With this in mind, we’re big fans of more modern strap choices like sailcloth straps – where these offer a comfortable strap for your watch at the same time as being durable enough for not only day-to-day use, but also perfectly happy getting wet.

Since their journey began in November 2023, Northstar straps have been making a name for themselves in supplying premium sailcloth watchstraps as an alternative to manufacturers’ OEM straps with a comparable degree of quality. Available in a variety of colours including black, grey, beige, blue and green and a range of widths including 19mm, 20mm, 21mm, 22mm with either standard or Seiko 2.5mm ‘fat’ spring bars. All supplied on either their own high quality tang buckle or as an alternative a butterfly deployant clasp.

In September 2024 they launched their ‘Deploy’ range of Omega-style deployant straps – utilising the simpler single fold design synonymous with folding clasps on steel bracelets. These are supplied on quick release spring bars as standard – although also available with either regular or Seiko ‘fat’ 2.5mm spring bars if the customer prefers – and available in the same broad colourways.

We reached out to Northstar straps to spend some time with a few of their deploy range to see for ourselves just what the straps and clasps are really like and if they’re worth the price.

Northstar sailcloth straps are made from Oxford waterproof fabric which is an embossed synthetic sailcloth material, the reverse side is leather with a water resistant natural caoutchouc rubber coating. Due to their construction and materials they’re fully water resistant – able to stand up to both perspiration as well as full submersion and aquatic activities.

There are a number of significant benefits to a deployant strap. They are quick to put on, and take off without pulling the strap tighter to your wrist to engage or disengage the buckle. Once in place and connected, it minimises the wear to the strap itself preventing the strap from cracking and enhancing its lifespan. In addition as you undo the clasp, the strap still maintains a closed loop around your wrist preventing you from dropping the watch. All of these things enhance your overall experience of wearing a watch and the longevity and experience of the strap itself.

The clasps themselves are fully brushed, twin push-button release clasps that feel well-built. Northstar’s logo is etched on the underside of the clasp and is visible once opened. The strap holes are further reinforced with a rubber section that’s stitched to the strap ensuring both a good and consistent fit with minimal wear at the point the strap attaches to the buckle.

The most significant observation is that while these straps look and feel comparable – or better quality to other sailcloth straps on the market, Northstar have worked hard to deliver these at a much more accessible price-point – especially here in the UK where VAT and import charges get applied for all goods on their way into the country which can make a noticeable impact to pricing.

After having spent some months with the deploy straps from Northstar we certainly feel that they’re a great option – especially at the price point. We’ve been wearing these on a few watches – switching them up on an almost daily basis. The straps have been extremely comfortable and appear hard wearing with no discernible wear to the sailcloth or the buckle – and the presence of the quick release spring bars has made changing the straps a breeze.

Moving forward Northstar’s vision for the future will look to expand their colour ways and complementary stitching options as well as release additional complementary hardware – One such pertinent example is their new DLC coated folding deploy clasp which is now available in their shop to complement their black strap on DLC watches for that perfect stealth look (I can see a number of Breitling owners reaching for their wallets)

We’re really impressed at the quality of these straps and we think you’ll be hard pushed to find a better quality sailcloth strap more affordably than this.

Northstar straps are available directly form www.northstarstraps.com with prices starting from £48

While both Rubber and Nato straps are very practical around water and great if you’re at the beach or purposefully dressed for a wet occasion, they are not the most aesthetically pleasing straps for general wear. And while leather straps can really elevate the look of a watch, getting most leather straps wet will shorten the lifespan at best or destroy the strap at worst. This is where technical fabrics like Sailcloth and Cordura can excel. However just like leather straps – the devil is in the detail. We have seen and tried straps over the years from a number of sources and while these may have been inexpensive, they certainly weren’t ‘premium’ straps. However, Artem straps have been making quite a name for themselves and even go so far as to claim they are:

The home of the finest sailcloth watch strap on the market.

Artem Watch Straps

We decided to reach out to Artem and see what all the fuss is about and they kindly sent us a range of straps to see for ourselves. What we have here represents the whole range of sailcloth straps and buckles from Artem which includes the traditional look ‘full-black’ sailcloth strap, Artem’s loop-less sailcloth strap, their Blue sailcloth strap and their recently launched Panerai sailcloth strap along with their traditional ‘tang’ buckle, Omega-style deployant, and butterfly deployant!

