity of the dial when picking out your strap. The busier the dial, the simpler you’ll want the strap to be as far as the texture, color variance, and stitching. When pairing a chronograph with nylon, you may want to stick to solid colors or just one accent color that matches the watch dial.
Field & Pilot Watches: Canvas and nylon straps match the utility of the watch as well as the more casual style, but leather straps can work equally well here if water resistance is not a concern. Field and pilot watches tend to be clean and highly legible, giving you some room to go a little more wild on the strap. Think vintage distressed leathers, contrast stitching, or striped/patterned nylon straps.
Dress & Minimalist Watches: Exotic skins (alligator, crocodile, snake, lizard, etc.) and smooth, clean leather straps are traditional in this realm. However, if you wear a dress/minimal watch in a casual environment, the strap can be the perfect way to add some flair. Dress watches become highly versatile when dressed down a little with a more casual leather strap, or a nylon strap (Perlon is a great starting point).
Crown & Buckle Black Label Collection - Brown Leather Strap on Nomos Watch
Crown & Buckle Black Label Collection – Brown Leather Strap on Nomos Watch
If someone is only planning to buy one new strap, what color do you recommend?
We all tend to gravitate towards a certain color palette, so look towards your typical wardrobe and start with colors that will either match or compliment what you wear. If you wear brown leather shoes/belts, I would stick to brown for your leather straps, but don’t fret too much about going for an exact match in tone & color. If your belts and shoes are black, black leather is the way to go.
The dial color of your watch is a consideration. It’s widely accepted that a brown strap works just fine with a black watch dial. However, I would suggest keeping some contrast. Black dials tend to look best with light to medium browns, and silver/white dials tend to look best with medium to dark browns.
Black/Grey/Monochrome Wardrobes: You can stick to black & grey straps, or ad
