Different Types Of Watch Straps [0:00:00]
In today’s video, gents, how to wear five watches on one hand. Just kidding. But, I
am wearing this to illustrate all the different options you have when it comes to watch straps.
Now, with each watch strap type, there’s advantages, disadvantages, and a level of
formality. So, how do you find the perfect watch strap for you? Well, gentlemen, that’s
the subject of today’s video. [Music]
Now, the first strap style I’m going to talk about and the most common on the planet
is stainless steel. And there’s a lot of good reasons for this.
First up, it’s hypoallergic, which basically means if you have sensitive skin, you don’t
have to worry about reacting to steel. It’s something that, yeah, just sensitive skin
doesn’t versus leather, canvas, or even rubber.
Now, another great thing about stainless steel is that it’s incredibly durable. Even cheap
less expensive steels, they’re not going to be as durable as higher end steels, but
in general compared with all the other different materials out there, steel is going to be
one of the most durable ones that you can get. So, it’s good durability for the money.
And speaking of money, when it comes to steel, you got a lot of bang for your buck. So, look
at these two straps here. Look very similar. Maybe the one on the left looks a little bit
more expensive because it’s got that gold in it. Well, that’s not real gold, that’s
just colored steel. The one to the right actually is a lot more
expensive. That’s a Rolex. The one over to the left, that’s an Invicta, costs less
than a hundred bucks. And let’s talk about corrosion resistance
and most people aren’t going to fully test this out and dip the watch in acid. But, on
a daily basis you are wearing this watch and you’re exposing it to sweat, you’re exposing
it to moisture. It is something that, yeah, over time if there are other types of straps
out there, they will start to degrade. Steel is going to do a good job of resisting corrosion.
And when it comes to durability, this thing is going to outlast you. And in the case that
you do want to replace the strap or that you want to get something repaired, pretty easy
to do, just send it off to a watch manufacturer. Oftentimes, they’ve got the spare parts
or they can just contact the manufacturer and get them.
Now, there are a couple of disadvantages to steel watches. The first one is whenever you
buy the watch right outside the box you’re going to either have to get links removed
or you’re going to have to adjust the watch. And it’s not always the easiest process.
Yeah, I’ve got a lot of leftover links from all of my watches and I keep track of them
because if I ever want to sell the watch. Point being is you’re going to have to go
through a little bit more work to get the watch to fit your wrist.
Next up, if you’re a hairy guy, you’ve got really hairy wrist, you may find that
metal straps actually catch your hairs and pinch. And this can be a real issue if you
get a mesh watch. I love the look of mesh watches and for me, it’s not an issue. I
don’t have a whole lot of hair on my wrist. But I have heard complaints of guys saying
that they get their hair in there and it makes this style unwearable.
Another issue with stainless steel watches is scratching especially if it’s more expensive
watch, a lot of people just they do not like it, so they want to send the watch off to
get buffed, basically to get those scratches out.
For me, it’s not an issue, it just shows that the watch is actually worn and it’s
something that, yeah, you actually get into your rotation. But, I know some people, it
just annoys the heck out of them. Now, what about titanium? You’re going to
see that out there as well. So, it’s not going to be as common as stainless steel,
but titanium has a lower density. So, basically it means it’s lighter weight than steel.
Now, what’s interesting is even though it’s lighter weight, it is twice as strong as steel
and it also has a much higher melting point. That may sound great, but here’s the disadvantage
of that is it’s much harder and therefore more difficult to work with.
So, it’s something that you don’t see watchmakers use as much. It can also be more
expensive and if you have to do repairs, not necessarily a good thing. But if you like
titanium watches, you want a really lightweight watch with a steel watch look, then titanium
is a good option. Now, gents, I know you’ve an opinion, so
I want to hear from you down in the comments what is your favorite type of watch strap?
You like steel, you like titanium, do you like rubber, do you like canvas, let me know
down in the comments. Now, what about precious metals? We’ve got
gold, white gold, silver, platinum. For the most part they share many of the same properties
as stainless steel, but there are a few key differences.
The first and most obvious difference is price. And when you look at the raw materials, steel
versus silver versus gold versus platinum, obviously, platinum, gold, silver those cost
a lot more. Point being is raw material is part of the equation. But, it’s not nearly
close because if you actually look at the difference, it doesn’t account for why precious
material bands in watches are so much more expensive.
