Is There A "Best" Brand of Zulu or NATO Watch Strap?

[redsquid2]

I like to wear a watch. Don't give me a hard time about that. I like to wear a watch.

I have had a few different nylon straps, and I don't know the difference between "Zulu" and "NATO" straps. I just know I like not having to deal with spring-loaded pins, so if I can install a watch strap without having to deal with a pin, I will do that.

So have any of you settled your mind as to the reliability of a particular brand of nylon strap that is easy to install/remove?

Thanks

 

[SixtyLion]

Hi redsquid2,
There is nothing wrong with wearing a watch!!! In my opinion, more people should do that. Getting back to your topic. ZULU strap is a single piece of fabric with 3 rings, it passes through your lugs and you have single layer of fabric. NATO strap has more rings and an additional layer of fabric (strap) that serves as keeper and helps keeping your watch secure on the wrist, with NATO you have two layers of fabric under your watch. It is a little bit difficult to explain, definitely Google NATO vs. ZULU and check the pictures you will spot the differences immediately.
As for the brands, my personal favorite is Crown and Buckle. They make affordable NATO straps in many color combinations, from various materials including traditional nylon, leather, and seatbelt like nylon. Additionally they offer various types of NATO straps with thinner or thicker material and various types of rings and finishes. You can also check BluShark, which are more premium straps, Toxic NATOs, and Wrist Candy. Hopefully this helps! Удачи Росомаха!!!

 

[Piso Mojado]

You will most likely get many replies. There are many brands, some better than others and some you will like more than others. I will keep it simple by telling you what others won't.

1) The Russian NATO straps sold with some Vostok watches are not good. Overbuilt: they are too thick to be comfortable. The watches are good, but if they come with a NATO strap you will buy another strap.

2) If for some reason, you want the exact NATO strap issued by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD and they spell Defense with a "c"), they are made by Phoenix and the eBay dealer phoenixstraps sells the genuine article in the authentic color (Admiralty Grey) at an honest price, but Royal Mail postage from the UK costs more than the strap! This is a pandemic thing and if you want a Phoenix strap shipped to the USA, wait a year or two for the world to recover. I used to order CDs from Presto Classical in the UK, but because of postage cost I've quit for the duration.

Run a Google search on NATO vs. Zulu strap, there are lots of explanations online and it's easier to understand the difference with photographs. NATO has an extra fabric loop, with the purpose (so I'm told) of keeping your military issued watch from sliding off the strap if you hang it from a hook on the wall. NATO is UK military shorthand, because the service strap has a NATO part number; they also call it a G10 strap because they fill out a G10 form to requisition one from Supplies. Zulu straps lack the extra loop; they are typically more robust and tend to work better with big heavy diver watches. But too robust is not good, like the Russian NATO straps.

The best NATO straps I own are Phoenix and Maratac, but it's just like knives — lots of good ones and I'll never see them all.

 

[redsquid2]

These explanations make sense. Based on what you said, I am wearing a NATO strap, and I think I will just stick with NATO since I am already familiar with how it works.

Hi redsquid2,
There is nothing wrong with wearing a watch!!! In my opinion, more people should do that. Getting back to your topic. ZULU strap is a single piece of fabric with 3 rings, it passes through your lugs and you have single layer of fabric. NATO strap has more rings and an additional layer of fabric (strap) that serves as keeper and helps keeping your watch secure on the wrist, with NATO you have two layers of fabric under your watch. It is a little bit difficult to explain, definitely Google NATO vs. ZULU and check the pictures you will spot the differences immediately.
As for the brands, my personal favorite is Crown and Buckle. They make affordable NATO straps in many color combinations, from various materials including traditional nylon, leather, and seatbelt like nylon. Additionally they offer various types of NATO straps with thinner or thicker material and various types of rings and finishes. You can also check BluShark, which are more premium straps, Toxic NATOs, and Wrist Candy. Hopefully this helps! Удачи Росомаха!!!

Okay, so I am wearing a NATO strap right now. I think I will stick with NATO, since I already know how it works. And thank you for the recommendations.

 

[redsquid2]

Related question: how do you wash the grime out of these straps? So far what I do is just wear them until they look too dirty, and then I toss them. I do try to wash them in warm soapy water, but the grime just never completely goes away.

 

[redsquid2]

I bought one on Amazon today. It was "Barton Jetson." It had lots of good reviews, so maybe it is a good one.

