I recently bought an orange Zuludiver 400 from WatchGecko for my Squale 1521. These are in-house branded Bonetto Cinturini straps.

On a positive note, the strap itself is absolutely excellent: perfect thickness, supple and very comfortable on the wrist. The buckle is also excellent. However, within a week or so (of light use in a clean environment), the edges began picking up 'dirt', turning grey/black as, shortly later, did the main body of the strap. Within a month (of light use) the strap has become severely discoloured and, while completely usable, looks very dirty.

Is this normal i.e. are rubber straps well known dirt magnets that discolour as a result? I hate to admit it but when I first showed the new strap to my wife her first comment was that it was a mistake and that it would discolour! Do those in the know tend to stick to dark blue / black straps as a result?

I'd be interested to hear other people's experiences.