A lot of that the manufacturer justifies, “Oh, it requires certain artisans. We don’t
make as many of them.” And that does drive up the price, but really it comes down to,
they understand that there’s a different type of buyer.
The person that buys the steel watch isn’t necessarily the person that’s buying the
gold watch or buying the platinum watch. This person is less price-sensitive and part of
them when they’re buying a watch like this, it is an achievement, it’s jewelry. It’s
something that they want to show. And that’s really the difference here is
that you’re buying jewelry at this point. That is something that when you buy it, you’re
proud of an achievement. I know for me when I had my first million dollar year as a business,
I bought the Rolex rose gold right here. This one from Rolex. It was something that I bought
and I justified in my mind because of what it represented.
All that being said, precious metal bracelets, very similar to their stainless steel counterparts,
these are also going to be hypoallergic, so if you have sensitive skin, it’s a good
option. [0:05:06]
You’re going to find when it comes to scratching especially the more pure the gold the softer
it is. So, in general you’re going to see these precious metal bracelets are going to
scratch easier than their stainless steel counterparts. But, when it comes to durability
and their ability to last, yeah, this can become a family heirloom.
So, when it comes to being dressy and looking good, I do think that a good, you know, mix
of maybe a mixed metal watch or going with just a straight gold or even a white gold
or a silver, I just think it makes a beautiful good-looking dress watch.
Now, platinum when you look at it looks very similar to steel, but when you pick it up,
that’s when you notice the difference, almost twice as heavy as steel. And also, when it
comes to durability, going to be a little bit tougher than steel and very resistant
to scratching. Really quick let’s talk about bronze. When
it comes to the bracelet, you rarely ever are going to see a bronze bracelet. But, when
it comes to the case, you will see them out there and you’re also going to see them
in the buckle. Now, a lot of people when they see bronze
they like it, but then they don’t necessarily and they’re not expecting it to oxidize.
This is basically when bronze is exposed to the air to water to salt, over time it will
start to not tarnish it, it’s going to create a patina.
Sometimes it can be a little bit bluish a little bit greenish. It’s a very light.
A lot of people like this, some people don’t. Just be aware that if you get bronze, it is
something that is going to discolor over time. Next up we’ve got the leather strap. And
for the watch aficionados out there, they’ll tell you that this is the perfect combination.
You get that perfect strap with the perfect case and that combination is the perfect watch.
And it goes back to history. Whenever men start to take in those pocket watches and
wearing them as wristwatches, initially they had strings, but that didn’t work. No, they
went to the leather strap. And this for just many years was the go-to
combination that many designers out there and we think of the first dress watches, that
simple watch that just tells you the time and has a very clean layout with a black leather
strap. Now, faux leather as you probably know is
not real leather, it’s made from a synthetic material. It’s made to simulate leather.
And a lot of people this is going to be a great option especially if they’re vegan
if they don’t want to touch anything that was coming from an animal, I get it. So, this
is a good option. Alcantara is another option. So, you’re
going to see this in cars, often used in the car seating. This will give like a really
nice suede like feel and look and overall the durability is pretty good. Another big
advantage of this type of material is it’s going to be water resistant versus leather,
yeah, you got to be careful you don’t want it to get wet.
Okay. So, when it comes to leather straps, the first thing you need to understand is
that not all leather straps are created equal. You got to understand a little bit of the
terminology. Bonded leather, this is basically the worst
thing. This is where they take glue and they take pieces of leather and they create a mold.
Yeah, that’s an abomination. Avoid bonded leather.
But, top grain leather, this is going to be fine. It’s going to be one of the most affordable
options out there. This is where they remove the top part of the hide and then they go
a little bit down in there and they cut off a layer. This can be somewhat durable. It’s
going to be, again, the most affordable option out there.
So, if you want to go for a variety of straps and you want to buy something at a decent
price, I think that top grain leather is perfectly fine.
Next up there, you want to look at genuine leather. And genuine leather I think is a
great option. You’re going to see a wide range of really high-end watches. So, genuine
leather is going to be using a thicker cut. It’s going to be a lot more durable and
you’re also going to notice like when they stitch on the sides, they’re going to pay
attention to those types of details. The material costs more and it can cost I
would say ten to twenty times as much as top grain. But, when you get the right strap,
this is something that can last you many, many years and over time is actually going
to develop a really nice look to it. And next up, we’ve got full grain leather.
