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Thread: Tropic Straps

  1. #51
    Quote Originally Posted by robbiekhan View Post
    That looks fantastic thanks!

    Can't wait for mine to arrive just had the shipping email now.
    I’m wearing the blue with the Arktis now and it’s fantastic. I fitted the black on my MM300 and it’s spot on too.

    A long time ago I had an uncle Seiko Tropic strap that I felt was too long and a bit stiff. This is a high quality product and I’m really pleased.


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  2. #52
    Yeah the Uncle Seiko ones along with the official Tropic branded ones are quite long which put me off and the Uncle ones also are stiffer where people resorted to putting them in boiling water to soften them and then bending them to a curve for comfort (lol). Also I don't think the Uncle Seiko ones are vulcanised rubber? Synthetic silicone I believe.

  3. #53
    Last pics I promise lol





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  4. #54
    Quote Originally Posted by waser View Post
    Last pics I promise lol



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    I am interested to know how the buckle sits on the strap when closed around the wrist. Does it stick out as it seems very flat and from the images the strap does not appear to have angled cuts in the strap.

  5. #55
    Quote Originally Posted by boring_sandwich View Post
    I am interested to know how the buckle sits on the strap when closed around the wrist. Does it stick out as it seems very flat and from the images the strap does not appear to have angled cuts in the strap.
    It has the angled cuts on the edges.

    Buckle sits fine.






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  6. #56
    Quote Originally Posted by waser View Post
    It has the angled cuts on the edges.

    Buckle sits fine.



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    It looks good, I think I will give one a try.

    Wish it had a brushed buckle as it seems only available with the polished but can live with it!

  7. #57
    I know it's extra cost, but I really like the Omega style deployment clasp so am tempted to buy two of these for both my Tropics: https://www.watchobsession.co.uk/pro...=2105297666057

    I will buy 1 first to see what it's like, if it's not a good comfort fit then I'll return for refund.
    Last edited by robbiekhan; 18th October 2020 at 23:52.

  8. #58
    Got the Joseph Bonnie olive drab tropic strap today, impressive softness, same vulcanised rubber as the Baltic one it seems but unscented where the Baltic is lightly fragranced.











    Baltic Tropic: £33
    - Only blue or black
    - Lightly scented
    - Vintage style with 20mm > 16mm taper
    - Vintage buckle
    - Vulcanised rubber
    - Spring bars have thick tips and no lip as designed for drilled lug holes

    Joseph Bonnie: £68
    - Blue, black & Olive
    - Unscented
    - Vulcanised rubber
    - Vintage buckle
    - Spring bars have slightly thinner tips and do have lip on inside for lugs without drilled holes, I swapped out the spring bars for thicker Seiko fatboy ones which has tips made for drilled lugs
    - Slightly thicker than Baltic, not immediately obvious
    - Comes with 3 keepers for added choice
    - Ever so slightly more pliable than Baltic one but both are extremely soft anyway
    - Edge finishing and basket weave pattern details more refined but you have to take a closer look
    - Slightly longer but only by about 1cm total. Buckle holes are similarly spaced apart so fit is the same on wrist

    I have not received the Omega style deployant clasp yet so will try that when it arrives although I'm really happy with the standard vintage buckle so may well return the clasp unless I'm wowed by it.

    Both really nice, I don't think the JB one is double the quality of the Baltic one though as the improvements are small, but it's the only Tropic with the right material being used, right buckles right length and importantly the colour I wanted...

  9. #59
    Master
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    I’m currently using the latest version of the Uncle Seiko Tropic and Waffle. Both are soft enough and malleable without being Isofrane soft - their relative thinness helps here and they wrap around the wrist well. Length wise they are spot on for me; I have an approx 7.25” wrist and the tail of the strap is only just visible when I look at the watch straight on.

    The greatest compliment I can pay them is that I don’t notice them when I’m wearing the watch all day. Value for money is decent enough at around £30 and longevity unknown yet but they certainly feel like they will last a while.



  10. #60
    Master andymonkey's Avatar
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    I have the WatchGecko tropic, which I love but would like a single keeper with the weave pattern (like the uncle Seiko)rather than the two thin ones that it comes with. Can someone who has the uncle Seiko tropic measure how big the keeper is on the 22mm version? I’ve seen on the American Uncle Seiko site that he sells keepers on their own and was wondering if the keeper would fit the WatchGecko


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  11. #61
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by robbiekhan View Post
    Got the Joseph Bonnie olive drab tropic strap today, impressive softness, same vulcanised rubber as the Baltic one it seems but unscented where the Baltic is lightly fragranced.











