Nato disappointment and I need to vent.
I recently received a bunch of Nato straps from WatchGecko. I'm extremely satisfied with my choices. They are very well made. Very good quality. Incredibly comfortable. Well done WatchGecko!!
I had ordered two 22mm straps thinking I could swap them between my 5KX and my Tuna and have options. My Tuna is looking brilliant on both, no issues there. I'm very excited whenever I put it on regardless of the strap I decide to go with in the morning. My fliegers on 20mms look killer. I find myself wear these more often. Especially the blue and orange one on a matching Nato featured in my recent WRUW.
My beloved 5KX on the other hand? I'm extremely disappointed with how it looks with either strap. It look remarkably cheap on my all black Nato. Like properly cheap. As in "on sale at Dollar General" cheap. When it's on the blue Nato, it doesn't match as well I had imagined. Which means the wife was right. Which means it doesn't match at all. She sure was comfortable though. Now, she's back on her original bracelet.
I have seen other Crunchers with the same watch on different bracelets and straps. Theirs look amazing while mine just looked meh.
Felt good wearing it while it lasted! Until next time...
I wanted to take my time and really think about what I wanted to say. Weigh every word. Craft every sentence. Clearly it didn't work. So here it is... I don't take myself seriously. I like a good laug...
I'm not entirely convinced by NATO straps on anything, but have yet to try one out, so maybe I speak too soon. Sorry yours didn't work out on the 5KX
Photos are weird sometimes especially when it’s enhanced and “well” filtered so in real life it doesn’t have the same effect.
I'm not entirely convinced by NATO straps on anything, but have yet to try one out, so maybe I speak too soon. Sorry yours didn't work out on the 5KX
A Caterham 7! 🤤 If only I could...
Natos are great. But they do have their pros and cons. Comfortable, light, flexible and versatile. Makes a tall watch taller, cheapens the look of some watches, not dressy and sometimes bulky with the extra fabric.
I discovered that not all watches work with one. And always keep your original band. You never know if or when you will get back to it.
Some watches are born for natos, like the khakis. Divers on my opinion, sometimes a hit sometimes a big miss
Sadly, that’s the way it is with NATO straps. I almost feel like the watch has to be made for it to work all the time. Divers are, as @bijak1748 mentioned, most time a hit or miss.
NATO straps are only good for insta-cheaping the look of any watch.
Any watch you buy on OEM bracelet will be reunited with its OEM bracelet one day, irrespective of how many NATOs you purchase.
Playing with leather, rubber and Tropic style straps on by BlackBay 58 only made me love it more when the Tudor steel bracelet came back where it belongs
There was a good thread on this same point just three days ago entitled “I’m over NATO straps”
I just tried a NATO on my SKX007 the other day. The springbars are too close to the ends of the lugs and the NATO looked like crap. Back to the bracelet.
On the other hand, my Enoksen Dive E02 (resembles a 1970s Submariner) looks excellent on the seatbelt NATO that came with it.
So in my opinion, it depends.
There was a good thread on this same point just three days ago entitled “I’m over NATO straps”
I guess I missed it.
I have a PVD 5KX and it only works with NATOs or leather straps. Would love a bracelet for it, but would be difficult to find a color matched bracelet.
100% with you @Paragonmsp. I love the idea of NATOs, but whenever I put one on anything besides a field watch or maybe a sub-style diver, they give a very “cheap” impression. Fortunately, my recent Flightmaster purchase introduced me to the Marine Nationale strap and it’s been a revelation! Comfort and compliance like a NATO, but the single pass makes it wear slimmer, and just looks more “purposeful” if that makes sense; also, no obnoxious excess tail either sticking out or clumsily tucked. I just got another MN for my Lunar Pilot and it’s a great match.
100% with you @Paragonmsp. I love the idea of NATOs, but whenever I put one on anything besides a field watch or maybe a sub-style diver, they give a very “cheap” impression. Fortunately, my recent Flightmaster purchase introduced me to the Marine Nationale strap and it’s been a revelation! Comfort and compliance like a NATO, but the single pass makes it wear slimmer, and just looks more “purposeful” if that makes sense; also, no obnoxious excess tail either sticking out or clumsily tucked. I just got another MN for my Lunar Pilot and it’s a great match.
Absolutely agree. I will have to try the MN style straps next time around. The Lunar Pilot is on my most wanted list. It looks really good on that strap. The gray line is very discreet and makes a nice addition to the piece.
Your flighty is a classic and looks stellar. That yellow accent makes everything come together nicely.
Not all watches are strap monsters.
These two on Natos, absolutely wonderful. Extremely versatile, comfortable, visually attractive. Can't ask for more. The one on the right has a blue dial too.
This one though... As soon as I put it on the Nato, it lost it's pop. Like @Ichibunz mentioned earlier, photos and angles and light (also touch ups) play a big role in it. Just look how sad it looks! It looks lifeless.
This is from earlier today. Back on a bracelet. It looks happier. It knows!
I just tried a NATO on my SKX007 the other day. The springbars are too close to the ends of the lugs and the NATO looked like crap. Back to the bracelet.
On the other hand, my Enoksen Dive E02 (resembles a 1970s Submariner) looks excellent on the seatbelt NATO that came with it.
So in my opinion, it depends.
Agreed,swapped bracelet for rubber strap on my SKX007.lovin’ the look and feel so far.
I was very surprised at how good mine looked on a leather strap from Barton. Super comfortable too.
I think it all comes down to your preconceived ideas. If you think NATO's look cheap when you see one it will look cheap. I go the other way, I think bracelets suck, visually to big, heavy, sluggish. They turn watches into handcuffs. NATO's (and things like sailcloth) set watches -and my wrist-free.
Making a watch look informal (cheap) I think of as a feature, especially given that I’m almost always a jean and t-shirt/sweat-shirt kind of guy, and usually don’t like attracting attention.
Making a watch look informal (cheap) I think of as a feature, especially given that I’m almost always a jean and t-shirt/sweat-shirt kind of guy, and usually don’t like attracting attention.
I feel there's a difference between making a watch look informal and making it look cheap. Dressing a watch down is a thing. Your GS can be a Jack of all trades depending on the choice of bracelet/strap. It would look as good on a leather strap or an H link bracelet.
Big fan of the NATO, wear them on everything, pretty much exclusively.
Prefer Watchgecko/Geckota/Zuludiver to the Omega ones , more comfortable, thinner and critically for me they're " proper" NATO's with a sewn in buckle and not a naff springbar retained buckle (defeats the purpose!!)