 

[SixtyLion]

Related question: how do you wash the grime out of these straps? So far what I do is just wear them until they look too dirty, and then I toss them. I do try to wash them in warm soapy water, but the grime just never completely goes away.

I usually wash my NATO straps with soap and warm water, for extra dirty situations I use Dawn dish soap and soft toothbrush. Most of the NATO straps are inexpensive so it is rather easy to replace them.

 

[Danke42]

I'll second the Maratac straps. And I also have a super nice Bond strap from Europelli.

 

[000Robert]

Related question: how do you wash the grime out of these straps? So far what I do is just wear them until they look too dirty, and then I toss them. I do try to wash them in warm soapy water, but the grime just never completely goes away.

I would soak them in GoJo for awhile. Then wash them with dish soap and warm water.

 

[bdmicarta]

I have had a few different nylon straps, and I don't know the difference between "Zulu" and "NATO" straps.

I have a Maratac strap and it is very good. I have another strap I bought on ebay that seems good too but it is a little stiffer material. Last time I tried to buy a Maratac they were sold out of the ones I was interested in so I went to ebay.

There are a lot more options available now and the distinction between ZULU and NATO has been blurred. NATO always or almost always have the double thickness of material under the watch head, and have more "rings" for that reason. Every NATO strap I've seen has been relatively thin and flexible, and they are usually fairly long. The method of wearing one has the straip come up through the extra rings and is usually doubled over and run back through the rings. My ZULU straps are only long enough to go through the rings one time. My ZULU straps are thicker material than NATO, maybe twice as thick. They come in versions with and without the extra layer of material under the watch head. With the thicker ZULU material I would not want 2 thicknesses under the watch head. Another difference is that NATO straps typically have rectangular rings made out of flat metal, the ZULU usually has a more rounded ring made out of round steel. Also I've seen ebay sellers that weren't accurate with their descriptions, calling a ZULU strap a NATO and vice versa.

I was working in my attic a few weeks ago, in a spot that is hard to get to. My work around the house watch is an old beat up Luminox Navy Seal on a NATO strap. Somewhere in the process of gymnastics in the attic I broke a springbar on the watch, but it stayed on my wrist and I put in another springbar when I got out of the attic. NATO straps have the extra layer of material so that if you pick up the strap by the buckle, the watch head won't slide off. With only one layer of material it could do that. OTOH the typical ZULU has thicker and stiffer material and that is enough to keep the watch head from sliding off of the strap.

Related question: how do you wash the grime out of these straps? So far what I do is just wear them until they look too dirty, and then I toss them. I do try to wash them in warm soapy water, but the grime just never completely goes away.

The NATO on my work around the house watch got dirty so I took it off of the watch and stuck it in the pocket of my jeans the next time I did laundry. That seemed to work ok. After all of my work in the attic I took it off and cleaned it in the bathroom sink with some liquid hand soap. I think dish soap would work better, and an old toothbrush could help. I suppose if you had grease on it you could use mechanic hand cleaner as someone suggested.

 

[Buzsaw]

I wore a Barton canvas for a few years and it was ok but my favorite that I suggest giving a look are
Hadley Roma Kevlar straps. I have them on several of my watches.

 

[Piso Mojado]

I'll second the Maratac straps. And I also have a super nice Bond strap from Europelli.

Not everyone knows about Bond straps. In the first James Bond novel, 007 wore cheap diver watches which he used as brass knuckles. By the second novel, Ian Fleming was able to afford a Rolex and he give one to his hero. Royal Navy's diver watch was Rolex, and 007's military background was naval. The movie props department got a military issued Rolex Submariner as a loaner for the second 007 film, but Sean Connery either wouldn't or couldn't wear the bracelet. There are different stories: it pulled hair, or it had been resized too small for him. What to do? Put it on a NATO strap, of course! But wardrobe didn't like Admiralty Grey and they put it on a regimental stripe. The strap was too narrow for the watch, but no one noticed that on the big screen.

My Orient Submariner homage on a "Bond strap":



There is also something called an "authentic Bond strap." Historically obsessed people from somewhere — Starfleet Academy? — researched what would have been an authentic regimental stripe for 007, if James Bond had been an authentic historical non-fictional character. Look it up if you're curious. I won't post it here, it's bloody ugly.