Firstly lets discuss the elephant in the room: the material. Artem sailcloth straps are not made using ‘genuine‘ sailcloth. Whilst sailcloth materials are aesthetically pleasing and robust, the way they feel on the wrist and on the skin in general, is not comfortable. The upper side of Artem’s strap is made from an embossed synthetic material whereas the underside is a leather base coated with a layer of natural rubber (caoutchouc). This has resulted in a technical fabric strap that embodies the same key requirements of sailcloth, is more comfortable to wear and due to its hydrophobic treatment can be happily used in water with a premium texture and comfort.

As standard, Artem sailcloth straps come on their standard tang buckle. This is a well made traditional buckle that is laser etched with the Artem Logo. In a similar way, their Panerai straps come with a ‘pre-vendome’ Panerai style buckle again laser etched with Artem’s logo. However Artem do offer a butterfly deployant clasp that can be fitted in place of the the standard buckle. The principle benefit of the butterfly clasp is that it offers an easy upgrade path for someone who bought a strap with a traditional tang buckle (whereas their omega-style deployant options are purposely designed straps that cannot be mounted to a traditional buckle). This is ideal if at a later date you’ve decided you’d like to move up to a deployant clasp without having to change your entire strap. The only downside to the butterfly deployant is that both ends of the strap are secured using a screw and while this certainly adds a level of security preventing the strap from accidentally coming away from the clasp and your watch falling to its fate, that singular screw is somewhat difficult and fiddly to mount. However once secured to the correct size, the butterfly clasp works well. To open the clasp, simply depress the screw head style buttons on either side of the clasp. Once the first side is opened the other side can then be released.

However as an alternative (and one we would highly recommend!) take a look at Artem’s loop-less deployant straps. These are a more expensive option for two reasons. Firstly and most obviously, they require an omega style deployant clasp rather than a tang buckle for mounting, which you will need to purchase in addition to the strap itself. Secondly, the construction of the strap itself is different as it has a bonded rubber element stitched over the holes. This assures that the integrity of the holes and the strap are not compromised as the clasp is inserted through the strap.

Most straps are available in 19,20,21 and 22mm which is a refreshing change amongst strap suppliers and extremely helpful as a number of modern watches including those from Omega, Longines, Rolex and many others now have 19mm or 21mm lug widths. Straps are also available with the option of quick release spring bars which are ideal if you intend to switch between straps with any level of frequency and at the same time protect the underside of your watch from the vast quantity of scratches associated with the use (or misuse) of spring bar tools! In addition, all buckles and deployant clasps are available in both steel as well as PVD to match to look and feel of the watch you’re pairing it to.

Artem’s design considerations really demonstrate their attention to detail. For example, Panerai owners will be very aware that Luminor straps require (but do not come with) metal tubes or ‘collars’ that get inserted into the straps themselves so that when the screw is inserted there is no wear due to friction on the strap itself as the collar rotates freely on the screw. Artem clearly understand this and have already considered this within their design by pre-installing collars within the straps. It’s touches like this that show they understand both their products and their customers as this is not something other strap suppliers even consider. In addition, all of their buckles can be removed and replaced by your existing buckles if you’d like to maintain that ‘OEM’ look.

Over the course of the last year, we have have thoroughly tested these straps both in and out of water, in summer and winter and can attest to their quality and construction and so far have noticed no notable degradation to the construction or visual aesthetics of the straps.

Since their humble beginnings in December 2019 in Adelaide (just a short walk from the world famous R.M. Williams boot makers) Artem straps have designed, manufactured and shipped thousands of straps to destinations all across the world. This would be an achievement in itself if it were not for the fact that within only a couple of months, the commercial environment became even more challenging during the coronavirus pandemic – bringing huge challenges to the manufacture & supply chain. Despite this, Artem have gone from strength to strength expanding their range with with straps in black, blue and now olive green – all available with contrasting stitching in a range of sizes from 18-23mm as well as straps in 24mm for Panerai’s Luminor range.

Looking forward, Artem are looking to introduce more colourways to their line-up, as well as establishing regional stockists across the globe which will help with shipping times & availability as well as delays to consumers dealing with import taxes – and these are just the start of their plans.

Artem have pulled one out of the bag delivering high quality, comfortable, durable sailcloth straps at a sensible price. We would certainly not hesitate to recommend them to anyone out there interested in a good sailcloth strap for your dive watch – or any other watch come to think of it!

