Straps you never change?

Straps, straps, straps, and bracelets!
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Amor Vincit Omnia
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Straps you never change?

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

I just wondered about this earlier in the week when I was giving some of the vintage watches an outing. I have some that have been on the same strap for about seven or eight years now, but there are obviously mitigating factors:

1. They are on watches that get worn quite infrequently, as is common with WIS, and so they don’t get the heavy day to day wear that a single watch owner would experience.

2. They were very good quality and relatively expensive straps to begin with: ostrich, lizard and crocodile.

They are all still in very good condition, they were sourced and bought for the specific watch they are on, and I have no intention of changing or replacing them any time soon.

I know some people change straps very frequently, but are there others who keep the same one on a watch for years?

This shot of my vintage collection was taken in June 2017, but it could equally have been taken six years ago or just this morning. I rest my case.


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H0rati0
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Re: Straps you never change?

Post by H0rati0 »

If the strap fits (physically & aesthetically) .....

Likewise, I have not changed straps on some watches in many years, others I muck about with quite often as there is a niggle somewhere.
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Thermexman
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Re: Straps you never change?

Post by Thermexman »

I was thinking along the same lines recently Steve. I posted a pic of my Sinn 103 on it’s original steel bracelet and Guy made the comment that he thought I preferred straps.
That got me thinking.

I realised that, whilst I had experimented with different types of straps, on most of my watches, I have probably started to settle with a particular watch/strap combo in some instances.

For example:
My Tudor Ranger will probably stay on the olive canvas.
My Tudor BBR will spend equal time between steel & leather Steveo.
My Seiko SKX will remain on jangly Seiko Jubilee.
My Seiko Turtle & Samurai will stay on original steel bracelets.

It’s just what I’ve come to prefer them on. I have numerous unworn or little worn straps and NATO’s languishing in drawers!

I have always tried to abide by Downer’s rule regarding buying my watches on steel as I thunk that I preferred steel, despite occasional forays into other straps.

I surprised myself recently though, with my latest watch purchase.

I’d been fancying a particular Seiko, that a couple of Forumites own and had narrowed it down to one of two versions. The black bezel on steel or the blue bezel on rubber. (Don’t know why Seiko limit choice this way?)

I just needed to see them in the metal to choose. The black on steel was reduced by £300 but the blue on rubber was only down by £160 . This meant that it was only £50 extra for steel. I assumed that I’d be going for the steel as I guessed I’d be struggling to choose between the two versions. I was wrong! The blue just attracted me more so I broke Downer’s rule! Sorry Downer!

Once bought, I then had the dilemma of what to put it on. I gave the descent quality rubber a go but just didn’t like it enough.
Do I buy a suitable steel or what? Having worn it on the black rubber, I realised that something in black went well with the deep black dial so I’ve settled on a Steveo black canvas. It’s bedding in nicely and looks likely to remain the favourite choice for this watch.
Steve.
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Re: Straps you never change?

Post by Kip »

I rarely change a strap once I have determined the look I want for a particular watch, new or vintage. My most frequently worn watches are on a bracelet and due to the size of my collection, I haven't worn out any straps.

That said, I have plenty of replacements available. :problem:
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downer
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Re: Straps you never change?

Post by downer »

Generally, I favour bracelets and although I sometimes experiment with other straps I almost invariably end up back on the bracelet.

Similarly, with watches bought on straps, I often change them and then end up back with the OEM.

@thermexman. I'm sure there's another rule that overrules the bracelet rule. :D
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Re: Straps you never change?

Post by tikkathree »

It would seem that Kip and I share the habit of leaving well alone once the watch and strap have got "the look".
Some of my watches live on straps, some live on bracelets.
Then there's the other side of the story, the drawer of straps "in waiting". Some have been fitted and failed to find favour (maybe I haven't found the right watch yet?) and others have never been on a watch...
C60 MKI, MKII, MKIII: "some",
C6 & C60 Kingfishers,
C600 Tritechs,
C63 "some",
C65 "some",
C4, C40, C8, C9, C3, C5, C20 & 23FLE
Some other brands
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Thermexman
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Re: Straps you never change?

Post by Thermexman »

downer wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2020 9:30 am
@thermexman. I'm sure there's another rule that overrules the bracelet rule. :D
Was it the final rule and did it go something like this: in certain circumstances it may be necessary to ignore any or all of the above mentioned rules? :lol:
Steve.
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