    Baltic Tropic: £33
    - Only blue or black
    - Lightly scented
    - Vintage style with 20mm > 16mm taper
    - Vintage buckle
    - Vulcanised rubber
    - Spring bars have thick tips and no lip as designed for drilled lug holes

    Joseph Bonnie: £68
    - Blue, black & Olive
    - Unscented
    - Vulcanised rubber
    - Vintage buckle
    - Spring bars have slightly thinner tips and do have lip on inside for lugs without drilled holes, I swapped out the spring bars for thicker Seiko fatboy ones which has tips made for drilled lugs
    - Slightly thicker than Baltic, not immediately obvious
    - Comes with 3 keepers for added choice
    - Ever so slightly more pliable than Baltic one but both are extremely soft anyway
    - Edge finishing and basket weave pattern details more refined but you have to take a closer look
    - Slightly longer but only by about 1cm total. Buckle holes are similarly spaced apart so fit is the same on wrist

    I have not received the Omega style deployant clasp yet so will try that when it arrives although I'm really happy with the standard vintage buckle so may well return the clasp unless I'm wowed by it.

    Both really nice, I don't think the JB one is double the quality of the Baltic one though as the improvements are small, but it's the only Tropic with the right material being used, right buckles right length and importantly the colour I wanted...
    This is a beautiful strap and watch combo!


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  12. #62
    Quote Originally Posted by Zook View Post
    This is a beautiful strap and watch combo!


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    The olive goes well with most of my wardrobe whereas the blue goes well with some of my wardrobe

  13. #63
    That does look cool. I ordered the Joseph Bonnie olive for my Railmaster. Can't wait for it to arrive!

    Sent from my ANE-LX1 using Tapatalk

  14. #64
    A few days in I have to say the keeper being non-smooth on the inside does itch my wrist slightly so is something I'll have to get used to. This is not exclusive to JB though as even the original Tropic straps have keepers with the same finish all round. Only the Baltic Tropic is smooth on the inside which aids comfort.

  15. #65
    Arrived this afternoon. Off went the Watchgecko black tropic and on with the Joseph Bonnie. Not the best photo but IRL it really brings out the tropical looking dial. Really like the look!

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  16. #66
    That is nice! Is that your own buckle btw?

  17. #67
    Thanks. It's a 16mm £10 'omega' buckle off of ebay. I had a real 18mm one after spending about £60 and thought, no chance am I shelling out that again for a 16mm one!

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    Last edited by monty68; 23rd October 2020 at 17:50.

  18. #68
    Craftsman
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    I have only ever had silicon tropic style straps but they were complete dust magnets. Do the rubber ones have the same issue? I found the the even with a good wash getting the textured areas clean was a nightmare and not something you want to have to do if it is on a vintage watch you don't want to get wet.


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  19. #69
    Quote Originally Posted by Zook View Post
    I have only ever had silicon tropic style straps but they were complete dust magnets. Do the rubber ones have the same issue? I found the the even with a good wash getting the textured areas clean was a nightmare and not something you want to have to do if it is on a vintage watch you don't want to get wet.


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    natural rubber straps don't tend to have dust issues. I've had a mix of silicone and natural vulcanised rubber and all the silicone ones attracted dust due to being synthetic

  20. #70
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by robbiekhan View Post
    natural rubber straps don't tend to have dust issues. I've had a mix of silicone and natural vulcanised rubber and all the silicone ones attracted dust due to being synthetic
    Thanks good to know


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  21. #71
    Quote Originally Posted by Zook View Post
    I have only ever had silicon tropic style straps but they were complete dust magnets. Do the rubber ones have the same issue? I found the the even with a good wash getting the textured areas clean was a nightmare and not something you want to have to do if it is on a vintage watch you don't want to get wet.


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    Apparently Barton elite silicone straps does not attract dust like some other i had.

  22. #72
    Quote Originally Posted by Normunds View Post
    Apparently Barton elite silicone straps does not attract dust like some other i had.
    I've had the Barton Elite Silicone (4 of them) and they are indeed very good but still attract some dust but you can simply blow them off. The Bartone ones have a slippery coating that lasts a while which simply stops dust from settling on the silicone itself so when you blow on it they blast off. The coating does wear away though over time or sooner if you often wash the strap or get them wet etc as the ones I wore the least often had less dust attraction than the ones I wore the most.

