Reply With QuoteJust to add, I have several Zuludiver from WatchGecko, they are very good value at 10% the price of the Tudor...
Yes I was looking for the single pass version with the Tudor-esque buckle. I’ve been known to slash a few NATOs myself so might give that a go!Originally Posted by notenoughwrists
Just to add, I have several Zuludiver from WatchGecko, they are very good value at 10% the price of the Tudor...
I think it's been mentioned already in the thread, I also have this Nato from Watchgecko which I feel is pretty damn close the to Tudor offering at a fraction of the cost.
https://www.watchgecko.com/products/...ap-black-beige
I’d probably just buy the official Tudor item if I was going to put mine in a fabric strap. A cheaper alternative doesn’t really make sense to me, otherwise I’d have bought a cheaper alternative to the watch too. The Tudor strap is only slightly better, granted, but I wouldn’t change the bracelet for a cheaper alternative either. Even £200 difference isn’t much considering the price of the watch all told.
I wouldn’t be so sure of the Tudor item being any better. They talk a good game about the quality but a colleague is less than impressed with the way the strap on his Harrods edition BB is fraying.
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I checked out the £340 Tudor in the AD before not parting with my cash.
Even the AD suggested that it wasn't the best option, and said they rather liked the £20 Zuludiver NATO that it was on.
When I decided not to order the Tudor strap there were nods of approval rather than a look of disappointment.
I see, thanks - I had assumed it was a better match. I must admit I do like the built in spring bar setup and I find most NATO straps too shiny (which is why I tend to buy Phoenix). I have only handled the Tudor strap briefly but it felt really nice to me and is clearly designed for the watch - alternatives might make more sense in every way but they somehow don’t feel like they’re part of the watch in the same way. Personally I’m not a fan of the line down the centre design so keep mine in the bracelet anyway.
I must say that I quite like the green straps which compliment the gold elements quite nicely. I’ve always felt the back of the lugs are a bit sharp when the watch is on a strap though.
The trouble is the official ones are really short - in my case so short I couldn’t actually fasten it at all! - odd as I know eg zuludiver nato straps are perfectly long enough. I wouldn’t wear a standard nato on normal springbars though, it’s so easy for the strap to catch the flanges on the bar - both of the bars, try it it’s incredibly easy - which the Tudor Nato avoids with the tunnels for the bars sewn in. I’d use plain bars but with no lug hole you’d have to snip them out, which I don’t fancy trying on a £3k watch tbh!
I've never experienced the problem you suggest with a NATO on a springbar flange, though I admit that it's possible. I've found it far easier to dislodge the springbar with an Isofrane, which is specifically designed for diving and doesn't provide the safety of staying on if one springbar fails.
As an aside, I'm not sure how the idea of tunnels negates the risk unless the tunnel has a rigid liner, which I don't recall them having (might be wrong). They also seems slightly daft as they make it necessary to remove a springbar to look through the display back.
I’ve tried a pretty broad range of NATO straps on my old BB 41 Blue and my current BB 58 Black. Everything from Crown and Buckle’s top end, very nice but a bit fiddly to adjust, also most darker C&B seem to have blue/black weave so suit watches with a blue bezel better IMHO. Via Phoenix, lovely looking but don’t tend to last that long and a couple of cheapies from now defunct online sources.
All have offered different looks and at their various fairly modest price points all have offered relative value for money. After a couple of years I finally shelled out for the Tudor option on the BB58, it is by far the best looking up close, however from a distance you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between OEM and one of the cheaper options. But that’s not the point, subjectively the Tudor option looks and feels better for me, that being said I’m under no illusions about the price, it’s a lot of cash for a fabric strap.
On the plus side I now have a ton of NATO straps which I use across the rest of my collection. As an aside I gifted my Mum my old PRS25 and I’ll occasionally add one of my NATO’s to her selection of straps (she’s fond of changing them to match the occasion).
I think I'm finally happy
Anyone looking for black bay bronze straps, check out dalipicrafts on ebay, mega cheap and the quality is superb
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That looks great.
As an aside does anyone know if the Tudor hybrid strap with deployant worth having?I think I'm finally happy
Rough idea of price for one?
Timefactors coyote brown 2-part nylon with deployant - £12 :-)
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