Go take a look for yourself over at www.artemstraps.com
Prices starting at: £69 GBP

We then supported a sister article by helping our friend Ben Hodges over at Fratello who looked at a number of straps on a single watch for comparison – which you can read here

This article now represents the third in the series on rubber straps where we take a deeper dive with one brand and look at what sets them apart. We’re also taking the opportunity to look in detail at how the strap stands up to wear and tear over the years comparing a strap that has been used for a number of years with a new strap.

So, lets start with a little background…
RubberB was founded in 2010 and produced the first “blocked integration” (integrated) rubber straps for the Rolex Daytona and Rolex Submariner – also integrating the Oyster deployant clasp creating a complete OEM fit and finish. This was the first time an aftermarket company had created straps that had the expected quality, fit and finish of the manufacturer themselves. From there, RubberB have continued to lead the way becoming the first to produce block integrated straps for Panerai, Tudor, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe.

Although RubberB do now produce traditionally designed straps, their principle straps are designed specifically for each model – creating a ‘blocked integration’. The profile of the mounting point to the watch is designed and delivered with the same degree of precision as a brands own integrated bracelet. The fit and finish are bespoke to the make and model of each watch and match that of the manufacturer’s own straps and bracelets. To achieve this, not only is the rubber itself carefully engineered to a precision fit, but also a micro-calibrated solid insert is infused into the structure. Although this is barely noticeable to the naked eye, its presence ensures that there is no flex at the mounting points.

But its not just in the design and integration that RubberB strive to be different – its also in further innovation into the production of the VulChromatic rubber itself.

While creating a strap that looks good and fits exceptionally well are important, what a lot of prospective buyers of aftermarket straps fail to consider is the comfort of the strap. The feel of the strap on your wrist will affect your entire comfort and experience of wearing any watch and this is one area that RubberB excels and continues to innovate.

‘VulChromatic‘ you say….?
Yup – VulChromatic straps are RubberB’s own Patented and Trademarked straps that combine two rubber masses of differing colours and/or textures together fusing them in their liquid state. This means that once the process is complete, the final product moves, flexes and behaves as a single piece of rubber. As you can imagine this process is vastly more complicated and costly than merely painting a colour on that will wear off, or bonding together multiple pieces of rubber – which incidentally will create weak points in the structure and decrease flexibility – something RubberB have gone to great lengths to ensure doesn’t happen.

The end result is a strap that is soft, supple, pliable and extremely comfortable, has the fit and finish that you would expect from the watch manufacturer themselves and longevity to match, while introducing colour to complement the watch. This is all based on a foundation of Vulcanised rubber.

Why Vulcanised rubber…? Well, the process of vulcanisation produces a number of benefits including, increasing its tensile strength, making it less susceptible to deformation, providing high resistance to oxidation and abrasion, low water absorption, and resistance to organic solvents. This therefore helps create a far more robust and long lasting product that will continue to look and feel great for many years.

We have been using a RubberB strap on our Tudor Heritage Black Bay since 2018. This has been taken on and off many times and worn extensively throughout the years both on dry land as well as a number of aquatic scenarios; and as you can see from the photos it looks as good now as it did when we first got it (in fact if you’d like to see photos of the strap in 2018 – you can take a look and read the article we first wrote on “Getting into Rubber” here) . We chose this particular strap in part because it is designed to work with the OEM deployant clasp from Tudor – giving it that OEM look and feel, along with the most important feature of any strap – comfort.

Comparing old and new…
Firstly and importantly – there is a texture difference between the two straps. This is not something that has happened over time, but part of its intrinsic design from RubberB. The Tudor strap has a grainy matte finish to the top of the strap, whereas the Panerai strap has a smooth matte finish to the strap. Both are very soft and comfortable and once fitted to the watch certainly embody the look and feel that you would have expected from the manufacturer themselves. Incidentally I have been asked on a number of occasions when Tudor stopped making this strap or what was the Tudor part number to order this strap as the quality, fit and finish all feel like an OEM strap.