 

[Danke42]

Not everyone knows about Bond straps. In the first James Bond novel, 007 wore cheap diver watches which he used as brass knuckles. By the second novel, Ian Fleming was able to afford a Rolex and he give one to his hero. Royal Navy's diver watch was Rolex, and 007's military background was naval. The movie props department got a military issued Rolex Submariner as a loaner for the second 007 film, but Sean Connery either wouldn't or couldn't wear the bracelet. There are different stories: it pulled hair, or it had been resized too small for him. What to do? Put it on a NATO strap, of course! But wardrobe didn't like Admiralty Grey and they put it on a regimental stripe. The strap was too narrow for the watch, but no one noticed on the big screen.

My Orient Submariner homage on a "Bond strap":

View attachment 1468064

There is also something called an "authentic Bond strap." Historically obsessed people from somewhere — Starfleet Academy? — researched what would have been an authentic regimental stripe for 007, if James Bond had been an authentic historical non-fictional character. Look it up if you're curious. I won't post it here, it's bloody ugly.

The one with the red pinstripes? It's not that bad in person but for sure down regimental tie rabbit hole. Never mind if Bond was a Navy man they don't strictly have Regiments in the Navy.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I was just thinking of asking about better quality NATO straps for my two Timex weekenders.
The two I have are branded DEBERT and have held up very well over the past few years, but they're pretty grimy and dirty at this point.
They were given to me and I have no clue if they're considered a good make or not, but they have lasted.

I'll be looking into some of the brands mentioned here.

 

[Piso Mojado]

The one with the red pinstripes? It's not that bad in person but for sure down regimental tie rabbit hole. Never mind if Bond was a Navy man they don't strictly have Regiments in the Navy.

The fictional character James Bond joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in 1941 as a lieutenant and demobilized as commander. Volunteer Reserve officers volunteered from the merchant marine, and were often better seamen than their Royal Navy counterparts. Their officer uniforms had sleeve strips in gold and red on blue denoting rank, and the stripes were wavy to distinguish them from RN officer stripes — hence their nickname, "wavy navy."

I thought this was the basis of the "authentic Bond" strap's regimental stripe, but I've discovered that I was in error. A member of the movie crew, Daniel Craig, pulled the 16mm strap off his watch and donated it to the production. Back in the day it looked black & gray on the silver screen, but its actual colors were black and olive green with two smaller red pinstripes:

That is the pattern of an authentic Bond strap which should be called an authentic Craig strap.

 

[mabrowns]

Cro

I like to wear a watch. Don't give me a hard time about that. I like to wear a watch.

I have had a few different nylon straps, and I don't know the difference between "Zulu" and "NATO" straps. I just know I like not having to deal with spring-loaded pins, so if I can install a watch strap without having to deal with a pin, I will do that.

So have any of you settled your mind as to the reliability of a particular brand of nylon strap that is easy to install/remove?

Thanks

Crown and Buckle are high quality

 

[Danke42]

The fictional character James Bond joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in 1941 as a lieutenant and demobilized as commander. Volunteer Reserve officers volunteered from the merchant marine, and were often better seamen than their Royal Navy counterparts. Their officer uniforms had sleeve strips in gold and red on blue denoting rank, and the stripes were wavy to distinguish them from RN officer stripes — hence their nickname, "wavy navy."

I thought this was the basis of the "authentic Bond" strap's regimental stripe, but I've discovered that I was in error. A member of the movie crew, Daniel Craig, pulled the 16mm strap off his watch and donated it to the production. Back in the day it looked black & gray on the silver screen, but its actual colors were black and olive green with two smaller red pinstripes:

That is the pattern of an authentic Bond strap which should be called an authentic Craig strap.

Yeah I have one of those from Maratac for my SR35. It's OK.

 

[Spikediesel]

I swear by Maratac straps and recommend them to everyone. I did just order two from Prometheus design werx with Titanium hardware during their last sale, we’ll see how well they stack up when they get here.

 

[Venice]

The ZULU is also available in a 5-ring version.

 

[bdmicarta]

But wardrobe didn't like Admiralty Grey and they put it on a regimental stripe. The strap was too narrow for the watch, but no one noticed that on the big screen.

I never noticed until I did a freeze frame on cable and got up close to the tv screen. Also I seem to recall from these freeze frames that there were what look like metal eyelets around the holes for the tongue of the buckle.

Back in the day it looked black & gray on the silver screen, but its actual colors were black and olive green with two smaller red pinstripes:

Right now I'm wearing my weekend work watch, the old beat up Luminox Navy Seal model. On it I have the latest cheap NATO I bought on ebay- it's navy blue with gray stripes and thin red stripes.