Rubber straps - why has it taken me so long?

I probably have 30+ different nato, leather, canvas, bracelet, or mesh straps. I typically have complaints about all of them... steel bracelets tend to be beefy and relatively heavy, nato straps are bulky on the bottom or increase the effective case height, leather works okay in some situations but maybe not when I'm outside doing yard work or sitting by the pool, etc.

My first rubber strap just arrived (a cheap one too, around $24 USD). It's light, comfortable, and I can wear it in a variety of different situations. It's probably super easy to clean, although I've only been wearing it a few hours.

Why has it taken me so long to try rubber straps? Why have you all been holding out on me? 😉

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For me, a quality rubber strap (especially on a deployant) beats NATO, leather, canvas and even a well done bracelet.

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Jimmer

For me, a quality rubber strap (especially on a deployant) beats NATO, leather, canvas and even a well done bracelet.

I would love some recommendations on nicer rubber straps. I can’t imagine how satisfied I would be considering how much I enjoy this cheap one!

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james

I would love some recommendations on nicer rubber straps. I can’t imagine how satisfied I would be considering how much I enjoy this cheap one!

The three best ones I have are OEM, but Isofrane makes some really nice ones. Yes, pricey, but high quality and comfy.

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It's probably super easy to clean, although I've only been wearing it a few hours.

If you have a black textured band that is not a dust/lint magnet requiring compressed air to effectively, and oh-so-temporarily, clean, tell us that brand. That looks like my Barton, but I might as well sift flour on it for how it looks after a few minutes of wear.

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I bought myself a couple of two-tone rubber straps from Ali Express for about £10 a piece. Quite happy with, though I noticed that their prices have been slashed to about £4 now. I haven't deployed them yet though, they are my band reserve. So, cannot help on the dust magnet front. 

Update: I'm talking about these.

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I have a Tissot that came with a leather strap. The strap was nice, but it started to look beaten up after typical wear. I replaced it with an identical rubber strap, and I love it. It looks the same but wears more comfortably and doesn't develop marks from normal wear. I also wear rubber on a couple of divers that were originally on a bracelet, and I find that it works really well for wearing them at work, so the bracelets don't develop minor scratches when my wrists hit the desk while I'm typing. TBH, I wear leather straps on my dress watches for the same reason.

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Cool looking rubber strap on your CW. 😎 They're comfy indeed, but will pair well depending on the kind of watch you are putting it on. I got my Seiko SRPB93 a rubber strap and like you, I'm quite happy with it. It's got lots of tiny holes, making it much cooler on wrist. Got it for only $2.59. You don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy your timepieces. 😉 

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#seiko #seiko5 #srpb93 #rubberstrap 

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I think rubber straps are great. I just put my Scurfa on the OEM rubber strap and I’m not planning to take it off anytime soon. Another good brand of straps is Tropic by Synchron.  
 

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You can also try some MN nylon straps. They're very light, and quite cool and comfortable on wrist. Easy to put on too if its quick release. Got these for only $4.17 each. 😉   

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#timex #timexwaterbury #seiko5 #snxs79 #mnstrap 

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Finally, you can also try light canvas straps. Got these for only $4.24 each. 😉

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I live in a tropical country. Heat, humidity, and sweat is a daily given for us. But, I find that when wearing the MN and canvas straps, I don't sweat much on wrist. 😎 

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For me, rubber straps are the best. Watchgecko make some really good ones and have quite a range. 

I like both rubber ones and bracelets. I don't think I have any leather straps but I do have some canvas-type ones. Barton make a good range of those. Barton have a huge range of all sorts of straps and they are available on Amazon. 

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Rubber is still my least favorite, but a good rubber is better than bad nato or bracelet 😊 And it serves a different purpose.

And yes, we can all see that have girlfriend 👏 Congratulations, now stop bragging!! (Just kidding of course 😉).

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james

I would love some recommendations on nicer rubber straps. I can’t imagine how satisfied I would be considering how much I enjoy this cheap one!

My Omega Planet Ocean, 2007 model came on a rubber strap, the Omega strap usually lasts about 2 years, the keepers go brittle and the strap goes hard, cracks and eventually breaks. From personal experience with replacement rubber straps, the Barton Elite has been excellent,  ashes some "MAX" FKM straps from Amazon. If you go upmarket,  the Isofrane straps have a good reputation but I've not tried one as yet. 

