Reply With QuoteGood review, also good to find someone else here that likes them.
I've bought several over the years, and I see no reason to stop.
Darren's a good guy and through his sheer bloody mindedness has turned out a great product.
Review: Zulu Alpha Strap
Having recently reviewed the ZuluDiver “OctoPod” deployant clasp and straps we stay down at the bottom of the alphabet with another “Z” – Zulu Alpha Straps.
These are a very different proposition to the OctoPod, though. Like your mum, these straps are knocked up by a couple of ex-sailors in a shed in Liverpool. And like your mum they are rough, tough, pretty damn ugly. But I love ’em.
Each strap is made to order and apart from the famous Phoenix NATOs these are the only company I know who use British webbing. The nylon fabric is noticeably thicker than usual for NATOs but supple.
If the Octopod is a Porsche Cayenne then the Zulu Alpha is a . . . what? A Humvee maybe? Something big that will take a beating, that’s for sure. (The Phoenix would be a classic Series Land Rover, ex-MoD of course.)
Some adjectives: functional, utilitarian, basic, primitive. But very very robust. Not a strap to pair with a dress watch, that’s for sure.
The one pictured is described as “admiralty grey” but it’s not a flat, slate grey; it’s much more silvery – perhaps a slightly lighter, brighter gunmetal colour. At first I wasn’t sure about it but it’s grown on me.
I usually prefer heat-welding to sewn but in this case the stitching isn’t going anywhere. The whole ensemble looks indestructible, like it’s part of some MOLLE kit (a bergen or body armour, maybe?) In fact it has a slightly marine vibe going on – which is appropriate given that it’s made by some former Royal Navy chaps. (I think of one them is a member here?) You really feel like you could moor a battleship with this stuff. Think climbing equipment or something holding down an HGV’s tarpaulin.
The tri-glide buckle is ace: simply loosen it off enough to slip over your hand without undoing the whole thing completely; once it’s on just pull on the tail and it tightens up nicely. The only trouble with this is that you do get a long piece of excess strap, but the keeper has space enough for you to double it up and tuck it away, classic NATO style.
That metalware looks bulky, though, right? Wrong. It sits pretty low once it’s in place, although it’s never going to be a flat or sleek as clasp or pin buckle. Again: think heavy duty rather than aesthetically pleasing. But while it’s a triumph of function over form the whole ensemble is surprisingly ergonomic and very comfortable.
It’s not for everyone and it’s certainly not for every watch but if you want something handmade in the UK from British material AND you like the look then I can strongly recommend these straps.
Full disclosure: I have two of them which I bought and paid for in the usual way. No freebies, no discount.
Apologies for the poor pics but there are many better ones online, as well as videos showing how to thread the buckle etc.
Thanks for reading!
Last edited by Rev-O; 13th February 2023 at 17:17.
Good review, also good to find someone else here that likes them.
I've bought several over the years, and I see no reason to stop.
Darren's a good guy and through his sheer bloody mindedness has turned out a great product.
I have a ZA strap. Very comfortable.
From the pics it looks like you are wearing it with the double thickness bit on the side of your wrist, with the buckle on the near underside of the wrist?
I have found it more comfortable (and the watch head more stable) with the double thickness on the underside of the wrist and the buckle on the outer edge of the wrist.
Thanks. So the stitched section at 12 o’clock rather than 6?Originally Posted by gbn13
Or do you mean inverting it so that the sewn folded-over part is on the outside rather than against the wrist.
Threaded the same as you have, but the watch head further away from the buckle.
Thanks Rev. I have been tempted by Zulu for a few years (I always have a think each time their e-mail arrives) but concerns over thickness / bulk have put me off thus far, your review might change that. I was actually going to pull the trigger on the Ukraine SE, but was too late.
Zulu do adjust the straps length for wrist size. Did you request this? If so, I'm assuming a long end-piece (ooo-err) is just a fact of life with these straps, part of the design (e.g. to enable watch to be removed from wrist without completely undoing the strap)?
>> Goes off to find Octopod ...
Yes, there's a long "tail" by necessity as that's the excess strap you're feeding through to open it out when you want to get your hand through. I've tried gbn13's method (with the watch head further away from the buckle) but then the "tail" has to be folded under the keeper or it ends up on top of the watch! With the watch head as close to the buckle as possible you've got maximum length before the tail comes round; on my wrists that just means the keeper is near the 12 o'clock lugs but no need to fold the strap under it.
That omega and strap is a great pairing
Has anyone seen the Apple straps they've just released?
Thanks, thought I'd keep the Royal Navy theme consistent :-)
Thank you for the excellent review. I've looked at these a few times, but not having used one I've been unsure about the buckle.
Does the buckle reliably keep the watch in place, or does it have a tendency to loosen over time?
Sorry for what is doubtlessly a stupid question!
Cheers,
Gavin.
There's no such thing as a stupid question. Buckle stays tight once on. HTH
Excellent, thank you!
You're absolutely correct. It does! Put it on this morning, hasn't budged all day.
Very impressed with this strap. Thank you again for your thorough review!
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I used to have an American Bell motorbike helmet with a buckle just like that. They stay where you put them and (having lived with it) I think it's an ingenious system.
Not for me though. Too much metal. But some may like that.
THIN is the new BLACK
Appreciate the review mate, I notice some of our customers are also in the comments on this. Thanks for the support gents. Whilst I love the fact we have collectors as customers, for these our target audience are those on active duty. We build things fit for purpose on operations. Our desire is to mitigate failure points and provide security in arduous conditions. Any questions just ask
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Hi, would you be able to do a longer strap so I could do this on a fixed bar watch? I prefer to have the watch on the wrist rather than with a strap underneath and there aren’t;t many options for this type of config because there’s never enough material?Appreciate the review mate, I notice some of our customers are also in the comments on this. Thanks for the support gents. Whilst I love the fact we have collectors as customers, for these our target audience are those on active duty. We build things fit for purpose on operations. Our desire is to mitigate failure points and provide security in arduous conditions. Any questions just ask
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Absolutely mate, add a note at checkout with the desired length required (not wrist size) and we'll sort the rest.
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Great, will do, thanks.
Andrew
Straps look great mate , any plans of doing ones with bronze hardware ?
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