Secondly – spring bars do matter. If you don’t use the right size or gauge spring bars, then the fitting at the top of the watch will be loose and will not be as snug as you would hope or expect. This is invariably because as we frequently change watch straps we have a plethora of spring bars that come with watch straps or as spares – these invariably are not the same gauge as the OEM spring bars – which if they are thinner will then lead to a loose fitting strap. This is not a fault with the strap and you would find that your Tudor OEM bracelet would also appear loose at the mounting point should you use cheap or thinner spring bars. The Panerai strap is designed to use the traditional Panerai screws which fit beautifully and create a snug fit without the use of Panerai’s ‘tubes’ which are normally inserted into straps before fitting.

The VulChromatic strap on the Panerai is new and as you can see there is no noticeable difference between this and the Tudor strap (which is 4 years old) in terms of wear and tear.

To date, RubberB provide blocked-integrated straps for Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Tudor, Panerai, and IWC. Although these are not cheap straps, they are commensurate with the value of the watches that they are made for – providing an extremely high quality alternative to the OEM strap or bracelet.

Opinion…
We have seen, felt and used a number of rubber straps over the years and can certainly attest to the notion that ‘you get what you pay for’. While other straps may be more affordable, RubberB straps manage to deliver a fit, finish, design, comfort and quality that are tailor made for and commensurate with the quality of watches they are designed for.

If you’re considering a rubber strap for your watch, we would strongly recommend you take a look at the offerings available from RubberB.

Do you own a RubberB strap? – If so we’d be interested to hear your views and experiences of ownership. Do drop us a note in the comments.

Products in this article:
RubberB for Tudor Heritage Black Bay 41mm
RubberB for Panerai Luminor 44mm VulChromatic

RubberB straps are available from:
www.rubberb.com

One of those companies was Vanguard Speciality Straps who while they were a relatively new company producing straps for the Tudor Black Bay, were keen to hear feedback on their product as they were well aware that this was their first offering in the space. The strap was priced competitively as a luxury strap. The design and fit of the strap was great however in our opinion there were two areas that let the strap down. Firstly the tang buckle provided with the strap was certainly not commensurate of a quality strap, and while it was possible to pair the strap with Tudors deployant clasp, not all Tudor owners would have one of these as they were only provided on a Black Bay purchased on a leather strap. Secondly while the silicone rubber that the strap was made from was indeed soft, it was certainly not of the quality that compared to other premium straps. However the design, fit and comfort of the strap were excellent.

Since then, Vanguard have been working hard to address these two issues and provided us with one of their newer MK2 rubber straps.

Firstly Vanguard have changed their packaging to create a smaller and more slender box. This may well help with international shipping and is certainly kinder on the environment using less materials.

The new buckle Is a substantial improvement. It is 316L forged with a brushed finish and is much more substantial than their last buckle. The underside is grooved to allow the strap to recess into it helping it sit well on the wrist and the top features the Vanguard logo etched into it.

The change of rubber to FKM Vulcanised Rubber is also a substantial improvement. The newer matt finish still feels soft and supple but certainly looks and feels more of a premium texture. As you might expect, it’s dust & UV resistant and anti-allergenic. In addition we found it far less susceptible to attracting lint and fingerprints caused by oils and grease on your skin leaving a much improved experience for the wearer.

Overall it would be easy to assume that these two changes are relatively insignificant but the impact they make is more substantial than you might expect. The newer strap feels a substantial improvement delivering a high quality strap that pairs well with a premium watch at a competitive price.

Vanguard have been working hard to increase the diversity of watches they manufacture straps for and currently include Submariner, Daytona, GMT Master II, Datejust, and Explorer II amongst others. Vanguard are also working on a variant for the Black Bay 58 which we think will be in high demand. In addition we also know that they are prototyping straps for the Omega Seamaster range which we think will be a big hit among the watch community.

You can tell the measure of a company by the way it listens to and values its customers and their feedback. We have been impressed with the engagement of vanguard and their approach. While vanguard are not the first to offer premium fitted rubber straps in this space, they are interested in feedback and listen to their customers.

After having had the opportunity to wear this strap on a Tudor Black Bay for a few months we can attest to how well its made. In our opinion it’s a great choice for those wanting a rubber option that will be both comfortable and durable without compromising quality.

Vanguard Straps are available direct from their website – www.vanguardstraps.com for $130

Links to items in this article:
Vanguard integrated rubber strap for Tudor Heritage Black Bay

We contacted Haveston to take a look at their A2-Single pass layout straps, and Alex kindly sent us a selection.

