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Thread: Will 19mm lugs be a problem?

  1. #1
    Craftsman
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    Will 19mm lugs be a problem?

    I’ve ordered a Yema bronze GMT and will be choosing my colour and size soon. The smaller 39mm seems to be my preference, but the lugs are 19mm, versus 20mm on the larger model.

    How easy is it to pick up 19mm straps, compared to 20mm? I have heard they are much less common so I don’t want to be stuck with something I can’t get many straps for.

    I could spend hours Googling for comparison but just hoping there is some experience here to draw on instead. All my other watches are 20 or 22mm.


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  2. #2
    Master
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    19mm straps are easy to pick up, especially online. Hirsch does a load of them and Watchgecko too.
    Last edited by markbannister; 24th October 2020 at 15:42.

  3. #3
    Craftsman Linocut's Avatar
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    I've got a Bambino with 19mm lugs and there's no shortage of straps online.

  4. #4
    Master
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    Leather straps are okay but things like nylon/sailcloth not so easy.

  5. #5
    Master
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    Watchgecko has 19mm NATO and “sailcloth”.

  6. #6
    Master
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    The selection at Watchgecko isn’t great for NATOs - Either black or Bond style in 19mm. I’ve been looking for a decent single pass 19mm NATO for a while and there isn’t many about. Crown & Buckle do their Chevron which looks good but the price is steep after shipping, VAT and handling.

  7. #7
    Master
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    Like 21mm, 19mm bands are available - if you search for them in odd corners of the internet! Most major strap retailers only do 18/20/22mm sizes. The odd sizes are pretty rare. The issue maybe that whilst you can find something, if you are after something specific, your choices will be far more limited than for standard sizes.

    I think making a watch with odd sized lugs should be made a crime........

  8. #8
    Master
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    I've an Omega with 19mm lugs. Looks good on a 20mm perlon.

  9. #9
    Journeyman
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    I agree that 19mm lugs work just fine on 20mm natos or Perlon. To be honest, I’ve had no issues with 20mm rubber on 19mm lugs either.

  10. #10
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by JIG67 View Post
    I agree that 19mm lugs work just fine on 20mm natos or Perlon. To be honest, I’ve had no issues with 20mm rubber on 19mm lugs either.
    Interesting, thanks. I have put a 22mm NATO into 20mm lugs before. Sadly this made me think my watch had 22mm lugs so it was a bit of a problem when my new rubber strap arrived...


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  11. #11
    Craftsman
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    You could use 20mm straps, but 20mm nato won't look nice.

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  12. #12
    Craftsman
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    Plenty of places now do 19mm. Even places like cheapest nato straps. If you are going leather then a 20mm will fit bit once it has been used in a 19mm watch you can’t use it in a 20mm anymore as it squashes down and will be too small.


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  13. #13
    Craftsman
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    Whilst they aren’t hard to buy, I find that you never get the same variety of options with the the odd sizes (19, 21 etc...) so if you’re picky about straps it can be annoying. I have a Bambino with a 21mm lug width - and the default strap is pretty naff. It seems that I have to spend quite a lot on more premium / bespoke strap makers to get what I want. It seems strange to put the watch on a strap that costs almost as much as the watch itself! For this reason, I stuck it on a 22mm Perlon because you can “squish” the flimsy perlon through the smaller lugs. I have to say that the options are improving and agree with others that Watchgecko is a good option. Try ETSY too.


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  14. #14
    Craftsman
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    It's less that you won't be able to find straps for it (you will), and more that you may find straps you like, and think will suit it, but be unable to get those specific straps in 19mm. Which can be annoying.

    But you'll always be able to find something suitable.

  15. #15
    I have both Seiko and Grand Seiko in 19mm and have a selection of straps for them. They are, as has been noted, not as common as 22/20/18 etc

    If you look at the number of straps available in the different sizes on Watchobsession,

    18mm - 650
    19mm - 239
    20mm - 942
    21mm - 157
    22mm - 868

    Of each of those straps, the full colour range may not be available in all the 19mm sizes. Eg, the ever popular Hirsch Duke is made in 13 different colours, but only 2 (black and brown) are available in 19mm.

    It's worth noting also that buckles don't seem to come in odd sizes, only even, so whilst 22mm straps typically have 20mm buckles and 20mm typically have 18mm, the odd sizes straps vary so some 19mm straps have 18mm buckles, others have 16mm. I find 16mm too narrow, so this limits me to the 19mm/18mm straps.

    I guess where I'm going with this is that they are available, but the range available is significantly smaller than for the other sizes.

  16. #16
    Grand Master PickleB's Avatar
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    You may find something here.

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