What's a fair price for a high-quality rubber strap?
I'm asking because I see more and more companies selling rubber straps for $200+ (and sometimes as high as $500), which seems quite a lot to me. Here's an example (by Marathon):
And another one (by Doxa):
I own a bunch of nice rubber straps from Uncle Seiko that were around $35 on average, so I'm really wondering is there a reason why a rubber strap would be so expensive. Am I missing something? Are those expensive straps really worth it?
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Neo Matik
Newly minted watch enthusiast (I got seriously interested in watches in late 2022). I aim to build a small collection (5-6) pieces over the course of the years. I'm mostly into Tudor & Seiko these day...
Member since
Last active: 3 hrs ago
6.70” / 17.02 cm
i have a couple of crafter blue straps for my MM. about £80 or £90 GBP which is the top end of what i would be willing to pay. they are excellent though.
no way in hell i am paying more than that for a couple of ounces of moulded rubber 😜
£10 eBay special,does the job
I don't have first-hand experience with these straps, but my guess is they are targeted at people with more money than sense who believe something expensive is automatically higher quality.
It seems to be a recurring theme in the watch industry to prey on buyers desensitized to the real value of things after browsing $10k watches, with absurdly overpriced straps, rolls, boxes, winders, etc. at a 10x-20x markup to fake a "luxury" positioning. 💸💸💸
At the end of the day it's just rubber, for cryin' out loud, despite any fluoroelastomers they add. I have no idea why someone would spend an inordinate amount of money for a rubber strap.
Now, if there's a solid gold clasp attached to it, well yeah, but otherwise 💸.
Once you go FKMs, you’ll never go back 🤣
The most expensive I have spent on a rubber strap is $60 for a FKM Tropic strap from watchgecko. And later picked up a few fkm tropic straps from AliExpress for $8 each only to find it is same as the $60 one. Something I have found is most brands just resell fkm straps from Aliexpress. Some brands do have proprietary designs and colors but anything over $100 is just a big no for me especially for a rubber strap unless it comes with a special clasp or specifically designed fitted strap that is tailored to the specific watch.
I would suggest straps like Everest or Rubber B if you're looking for something that is specifically designed to perfectly fit a specific watch model. They are expensive, but provide a seamless fit to the watch head, and look like they were made for the watch. They are extremely comfortable, breathable and seem to resist dust, which is something that can't be said for some of the cheaper straps. If you're not concerned with getting that perfect fit to the watch itself their pricing make them hard to justify, as there are many decent less expensive alternatives available.
$25 out the door. Maximum I'd pay.
I actually have that Marathon strap, it came with the Marathon GSAR. I also have two Uncle Seiko straps and also have another FKM strap similar to the one in the original post which is a fitted strap for my bb58 which is from a brand called Everest ($250+)The ones from uncle Seiko are amazing bang for buck but the Marathon and Everest are wayyyyyy better. They also cost almost 10 times more. Are they 10 times better, probably not but I feel they are worth every penny.
If you are going rubber strap full time and have no plan on changing I think it’s worth the money. But if it’s for a watch that you will be swapping straps like crazy I don’t think it’s worth it. Also, it wouldn’t make sense to buy a $200 strap for a $200 watch