The design of the A2-single pass layout straps has evolved the humble NATO into a truly modern strap. Firstly, the lack of the additional piece of material and buckle allows the watch to sit closer to the wrist as well as allowing you to move the strap futher along the fabric. This allows the wearer to position the watch on the top of the wrist whilst ensuring the buckle is positioned on the bottom balancing out the look and feel, and ensuring a comfortable fit. However Haveston did not stop there, they also re-engineered the placement of the traditional NATO metal keepers and allowed one to become a ‘floating’ keeper – able to move along the strap. This allows the excess strap to be held in position without the need to fold and tuck the excess back in on itself. This also contributes to a more slender wear as well as increased comfort.

The fabrics used are high quality heavy weave polyamide in a seatbelt pattern and the fit and finish is excellent. The straps are available with either a polished buckle and keepers, a brushed finish or a blasted PVD in 18, 20 or 22mm widths. Of note is their Canvas series providing a great alternative to the traditional fabric of NATO straps.On the wrist the straps feel extremely comfortable and in keeping with the military history of the nato strap, Haveston’s designs are all historically inspired with unique patterns and colours harking back to Army and Navy heritage.

We’re delighted that to see Haveston continue to innovate and look forward to more of their offerings currently under development.

The straps are all available directly from Haveston in the UK at www.haveston.com Prices are currently shown in USD as a universal price indication only and payment is taken in GBP. Haveston’s new website (coming soon) will offer localised currencies.

What follows is in our view the most comprehensive look at rubber straps we think anyone has ever done. We have covered a plethora of price points from cheap to expensive, silicone to Vulcanised Rubber, aftermarket and manufacturer supplied. In total we looked at 13 straps from 8 suppliers on 6 watches! Read on for what we hope is an enlightening review!

Lets start where most people do when they think of cheap rubber straps – eBay!

Ebay

Availabile from: www.ebay.co.uk Price: £ various

We chose to look at a number of straps available from eBay as we are aware many may choose this route for an ‘occasional’ rubber strap. We bought a number of straps from eBay however the fit and finish were not great and even though the price was low, so was the quality. This was usually because there was no brand name behind the strap that has any reputation to lose. The straps attract dust and lint and look very cheap. Often with excess rubber not properly trimmed from the straps. While this may seem a sensible option for a very cheap watch, we would not trust these to adequately secure an important watch. While it may be possible to buy a reasonable strap from eBay, our experience is that buying an inexpensive item without having the opportunity to see and feel the product before hand leads to very unreliable results. In most cases we would return the products as not being of suitable quality or as described.

Opinion: With affordable straps available from reputable suppliers we wouldn’t recommend buying a rubber strap from eBay. The quality is very low using cheap rubber that is a lint magnet. The straps constantly look dirty and make a decent watch feel like a cheap swimming pool key on your wrist. In addition, the price gap between these and Barton’s Elite Silicone is marginal while the difference in quality is staggering.

Barton Watch Bands Elite Silicone quick release

Availabile from: www.bartonwatchbands.com Price: £14.76

We have some experience with Barton’s canvas and leather straps so we were excited to try their silicone elite straps. These straps incorporate a number of surprising design features. Each is available as a bi-colour combination adding a flair of contrasting or complementing colour to your watch. It comes with a quality brushed stainless steel 316L buckle, and is fitted with quick release spring bars making it a breeze to change the straps. The shoulders of the straps are curved to help the rubber conform to the shape of your wrist – meaning the strap never feels tight while ensuring a snug fit, and it tapers from the lugs to the buckle. Each strap is supplied as standard with two lengths to ensure a good fit, with two floating keepers on the buckle length. Interestingly one keeper has a hidden tooth on the underside which locks into the end of the strap once on your wrist and wont move unintentionally. The silicone used is a “high tensile” silicone with a matt finish (rather than a traditional silicone) with a textured top which feels nicely tactile and overall the strap feels a much higher quality than you would expect given the price.

Opinion: We cannot recommend these enough. While these straps my not be a permanent replacement for a luxury strap on an expensive watch, they are perfect ‘additional’ straps for the hot weather or when you might get your watch wet. We would recommend adding these to your collection and keeping with you as ‘travel straps’ when you’re away from home and for the summer months.

