What am I doing wrong with my Artem?

First week I got my Artem strap I went for two swims (separate days) in a hotel pool and after that it fits like a glove.

For almost all my straps (leather in particular) I put them on a plastic Casio stand at the appropriate sizing for my wrist, leave it for a week or so, and usually have no issues wearing from there

The trick is to get one free to shill on your YouTube channel. Then, they suddenly become the most comfortable, not-at-all-overpriced strap you can available.

Laugh!!. Tell us what you really think!

Yeah, the "free stuff doesnt change my opinion trope with reviewers is a little hard to swallow . . . . .

I found my Artems very stiff and uncomfortable for a week of so. I now leave them on a watch in my watch box tightly around the cushion. After which time they are quite comfortable. I’m sure if you persevere you’ll like it but they are certainly not comfortable out of the box.

Seiko has some good chronos 👌

I also bought an Artem for my SSK GMT Blueberry, can't really say it lived up to my expectations after all those incredible youtube reviews. Mine was very difficult to fit. On the positive side, it really upgrades the watch's appearance. But for the price would I buy it again? Nope.

Yeah mine looks really great on everything I've put it on. . . . . Buuuut it just doesnt feel great

Hard and stiff at first then fantastic ( thats what she said )

If you have a watchbox, keep it in there whenever you aren't wearing it.

Had the same issue with an under the cuff sailcloth strap. I found wearing it in the shower slightly tighter than I normally wear it and letting it dry on the wrist softened it up and moulded it making it more comfortable.

They are a strap that I find work better in hot weather.

Mine really never got comfortable on the wrist. Purchased one when they first came out . Put it on my speedmaster pro. When it split at the hole I was using with the pin buckle I trashed it. So I really am an outlier on this one.

Run hot water on the tap with them inside the palm of your hand a couple of times while closing and opening your fingers.

I gently warmed mine with a hair dryer while wearing it to begin with. At night I put it in my watch box so it retained its shape Aron d the pillow thing. By contrast, I also bought a sailcloth from Northstar and it’s much better all round!

I’ve never had a comfortable time with a strap like that. Even after leaving it curled, aggressively breaking it in… I think the padding is too thick and the material too unyielding to conform to the wrist. Why are they padded anyway? The thickness and the narrowing effect of the stitching combine to give the strap a cord-like feel. I just don’t bother with sail cloth anymore. Sail cloth?

Too much trouble for the price, still prefer the zuludiver sailcloth straps, super confortable from the get go and cheaper

Hmm. I never saw these reviews, I just liked the look of them so I bought a few, from Finwatchstraps and ZuluDiver. I love them, mostly cause they kind of look like leather and are water proof. It was such a chore to keep a leather and rubber strap and switching them out.

Like some have already suggested, put it in some warm water, it gets more malleable, then wear your watch.

I’m certain a lot of these strap companies you see advertised on social media are drop ship straight from china with a ridiculous mark up. Check out Ali express you’ll see the same straps for less than £10.

Having a Seiko Speedtimer on a sailcloth strap, I had the same issue. To resolve it, I filled my sink with hot water and let the strap soak. I pulled the strap out, installed it on my watch and wore the watch tighter than usual. This is a option if you don’t want to wear your watch into the shower.

At first I had a similar problem. I spoke with a guy who told me to put it in some warm/ hot water (bearable to touch, don't boil) for a few min, while still warm placed it on a watch pillow overnight. Perfect.

Please don't do this if your watch is not water tight!

They all fit on a scale of hardness from metal to soft Nato. Sailcloth is harder and less flexible than leather. They also wear out faster in the same descending scale. I prefer the softest nato I can find and that's not a quality issue as much as a fabric characteristic. Sailcloth has the same woven material that Nato's have that attracts stains and smells but is far harder to clean. Nato's are cheap and disposable which i like better and I can have a different color in seconds.

I’ve found sailcloth (from any brand) to be stiff as well.

I can see that with the full padded sailcloth straps. However, the hybrid rubber/sailcloth straps (mine is from Strapsco) are really comfortable with no breakin period.

It’s not you, it’s Artem. I have the same strap and have had the same experience. Over a year later, it’s still stiff and still pushes my watch “up” over my wrist. They’re great looking and high quality, but never seem to break in.

Wearing the Artem strap today on the Zenith so thought I’d share. Has been truly comfortable. The exposure to water then drying then repeat really did the trick (yes I didn’t update the date 🤣)