Full grain leather is going to be a straight cut from the hide. We’re not going to have
any of the layers taken off like in a top grain or even in a genuine leather.
But, I don’t think there’s much of an advantage over genuine leather especially
if it’s cut right. Full grain for a lot of people they like it, it’s going to be
thicker, heavier, more durable, but for a dress watch, probably not the right choice.
Now, most leather shops are going to use a buckle and hole system. The great advantage
to this is it fits most wrists, so you’re not going to have to take the watch in to
get it adjusted. You’ll simply be able to wear it right when you buy it.
That being said, you will see some leather straps using a deployant clasp. Durable, flexible,
beautiful, comes in a wide variety of colors. Leather has its advantages. But it also has
its disadvantages. A couple of those being, one, a lot of people just simply don’t like
leather, it’s association with animals. Other people don’t like simply the way it
reacts to their skin. They find that it causes irritation.
But, the biggest Achilles’ heel of the leather strap in my opinion is its inability to consistently
deal with water. Yeah, if you sweat a little bit or you get it wet once, that’s perfectly
fine. But, if you go swimming all summer, if you think this is going to make a great
dive strap, you’re in for a rude awakening because what’s going to happen is very quickly
it’s going to start to misshape the leather. The leather is going to start to dry out.
It’s going to start to crack and eventually it’s going to fail on you.
[0:09:54] Now, what about rubber, silicone, polyurethane?
Well, when it comes to functionality, these have huge advantages. They’re going to be
waterproof, they’re going to be very flexible and very affordable.
Seriously, when it comes to functionality and bang for your buck, even high-end silicone
straps are a fraction of the cost to precious metals or even leather. These advantages though,
they’re real. Some people have very sensitive skin and when they wear a watch made from
silicone or polyurethane, they break out and rash.
Other times, you want to wear it with a dress watch. You think, “Okay, this watch, could
I wear it with a suit?” You could, but in general that strap right there is going to
be way too casual. And let’s talk about durability. Over time,
this can be an issue and it is not going to last nearly as long as metal.
Now, what about nylon? Similar to rubber, this material has a lot of great functional
advantages. First up, it’s water resistant. Yes, it will get wet, but it’s going to
dry quickly and you can do that thousands of times and it’s not going to degrade the
material. Next up, let’s talk about all the different
color options. You want to have fun, you really want to liven up the look of your watch, bringing
in a nylon strap with a variety of different colors is one of the easiest ways to do this.
And it’s easy because they’re cheap. They’re one of the most affordable strap options out
there. Yes, there are higher end ones, but for the
vast majority of guys who simply want to have something to change out on their watch and
be able to go with a new color, a new style, they can go with the cheap ones and they’ll
be perfectly fine. All that being said, nylon straps are probably
some of the most casual options out there, so you’re not going to want to wear this
with a dress watch, instead, go with a simple field watch. Also, over time I would say durability
is about as good as he rubber, although you should be able to see it fraying and falling
apart versus the rubber would probably just snap off.
Now, in general nylon straps are going to be inexpensive, but if you decide to spend
a bit more money, go for a higher quality nylon strap. What you want to look for is
make sure they use great hardware. Right here, I can tell on this buckle much better quality
than these other ones right here. And, another small thing is actually when
they punch the holes. They did a great job punching those holes and they’re a little
bit closer together, so I know with this strap right here I’m going to get a better fit.
Now, you’re also going to see wood bracelets out there with watch straps, I think it’s
an interesting angle especially if you want something that’s lightweight, you want something
sustainable relatively water resistant. I’m not sure they’re going to float, but what
I really like about this watch right here is how lightweight it is. So, what a pretty
interesting material to use. Some companies are going to use it more in
the design process. So, this one right here has pretty much a metal band, but then they
use wood as decoration. So, what video to watch next? Well, how about
go check out my watch collection because I know you’ve been curious. I’ve been showing
you all of these different watches and you’re like wondering, “Okay, how many watches
does Antonio have and what are they?” Well, find out, gents, in this video right
here. [0:12:33] End of audio