Crafterblue Curved End Rubber Strap for TUDOR BLACK BAY Series (TD01)

Availabile from: www.crafterblue.com / www.watchobsession.co.uk  Price: $65 + postage / £64.95

Crafterblue’s strap clearly punches above its weight and is available for a range of Seiko divers watches as well as the Tudor Black Bay – each with a custom fit to conform to the lugs and barrel of the watch. The fit and finish of the blocked integration is superb and the dual colour is a nice touch. The buckle has been well designed using a flat tang that will not tear the rubber and includes two kinks to ensure the strap sits properly despite its thickness. It comes with a single floating metal keeper stamped with “Professional” that really adds to the premium feel of the strap. One interesting element that sets apart the Crafterblue strap is that it has been infused with vanilla essence. It is extremely subtle however it does mean that if you are particularly sweaty in the summer, your wrist wont smell like a gorilla’s armpit! If you were to go diving with your watch, this strap is clearly substantial enough to stand up to the rigours of wet suits, open water and the perils that lay beneath.

Opinion: CrafterBlue’s rubber strap is a good choice. Some will find the thickness of the strap lacks the finesse of more expensive straps, while others will feel the rugged aesthetics perfectly accompany a divers watch. We believe the quality and finish of the Crafterblue are great at this price point.

Vanguard Speciality Straps – Tudor Black Bay Fitted Rubber Strap

Availabile from: vanguardstraps.com  Price: $120

Vanguard are a relatively new company offering block integration straps for the Tudor Black bay.  The strap is supplied with an inexpensive tang buckle so it can be worn traditionally as a conventional strap, however it has been designed to be fitted to Tudors ‘deployant’ clasp if you have one (this only comes on Tudors that are bought with a leather strap). This does provide a flexible option if you have and appreciate the benefits of a deployant clasp. The silicone has a matt finish and felt similar to the Barton Silicone Elite strap. Vanguard offer these straps exclusively for the Black bay and their current range includes Red, black and blue variants.

Opinion: These straps offer a more elegant aesthetic than the Crafterblue with a softer silicone rubber.  Although the Vanguard straps didn’t match the quality of the Everest or RubberB straps it is half the price which represents good value. The buckle was the one area of weakness as we felt it let the strap down not being of commensurate quality.

NOTE: Vanguard are in the process of substantially improving their strap and have been keen for feedback. As a consequence they are switching to a more premium rubber paired with a forged buckle. Vanguard are keen to share this with us as soon as its ready and when they do we will share the results of their hard work with you.

UPDATE: Vanguard have now revised their strap and we’ve had it on test – you can read about it here: www.wristworthy.uk/vanguard-mk2-strap/

Everest bands Vulcanised Rubber strap

Availabile from: www.everestbands.com  Price: £170

The Everest strap is clearly very well made. Its made from Vulcanised rubber which has distinctly different finish and feel to it than silicone rubber. This particular vulcanised rubber is extremely supple and very pliable allowing it to bend and flex comfortably to your wrist. The block integration is flawless and fitted our two Black bays perfectly. They have included a solid structure in the top of the strap to ensure the fitting remains rigid and installing and removing the strap is easy given the slot they have left. The strap tapers beautifully from the shoulders to the tip and Everest have included two keepers. Both are essentially ‘floating’ keepers that can move the length of the strap, however notches close to the buckle will allow one to remain as an initial keeper preventing it from moving without intent. Everest include an extremely well-engineered buckle. This appears to have been milled out of a single piece of steel and then brushed beautifully. It is very substantial and in keeping with the quality of the watch that the strap is intended to be fitted to. Closer inspection reveals the attention to detail for the design. The holes for the tang buckle are all at an angle and allow the strap to be secured without fear of tearing the rubber over time. The underside has a channel the length of the strap allowing sweat and moisture to escape.

Opinion: This is an extremely comfortable and well made strap. You could easily replace your existing strap with this and wear it all year round without compromise to comfort or quality.

RubberB Vulcanised Rubber deployant strap

Availabile from: www.rubberb.com Price: $250 plus $30 shipping (£213)

The RubberB strap is unlike most others on the market. The Vulcanised rubber texture of the strap has a more matt finish and doesn’t have a ‘sheen’ like others. It is extremely slender with a profile much like a fine leather strap rather than a traditional chunky rubber strap, and is extremely pliable & soft. It has been designed to integrate with the Tudor deployant buckle and once connected you would be forgiven for thinking that it is an OEM strap supplied and fitted by Tudor. The Block integration at the top is perfect and completes the look of the strap. As a premium rubber strap it complements the watch’s aesthetics and had a superb premium feel to it. This has the quality and comfort to wear all year round. One of RubberB’s options is a Dual colour strap. This provides a subtle contrast to a pure black strap and if chosen correctly, will accentuate the colour of the watch it’s paired with. This is definitely a strap that you can wear all year round as your only strap on the watch without compromising the look or feel.