    All the rubber straps on sites like Watchgecko that are made by ZuluDiver/Bonetto Cinturini (labells models as FKM/Italian) has no dust issues either as have had a whole bunch of those over the years too.
    Last edited by robbiekhan; 23rd October 2020 at 21:57.

  23. #73
    Craftsman
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    That is interesting about the Barton silicon straps. I have had a couple of their leather offerings and was fairly underwhelmed. I have heard so many people swear by their silicon elite though I may have to try one at some point. Plus they do a fairly wide colour range if memory serves


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  24. #74
    The Elites are dfeinitely excellent straps. I had no issues with any of mine, they were also very comfortable and the quick release is handy too. But make no mistake, natural vulcanised rubber like on these Tropics from Tropi, Baltic, Joseph Bonnie & Meraud are a league ahead of anything silicone based.

    Here's the Elites I had:




  25. #75
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by robbiekhan View Post
    The Elites are dfeinitely excellent straps. I had no issues with any of mine, they were also very comfortable and the quick release is handy too. But make no mistake, natural vulcanised rubber like on these Tropics from Tropi, Baltic, Joseph Bonnie & Meraud are a league ahead of anything silicone based.

    Here's the Elites I had:



    I really like the look of the black and orange one, which was not something I would have expected.


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  26. #76
    Forgot about this thread but thought I'd update having just bought the Joseph Bonnie Silicone version of their tropic strap (I also have the vulcanised rubber one still on the Baltic). The new one is in 18mm and tapers to 16mm in khaki colour, bought for the Laco Aachen.





    Pliability and quality is very good, the vulcanised one is just that bit softer and thicker of course but this is really nice and I am very happy. Quick Release too.

  27. #77
    Master
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    There’s a great thread here comparing Different tropic straps:

    https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/t...rison.5014319/

  28. #78
    Apprentice
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    A friend of mine swears by these straps

    A friend of mine bought a watch from ALSTA and this one had one of the tropics straps. I think the ALSTA Nautoscaph it's quite a nice looking piece of kit I don't know how many other people have experience of the brand the website is here http://www.alstawatch.com/watches/ they certainly seem well-made and well put together. Apparently, one of these models was used in the film Jaws.

  29. #79
    Master bobbee's Avatar
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    Another film featuring the old Nautoscaph is 'Fear and loathing in Las Vegas', worn by Johnny Depp in the drive to LV.

  30. #80
    Grand Master zelig's Avatar
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    I've been swapping a few of mine to tropic style straps recently...





    z

  31. #81
    Master bobbee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bobbee View Post
    Another film featuring the old Nautoscaph is 'Fear and loathing in Las Vegas', worn by Johnny Depp in the drive to LV.
    I knew I had a screenshot somewhere...




  32. #82
    Master 50kopek's Avatar
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    Wasn't a fan for a long time, mostly because the idea of a rubber strap just felt wrong. After seeing some pics of vintage divers on a Tropic I decided to just try it out. Decided to go the vintage route, fitted the correct vintage buckle and I actually really like.



    Liked it so much in fact that when I came across an Olympic style one I decided to get it for the Seiko that was made fot the '64 Olympics (though I'm not sure if I'll actually use it).


  33. #83
    Master
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    Hi all, I am in need of something nice for my 6105.

    This watch spent a long period (a year, 18 months maybe) unworn before I recently started to wear it again. The strap was a WJean chocolate bar. When I took the watch out of the box, I noticed that the strap was much stiffer than I remembered it being, and that it had some surface cloudiness. This was easily removed and since the strap looked fine I started using it.

    Yesterday, the strap came apart as I was taking the watch off - cracked right across a buckle hole. I had just come back from a long walk that included woodland and overgrown areas, and it is so fortunate that it held until I got home.

    I then took the strap and bent it back and forwards over a hole to see if this was reproducible - it went after about 6 repetitions.

    I doubt if that strap has seen more than 30 days wear since new. I’ve seen this happen with ancient Seiko rubber but that’s after decades. Clearly some sort of degradation took place.

    I’m thinking of something from Uncle Seiko. Any other suggestions?

    £30 seems steep enough for what I suspect is an inexpensive item to produce so I’d prefer to spend less rather than more. I don’t think the WJean was particularly cheap so price may not be an indicator of durability.
    Last edited by Si; 4th May 2021 at 20:49.

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