Ribbon Watch Band Reminder
May 20, 2011
Just a friendly reminder that one way to add a punch of color to your attire is with a grosgrain watch strap. I enjoy the way a simple changeover of my band somehow enables my Omega Seamaster go through a metamorphosis with each transition. From the above image of royal and red to Go-To-Hell Orange the bright, maritime colors add a unique and needed liveliness to my summertime gear, while still being understated and traditional enough to pull off at the office.
I scored this one at J. Crew but it soon sold out online. If you are looking to branch out in your grosgrain game and want a wide selection, check out Central Watch Co.
- DJS
Hey man,
I was at the Crew yesterday and saw that strap but decided to pick up the navy/red/white stripe one instead. Do you ever find that people think you’ve got a bunch of watches when in reality you’re just swapping out the watch band?
Cheers,
Luke.
Nice to hear that they have the royal and red (I believe they call it Bluebird) option in stores. Really like the navy/red/white option as well. What watch are you pairing it with?
Actually, I do change up my watches at times, as I also have a Lacoste GMT and Skagen I enjoy, but most often gravitate toward the Omega. I imagine people do at times think I own various watches rather than simple changing straps, but no one’s ever mentioned it to me before.
I usually pair my grosgrain watch straps with a white dial stainless steel case back Cardinal watch. It’s a relatively inexpensive watch with high style. I have a much more expensive Seiko watch, but I generally save that one for more formal occasions.
Hey J,
I was wondering if you had to replace the spring bars in order to do this, or did you buy the watch knowing that the straps were interchangeable, like the Timex from J Crew? Your last post about the suede strap has me sold on getting on board. I really like the straps from J. Crew, but I’m not entirely crazy about the Timex watch they sell. Also, this may sound naive, but basically, if one wanted to take off their watch straps and leave the spring bars in, any watch can then be compatible with the J. Crew watch straps, right?
Thanks for the help!
kt
Most watches give you the ability to replace the existing strap with a grosgrain one. You can take it to a watch specialist to remove the existing leather or steel band, but it is rather easy to do on your own if you can find an instrument to pinch the spring to release the bars that hold the strap in place.
After that, you can easily slip various grosgrain bands out and in with ease.
Just make sure you have the appropriate size bands that fit your watch and you should be golden.
Best of luck.
I love that Vintage Omega, and I cannot identify the other watch. Where can I get either of those? Good Sources?
The only watch shown in this post is the vintage Omega Seamaster. When it comes on where or how to buy a vintage watch, I would do you research on the brand of watch you are interested in and then make sure you purchase it from a reputable seller. At the end of the day, it isn’t really rocket science, but it does behoove one to protect yourself in the buying process from purchasing knockoffs or watches in poor working condition.
Check out http://www.hodinkee.com/ for all things watch related. Gilt also has a Hodinkee collection that is well worth a look the next time it comes around.
Best of luck.
What I think would be great is if Kiel James Patrick made a line of watch bands. Does anyone know if any of the KJP lines would work on a watch?
Thanks for the great article. What’s the width of your band (in mm?). Most I’ve seen are 18-20mm, which seems small for the openings on my watches (most are over 23″ at the pins).
Not sure about Kiel James Patrick straps.
Most of my bands are are 20 mm. If you have a big watch many places will have 22mm bands to accommodate the larger watches.
If you are looking to buy straps like these you will find a larger variety if you search for “NATO straps”. I would imagine that you will find a larger variety of colors and options while increasing the numbers of places they are available. I would also suggest forgoing that JCrew strap and purchase a strap that may be a little more unique. The most iconic NATO strap is the standard black/ double grey stripe:
http://tinyurl.com/3hfkmy8
Putting a grosgrain/ NATO strap on a watch is a pretty simple process. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you need to purchase the proper width of strap for your watch. My guess would be that the vast majority of you will require a 18mm strap or 20mm strap if your watch face is in the 38mm- 40mm diameter range. If you have a watch that is a little bigger is size you may want to “amazon” it to see if you can find the strap size or “lug width”. That information will point you in the exact direction you need to be going.
Wait, are you recommending for the straps to be “unique” or “iconic,” because those are opposite directions. Furthermore, who determined that the “most iconic” nylon strap is black and grey? Debatable but I would say that would simply be the olive green that date back to military use.
Nevertheless, I wouldn’t go with the black/grey mix, as I never wear black unless going tux… and if I’m doing that I’m not wearing a nylon watch strap.
It was my intention to inform some of your readers that by searching for “NATO strap” they may find greater results than if they simply searched for “grosgrain watch bands”.
My suggestion to stay away from JCrew when buying a watch band was out of the fear that too many men will be running around wearing the exact same pink, navy and bisque, or red band on their watch. Having an additional name to the band will help your readers find other retailers who sell this type of accessory and hopefully that will lead to more of a variety of these bands seen in public.
The reason I mentioned the grey and black strap is because from what I have seen and experienced it is the default NATO strap. This strap is extremely popular with Rolex fans and dive watch fans in general. I agree that olive is a great choice especially if you are putting it on something other than a dive watch. The black and grey strap is rather limited in what you are able to pair it with but it is a style that has been worn for many years. My main motivation for posting the link was to give readers who may not be familiar with watches or watch straps a point of reference and a staring point to base their search off of.
No worries, as all opinions are welcome here. Talking though these things helps us all learn from each other.