Opinion: A fantastic strap whose quality, fit and finish match the watch it is attached to. This can comfortably replace your steel bracelet or leather strap as your only strap to be worn all year round, and should last a long time if cared for properly. We have selected this strap for a long term review and will be writing about this later in the year.

Bremont OEM Rubber strap

Availabile from: www.bremont.com Bremont boutiques & authorised dealers Price: £155

Bremont provide a rubber strap as a second strap with a number of their watches so this becomes a good option during the summer months. Bremont has designed the strap to take on the form of a traditional blue leather strap with a padded centre spine which allows the strap to not stand out as a rubber strap. The ends of the strap are curved in keeping with Bremont’s leather straps. This allows the strap to maintain its snug fitting to the watch without rubbing on the knurled barrel of the watch and thereby wearing down the surface. The strap comes supplied with a pair of custom curved 22mm spring bars fitted to it which helpfully means the spring bars don’t easily get lost as they take some effort to extract form the strap. Its made of a substantial rubber, and takes Bremont’s traditional milled tang buckle. The only negative observation is that because this strap is not a block integrated strap it can feel like its squeezing your wrist when it’s fastened snugly, however this should pass in time with wear.

Opinion: A classy rubber strap that goes below the radar with the classic aesthetics of a leather strap. We favour watch brands who thoughtfully supply alternative straps with their watches and to this end Bremont have provided an excellent strap.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean OEM Rubber strap.

Available from: Omega dealers Price: £185 (+ £185)

Omega’s rubber strap for the Seamaster Planet Ocean is quite unusual. It is made of soft, and supple high quality rubber with full ‘block integration’ at the lugs which provides a very clean look. The exterior surface although made of rubber, has the feel and texture of leather. This is further enhanced by stitching down each side in the same manner as most leather straps. The strap uses an Omega deployant clasp and incidentally cannot be used with a ‘tang’ type buckle. When closed and on your wrist, it maintains its clean lines as the excess rubber is tucked inside rather than outside requiring an additional keeper. The deployant clasp means its very quick to put the watch on and you’re extremely unlikely to drop the watch when undoing the strap as it will still hang loosely round your wrist.

Over the course of the review, most people were very surprised to learn that this was a rubber strap and all had assumed it was leather. This provides the durability of rubber with the visual aesthetics of leather meaning you can wear it comfortably at work and on occasions where smarter attire is appropriate. At £185 its not cheap but it is very good quality. It is a great choice if you are buying on a watch as invariably this is the same or cheaper as buying an Omega on a metal bracelet. However this may become an expensive option if you are buying this for an existing watch as you will need to additionally purchase the deployant clasp at an additional £185.

Opinion: An Omega rubber strap can easily be chosen as an alternative to a leather or steel bracelet to wear all year round. Its fantastic quality and comfort are a perfect accompaniment to an expensive watch.

Overall

While its very clear that you get what you pay for, there are a variety of options at different price points allowing you to get a good quality comfortable rubber strap to tackle the heat & humidity and add a little style while you’re at it. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality and comfort of Barton Watch Bands’s Elite straps who proved that a decent rubber strap is within the reach of everyone.

The blocked integration straps offered a great level of comfort as the fixed ends ensure the rubber curves nicely round your wrist rather than ‘clamping’ it between stiff rubber.

While the RubberB strap was the most expensive, we can see why. Everything from the type of vulcanised rubber to the proportions of the strap showed that a considerable quantity of time and effort has been spent finessing and perfecting this strap.

If you’re looking at getting a rubber strap and can afford it, the Everest & RubberB are simply the best. Both are supremely comfortable, built exceptionally & fit perfectly.

Do you own any of the straps on test? if so please do leave a comment and let us have your views – we’d love to hear from you!

Disclaimer: The review above is based on personal experience with the brands and products listed above. None of the brands or companies listed above have paid us to review their products.