How do you wear your NATO straps?
NATO straps are great if you are worried about spring bar failure. Many people find them to be the most comfortable strap option and they come in a variety of colors and patterns. They are also easy to change out as the mood strikes.
One criticism of NATO straps is the unsightly mass of folds required to get them to sit neatly on the wrist. How do you wear them?
16 comments
Sort by
Greg
Restitutor Orbis. Aristocrat of beauty. Autocrat of time. (Trying to perfect trolling over at theescapementroom.com)
Charleston, SC
Member since
Last active: 2 hrs ago
I don’t.
I went through a brief NATO phase, and I’m past it now. The only one I have left is an Omega OEM that came with my Speedy Pro. The quality is insane, but I’ve never worn it.
Not a big fan of NATOs. I find them bulky and annoying. Folding the excess material underneath helps, but they never seem to sit properly on my wrist unless the watch is very light weight.
I just have a few NATOs. I will test a more colorful one on the white canvas SARB035 this summer. On my Hamilton Khaki Mechanical I think muted NATO is perfect. Single pass is my prefered version.
Feeling guilty! Clicked on the picture of ‘B’ as it seemed to crop the strap and have now inadvertently voted ‘B’ when I am very much an ‘A’ 😕
Feeling guilty! Clicked on the picture of ‘B’ as it seemed to crop the strap and have now inadvertently voted ‘B’ when I am very much an ‘A’ 😕
You voted correctly. No shame in that.
I wear folds at back or down under method for watches that are 43+ big or lug to lug that results in some wrist overhang, while rests that are smaller are with the standard method. Having those keepers on the side adds some girth to 37-39mm sport watches.
Actually, I usually don't have to worry about folding the end at all. My wrists are large enough that most of the nato straps I have fit the same as a two piece strap. It is only a few that I do have and then I tend to have the fold at 12:00.
Recently I switched to adjustable one-pass nato straps and bought many from an online shop in sweden. With this kind I solved most of my issues with nato straps..
I wear them all ways, normal,top ways,back folded,strap through,even cut offs(the joy) depends on the watch,weight,thickness and of course looks,good thing with natos as their so cheap you can experiment, so for me there's no right or wrong way just personal preference.
I love how natos look in photos but they rarely work on my small wrist. The only nato that comes close is the Crown and Buckle Chevron.
In fact, I'm itching to buy the "Fifty" variant for my BB58. But I'm afraid I'll never wear it due to my preference for rubber straps and OEM bracelets.
Depends on the length. I have a 7.5 inch wrist and a lot of NATOs are too short for a good tuck. If a NATO is on the shorter side (ADPT for example) I will tuck it in. If they are longer I will tuck it outward (I can do this with MORA straps for example). This will only work if the tuck makes the second keeper. If it is just short it is annoying and I will tuck it back.
Only Nato straps I like stay in my strap collection box where they belong, dreadful things 😮
Seriously, I don't like them, the only straps I have that resemble Nato's are my Paratrooper and Marine National straps, way more comfortable and only single pass, so they don't really add any height to the watch.
B. @Scaramanga style. And it has changed my life.
Always B because of my thin wrists. And like @TonyXXX, I've also gotten a liking to MN/ Paratrooper straps.
Always B because of my thin wrists. And like @TonyXXX, I've also gotten a liking to MN/ Paratrooper straps.
Again mate, great taste, you and I could be brothers 🤣
Personally I find it more comfortable wearing the folds at the bottom.