Thoughts on leather straps on dive watches?

I believe there was thread about this a while Back… worth a search and read 🍻

I think the idea that someone wearing a SPB143 is about to go dive with Jacques Cousteau is an affectation at this point. If a watch gatekeeper gets judgey about strap choices they are the weird one.

Do it all the time.

Enjoy the strap on that diver!

Cheers!

Thanks! Must’ve missed that one. I’ll give it a read.

Thanks! Digging that Zelos, very nice!

Is that an ostrich on the Zelos? Nice color tone!

Yes it is! Ostrich Leg. A real beauty! My nephew made it. 🍻

The other strap on the Zelos is a Matte Navy Shark Skin Strap. Another nephew made strap.

During off season yes. In the season I swap to bracelet or rubber

I like my diver on leather sometimes, when I plan on getting in the water I have a rubber and a NATO that work fine but I have no shame I the leather.

Just by looking at the photo you took, the answer is clear for me…. It looks so beautiful.

For desk divers and those using a Dive watch as a handy substitute for a Field watch, why not?

I love the look of the leather with a dive watch, and think it’s fine for general every day usage. Ofcourse, if I were diving, camping/canoeing/boating, or being out getting hot and sweaty, I would swap it out for something else.

I believe dive watches should come on rubber or silicone straps, but I didn't like the shade of green on my Islander strap, so I got a nice forest green Barton for it. Looks real good.

If you're not going to dive or swim with, leather is fine.

I do it with many of my divers, but I leave the Seamaster alone. Need the Bond 👀

I got my duro on a leather strap right now. It looks awesome 😎

It’s probably because I’m getting older, live in Florida, or a bit of both, but most watches are better on bracelets for me. There. I said it. Straps last six months of regular wear here, and bracelets look good.

But it doesn’t bother me at all, if you prefer straps, to use leather on a dive watch unless you are actively diving with it at that very moment. If you are 50m deep with a leather strap, you are not so bright. Otherwise, wear what you like.

Most dive watches will stay desk divers throughout their life, so any rules are just fashion rules. Fashion rules are there to be broken at will, but at the risk of looking foolish. I'd say you risk that when the dive watch is particularly chunky, emphasizing its diviness. Having said that, most people are blissfully unaware of the purported purpose of a dive watch anyway, and to them your chunky piece looks silly no matter the band.

Seamaster are based on a water resistant dress watch back in the 50's before being a dive watch so if a dive watch can be on leather rhat the one. 😉

Blasphemy on a modern diver, ok on a retro.... But I'm veggie (since 1982) so wouldn't do leather on anything (belts & shoes included).... However, I do wear my Seamaster 300 heritage on a rather nice Colareb eco-suede that looks very smart 🤓

Obviously, very subjective. Tastes vary greatly from person to person. But since you asked, in my personal watch world, it really depends on the type of leather:

Dive watches are inherently tooly - function over form, durability over elegance.

Putting a shiny alligator strap on a Tuna can with Helium escape valves and Lume is a bit of a dichotomy. They are designed for completely different purposes. They would clash and make each other look out of place. A bit like wearing patent leather brogues and cargo pants - you can do it, but it's questionable.

HOWEVER, a low-key vintage looking distressed hide, on a skin diver can compliment each other really well.

I even find a leather strap preferable in some cases. After a hot sweaty day in sand and salt water, rubber is not always the most forgiving on the skin. It's nice to switch to a slightly more comfortable leather strap after a good shower and head into town.

Very well said!

Now that’s a beautiful combination!

I rarely get them wet, nevermind 200m+

I couldn't resist choosing blasphemy, but really unless you are going into the water...does it even matter?

If you are going into the water, then you have to be a complete ____ (fill in the blank) to wear a leather strap. Unless you are deliberately seeking to destroy the strap that is.

My go to for the water (or for a sandy beach) is always rubber/silicone...easy to clean up, salt water won't damage the finish on the bracelet, you don't have to get sand out from between the links, and definitely never a leather strap in water or on sand.

Good Lord that’s a beautiful collection!

Very good points and I agree with your choice of rubber for the water 100% agree

Used to hate this until a got a Spinnaker which came on a waterproof leather strap and really enjoyed the look. Now it doesn't bother me at all, I'm not getting them wet anyway 😂

I think they work better on vintage watches. 5513 on leather? Yes please. 6-digit Sub on leather? No thanks. I have a 90s Seamaster too and wear it on grey nubuck from time to time and love it