Fresh from the Showcase here at SwissWatchExpo. And it is that time of year, the temperature is
rising. It is the hottest time of the year, summer has just begun. And that
means it is time to talk about rubber straps and we've got a ton. So let's check them out.
We all know summertime means that some of the leather strap watches need to get put away,
especially if you are in Georgia like we are, it has already crept into the triple digits a time
or two in June, and that is bound to continue the rest of the year. So if you're looking for
the perfect material for a watch that you're actually gonna take out into this sweltering heat,
you need to consider rubber straps. And I know what a lot of people are thinking
is that, Hey, my luxury watches are to wear with my nice outfits. Since we're going out,
I don't want anything so casual or so sporty. There's no way it can look good. Well,
this is where you are wrong, because we have a ton of different rubber straps, but I specifically
selected three of the cleanest-looking ones, some of the dressier ones, or really versatile
models that have rubber straps that can be dressed up or down in ways that you might not expect.
And we've actually got three different brands here, three of our most popular: an Omega, a
Cartier, and a Rolex with rubber straps. I'm sure you could see these watches and you might have an
idea of what I'm gonna be talking about, but let's just go ahead and get into it. We'll start with
this beautiful-looking Cartier Santos chronograph. I love, love, love this model, especially
considering Cartier has gone away from a lot of the sportier watches in general, I think of the
Calibres and the Roadsters that you know, sort of got discontinued, but this I think is gonna be the
sportiest offering in their line right now. And you could see why this is a big case square and 43
millimeters in diameter. So that and the fact that it's square too means this is a very big watch.
This is gonna be bigger than most of the Cartiers you're used to and
in turn a lot sportier too. This episode or this video is mostly about straps, but I couldn't help
but notice what an interesting chronograph this is. It absolutely looks beautiful with sort of the
silver grain pattern here and with this ceramic bezel I think that goes perfectly with this black
rubber strap. But before we get into the strap, I do love that while this does appear to be a
mono-pusher there is one pusher here on the right that both starts and stops the chronograph as you
could see but to actually return it. This is not just a crown, this is also a pusher inside the
crown. The Cabochon sort of like pushes into the case. And you can use that to reset it.
I don't know if I've seen a chronograph that functions this way, and it is definitely a
surprise coming from Cartier but enough about the movement. This is all about the fine rubber
strap. This is going to be the summertime watch for your Cartier collection, for sure.
I love, we do have the screws in sort of the first three sort of quote-unquote links here. Although
they're not links, this is a solid rubber strap. And that definitely goes with sort of the Santos
look with the screws in the bezel. It's a great, great sporty look. And it sort of carries on that
same motif from the case onto the rubber, which I love. This is gonna be a perfectly flat and smooth
rubber once we get below that point. And that goes for the other side as well. That's gonna
be one thing that's unique about this strap compared to the two others, but because it
is perfectly smooth, there is no beating on it or a pattern or texture or anything like that.
This is one that would look great, even dressed up even with a dress shirt, especially with darker
colors. So I think even though it is rubber, the flat color, this looks super, super clean,
and that's what you should expect from Cartier, of course. One other thing I love about this.
This does come on a steel-to-deployant strap, and I actually really love that they have incorporated
the two pushers or sort of the two pushers into here to release the clasp. This is a lot different
than the older models' deployant that you might know that you actually have to, it snaps in
really hard and you gotta dig your whole thumb underneath there. And I'm not gonna lie. I have
put little tiny bruises on my thumbs a time or two from handling these all day.
So I do consider this to be a huge upgrade in the clasp for Cartier
and it's a great addition to this watch as well. So definitely if you like the sporty
type of watches, or a big, big square chronograph, Cartier might not be a
brand that would instantly come to mind, but this Santos is a beautiful example.
The next one I want to get into might be my favorite of the bunch. And I was really,
really torn between which one I was gonna choose to be the example here, but this is going to be
an Omega Aqua Terra, which comes with their beautiful rubber straps that they're making
now and this might be my absolute favorite in the game. It does have sort of a woven type of beating
pattern here that almost does reminiscent of some sort of leather type of finishing here. And that's
what makes it super dressy too. We even have the sort of stitching that goes around the side,
which definitely makes it look a lot more like leather than most rubber straps do.
But that's what I love, love love about this model. It's on the newer Aqua Terra models,
going back even I think a generation before and it's perfect for what the Aqua Terra
is. It's meant to be their dressier sort of, not necessarily a dive watch, but an ocean-faring or
definitely a watch meant to be worn at the water or at the beach. And so I think a super dressy
rubber strap option that comes with this is just gonna be a fantastic choice to make.
And this is gonna be one that again, can go out with, you know, with regular attire. You don't
need to be wearing a swimsuit to be enjoying this watch. You don't actually need to be in the water
for this to look beautiful, but it's a fantastic-looking dressy sports watch.
And it's a great example of what the Aqua Terra does well, and I also love that while I do love
the white and gray sort of combination here, it's available in a ton of different colors.
And even if you look at the Aqua Terra section on our website,
you'll see at least a half dozen different combinations. Probably more than that,
I was really torn between which one I was gonna use, but I just really love how clean this gray
looks. So I thought it kind of fit with the theme of the video. The last one is one I'm sure you're
aware of any luxury watch aficionado is at least familiar with this model. It is the Oysterflex
Yacht-Master. This is the first one they made in rose gold. It is a smash hit when it came out.
Still, a smash hit now. One of my favorite sports model Rolexes they've ever made and
for good reason, it is absolutely stunning. Rose gold case. Of course, available only
in precious metal means this is going to be a super clean dressy type of dive watch
if I ever saw one. The rubber bezels, are a huge hit, but of course, what makes this watch
so unique? And so desirable is this incredible Oysterflex rubber strap,
Rolex really outdid themselves. And as far as I know, this came out of absolutely nowhere. It's
not like any vintage Rolex models were known to come with rubber straps in the factory
to my knowledge. It's an incredible design here, super smooth. And actually, with the
sort of pattern with the one raised line in the middle, very similar to an Oyster type of
bracelet, it's almost like the center link has a different finish on it than the rest of it.
So sort of reminiscent of a sports watch in that way. And what's great is this sort of shape here,
this raised rubber part, which really limits the contact of the rubber against your skin,
which makes this such a great watch for when these temperatures get super high, like they are here.
And that's why everyone I've met who owns this watch are people who come in wearing this watch.
Even if they're buying another one, this is their go-to watch, especially to wear in the daytime in
August and July when the temperatures are really getting close to and beyond a hundred degrees
here in Atlanta. People love this watch. So if you're looking for something that's gonna be super
comfortable in this ridiculous weather, it is only getting hotter, these are all gonna be the ones to
consider. I promise if you're like me, my leather strap watches are going in the case and they are
not coming out for a couple of months. So if you're looking for something to wear in the
meantime, because it's just too uncomfortable with some of your steel vans or your leather straps,
you need to get yourself a nice clean rubber one. And there is a ton. These
are just three examples. I think these might be the three dressy examples that come to mind,
but we have a ton, especially if you're looking for a sportier watch, there are
dozens and dozens of different varieties, not just in these three brands. So if you're looking
for a summertime watch and you haven't bought one yet, you need to give us a call. Check us
out online. And of course, like a subscribe to this video, because we are dropping new videos
in every season for every type of watch you could want here at SwissWatchExpo.com.