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I LOVE rubber straps.

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Ali has the fake Rolex rubber straps without the branding that will fit most watches. I just cut off the second loop of the Nato straps which are easy to clean and makes it look like you got a new watch every couple days. Always hated wearing rubber.

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I have a rubber strap that came with my Marathon dive watch - I don't wear it often, but it smells like Vanilla, so it keeps the desk drawer where I store my straps smelling delightful! lol

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Rubber straps are awesome! but it takes time to find the good ones, not necessarily the most expensive ones but sometimes you do get what you pay for. 
 

here are my watches on rubber straps:

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Speedy77

I think rubber straps are great. I just put my Scurfa on the OEM rubber strap and I’m not planning to take it off anytime soon. Another good brand of straps is Tropic by Synchron.  
 

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I just wanted to give Scurfa a plug as well. They sell their 20mm OEM Diver One straps separately on their site. I find their straps to be very comfy after a little breaking in. They do an especially good job of holding bigger, heavier watches in place. I like the no-frills look. Also available with titanium hardware.

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Another +1 for Barton Silicon Elite straps on Amazon. Very comfy, look sharp, and holds my heavy chronograph in place very well.

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Mike_2

I just wanted to give Scurfa a plug as well. They sell their 20mm OEM Diver One straps separately on their site. I find their straps to be very comfy after a little breaking in. They do an especially good job of holding bigger, heavier watches in place. I like the no-frills look. Also available with titanium hardware.

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Another +1 for Barton Silicon Elite straps on Amazon. Very comfy, look sharp, and holds my heavy chronograph in place very well.

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Looks great! And I totally agree about the Scurfa straps. 

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I have all kind of straps and the ones I feel more comfortable and versatile are the silicone ones.

The orange strap on my Viceroy is well ventilated and really soft and comfortable.

The OEM Seiko divers silicon straps have a great  finish, comfort and quality, although they are pretty expensive (here in Baby Tuna and Arnie). Their metallic keeper gives a great quality feeling but some complain about it. For me is completely fine and I like it.

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Florida heat and humidity has me wearing rubber straps on all of my watches

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uhrensohn

I bought myself a couple of two-tone rubber straps from Ali Express for about £10 a piece. Quite happy with, though I noticed that their prices have been slashed to about £4 now. I haven't deployed them yet though, they are my band reserve. So, cannot help on the dust magnet front. 

Update: I'm talking about these.

Those are nice! I have what appears to be the identical strap (same design on the underneath) as an OEM strap on a watch, and it's super comfortable!

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I love FKM rubber. Very dense, yet pliable, and doesn't collect all the lint/dust, etc. While we're talking cheapies, I love these Tropic style straps at less than $10 each. Very premium. They really seem to match on TONS of watches, not just divers. I've got a video on them as well: https://youtu.be/7YVt0e6dbq0

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Gusbarcelo

I have all kind of straps and the ones I feel more comfortable and versatile are the silicone ones.

The orange strap on my Viceroy is well ventilated and really soft and comfortable.

The OEM Seiko divers silicon straps have a great  finish, comfort and quality, although they are pretty expensive (here in Baby Tuna and Arnie). Their metallic keeper gives a great quality feeling but some complain about it. For me is completely fine and I like it.

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What brand is the orange strap?

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My Oris TT3 has a rubber strap it’s surprisingly comfortable. Even with a heavier watch such as the TT3 chronograph. 

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BtownB9

What brand is the orange strap?

Hi! It's the OEM Viceroy Heat strap. I don't know if it's easy to find like a spare. Otherwise I would fit the Archer: https://www.archerwatchstraps.com/products/quick-release-silicone-portland-orange

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Springdale

I have a rubber strap that came with my Marathon dive watch - I don't wear it often, but it smells like Vanilla, so it keeps the desk drawer where I store my straps smelling delightful! lol

😂 Same here - my wife kept commenting on the vanilla smell so I had to replace it. I bought this strap from aliexpress and it is surprisingly good. Same feel as the original strap and it does not collect dust and particles like a silicon strap does.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000453560397.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.0.0.32c31802sqRavF