Ever buy a practice strap? (Plus what do we think about suede?) 🤷🏽‍♂️

1.  I use Bison straps as practice straps all of the time. I have some that I have worn on five or six watches.

2. All of my light colored straps quickly discolor quickly, especially in the summer.

It's a no go for me. The world's biggest producer and exporter of leather is china and much of it is mislabeled cat and dog skin. - plus many other problems in the leather industry. 

I'd recommend a nice nato or rubber or titanium instead. They also hold up much better to moisture. 

Just my 2 cents. 

Fkm rubber is pretty good and not expensive. 

I have a ton of straps on the side I don’t use. different sizes and materials.

I think suede is comfortable, but lighter side will show dirt after a while and it can be tough to clean.

The biggest problem that I see with "practice straps" is that they may not offer a true indication of how the "proper strap" is going to look and/or wear. Sometimes very subtle differences in color tone and/or material texture can make or break a look. Also, I find that especially with watches such as the IW3881 which are fairly thick, the watches can end up feeling top heavy depending on the fit of a strap, which can vary between straps.

I'm currently wearing mine on a black Artem sailcloth strap, and it definitely feels more noticeable on my wrist than it does when I wear it on the bracelet. I suspect that part of that is the fact that I can get a pretty much perfect fit using the bracelet micro adjust, but based on where the strap holes are located on the Artem strap, it's either just ever so slightly too tight or too loose. 

I'm still contemplating getting the "proper" IWC strap to take advantage of the EasX-CHANGE system but I don't think that my experience with the Artem strap is going to help me decide whether or not that one is worthwhile. 

🤔 thx man. I might go more mid - brown then 

Yup, love me some FKM even tho I haven’t got a clue what the letters stand for 😂

Yeah…I can imagine.  I’m thinking a more conventional calfskin now… thanks bud. 

Wise words Bob. Comfort is mattering more to me as Father Time keeps adding years 😉👴🏼

Such a great comment and you’re absolutely bob on… it must sound insane to normies (surely brown is brown and blue is blue, right?) but I have straps that - to my eye - don’t complement watches they should just because the hue is a little bit off. We’re such a fussy bunch aren’t we!?!?

great pics of your chrono… I can absolutely recommend the rubber straps with the easexchange system… the leathers just feel a bit thin for me, given - as you say - it’s a bit of a chunky piece at nearly 14mm thick. 

We are indeed a fussy bunch. Even things like the pop of red on the subdial make such a huge difference.

As chunky as it may be, it's become one of my favorite watches.  When I was considering the watch originally, I had seen a Watchbox YouTube video of the watch on a blue alligator strap, and thought it looked awesome, and that's the one I'd really like to get. That one looks much different than the thicker one IWC offers with the contrasting white stitching, which I don't really like as much.   Unfortunately I can't seem to find an order number for the strap from the video, and my AD only has the one with white stitching.

Straps are always hard to get perfect, for me at least.  Feel and minor color differences put me off and even quality brands, and can't be fully assessed until you've paid, shipped, and mounted on to your watch. 

My last fancy 100 dollar strap I've decided looks to narrow, I don't like a big taper on the width.  

So I don't bother with getting throw away straps, but also prefer not to overspend since there is a high chance I won't like as much as I hope.

Re suede - I think if you're prepared to have it show wear and patina, then go for it.  Looks great IMHO.

I am an OCD guy and can’t stand lesser quality straps and buckles. I always try to find third party straps with the same taper as the original strap so I can use the OEM buckle. Seude looks phenomenal but I prefer flatter ones without inserts. 

IWC boutique carries a lot of options that you can play around with. I got my canvas straps from boutique for both my IWCs. 
 

I have toooo many practice straps but I mostly take a chance on non-leather ones. 

I find leather is very hard to shop for online. If I could buy it in-store only I would only because the colours and textures can vary so wildly. I have only had luck on the first try with quality leather straps like Horween or Italian full grain. Suede is nice for an evening or office but not great for everyday. Doesnt weather all that well.

Now bracelets....thats the real lottery. Mainly because of end links, so specific if you want a good fit and little jangle. I stick to stock on those for the most part. Only bought one 3rd party bracelet so far that I really like.

I already have spare straps in most of the colors and textures that interest me so it's rather easy to run simulations without buying new straps. Also buying a cheap practice strap won't tell me anything about how the real one will conform to my wrist or how comfortable to wear it will be a few weeks down the road.

I like the texture and the look of suede but the problem I have with these straps is longevity. They accumulate stains and blemishes too easily, and where a distressed leather would age and show character, suede is just becoming grimy. The only watch I have that is currently fitted with a suede strap is my Nomos Ahoi on a light grey Nomos suede strap. I think that it's a fantastic combination but I know that it works just because I don't wear this watch very often and I'm careful not to let the leather stain.

So comfy, but also more fragile.  I seem to be able to ruin the suede much fasted than a croc or cowhide leather strap.

Grey suede