What is your favorite Marine Nationale / stretchy NATO strap?
Ive been looking around for a quality (19mm) Marine Nationale or stretchy NATO for a while now. Feel free to share pics or your personal experiences!
Found Erika's Originals, but they are priced at 80 or 90 euro, dont know if thats worth it..
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Heretic
@Heretic
Mainly into HAQ and neo-vintage stuff.
The Netherlands
Member since
Last active: 1 min ago
Erika's Originals 👌 Zuludiver as a second. CheapestNatos is very cheap and still good, but Erikas is my favorite despite the price. Local workers local materials, locally sourced machinery. It worth it IMO.
19mm? What watch are getting it for?
Erika's Originals 👌 Zuludiver as a second. CheapestNatos is very cheap and still good, but Erikas is my favorite despite the price. Local workers local materials, locally sourced machinery. It worth it IMO.
19mm? What watch are getting it for?
That Erikas on your Tudor looks great !! Would be getting it for my Enigma Bezel Manual Winder.
Either a black, black+red accented or black+white accented strap.
That Erikas on your Tudor looks great !! Would be getting it for my Enigma Bezel Manual Winder.
Either a black, black+red accented or black+white accented strap.
Not seen that watch before, but I like it 😍(sorry off topic but had to comment, that's proper cool) I'm too old & fat for MN elastic straps, I get that annoying flabby bulge ,so I stick to NATO's but aesthetics aside I have found MN to be very comfortable.
Not seen that watch before, but I like it 😍(sorry off topic but had to comment, that's proper cool) I'm too old & fat for MN elastic straps, I get that annoying flabby bulge ,so I stick to NATO's but aesthetics aside I have found MN to be very comfortable.
Thanks !! Its a very unique piece, designed by a very interesting fellow, gianni bulgari.
Im just not a big fan of normal NATO's, mainly due to the lack of stretch..
Erika's Original straps are worth every penny.
Actually, there are elastic pass-through straps in a standard NATO configuration. Check out BluShark Pajama Straps (US) or Elasticated Military Watch Straps from the WatchGecko or ZULUDIVER (UK).
They are pretty thin, so you'll have less bulk compared to MN style elastic straps.
For the hook & loop style check out Nick Mankey stuff, NDC, and of course Erika's.
Btw, my strap obsession ended-up as a website, here you can find more stores that sell elastic straps https://www.straphunter.com/elastic
A good alternative to Erika's is The Watch Steward. It looks like Kevin's stock is pretty low in 19mm width, but his elastic is flexible enough that a 20mm will almost certainly work fine. (I've got an old Camy with a 17mm lug width, and the 18mm strap fits well.)
Another option is Nick Mankey Designs. His standard straps are much softer than Erika's, but the newer Pro series is only slightly softer. Unless your watch is heavy and needs support, Nick's standard straps are about the most comfortable I've ever worn. There's a reason he has a 3-month backlog.
There are plenty of other vendors that offer something similar (e.g. CNS Straps, Luff Watchstraps, etc), but Erika's, The Watch Steward, and Nick Mankey are the only three that I would recommend without hesitation.
A good alternative to Erika's is The Watch Steward. It looks like Kevin's stock is pretty low in 19mm width, but his elastic is flexible enough that a 20mm will almost certainly work fine. (I've got an old Camy with a 17mm lug width, and the 18mm strap fits well.)
Another option is Nick Mankey Designs. His standard straps are much softer than Erika's, but the newer Pro series is only slightly softer. Unless your watch is heavy and needs support, Nick's standard straps are about the most comfortable I've ever worn. There's a reason he has a 3-month backlog.
There are plenty of other vendors that offer something similar (e.g. CNS Straps, Luff Watchstraps, etc), but Erika's, The Watch Steward, and Nick Mankey are the only three that I would recommend without hesitation.
Sent Nick a message if he will be making the Pro strap in 19mm aswell. If not, i might pick up the 20mm and try to squeeze it.
I was a big fan of Erika's, but my last order with them motivated me to search for other alternatives. Erika's are great, but offer no customer support and process times are deal breakers if you are a returning cutomer.
I was a big fan of Erika's, but my last order with them motivated me to search for other alternatives. Erika's are great, but offer no customer support and process times are deal breakers if you are a returning cutomer.
No customer support?? Ive always had great contact with them. They gave me sizing advice, info about import tax and possible custom logo options. Sure it took a week to get a reply, but they still answered all my questions and helped me alot. What was your negative experience??