Just by making simple fashion decisions, you can boost your self-esteem, make you more productive and improve your career opportunities. Every week, I help 1,000+ men make the most of their wardrobe with fashion tips to upgrade your life.
When I say that Iβm not a βWatch Guy,β I mean that Iβll probably never spend several monthβs salary on an Omega, let alone an Audemars Piguet, nor will I be able to rattle off the designations of various Rolex references over the years.
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Nonetheless, I have a small collection of watches that I enjoy wearing. I have a few sentimental pieces that belonged to my father and grandfather, and one that was a graduation gift from my parents, while the others were purchased inexpensively, almost purely for their aesthetic qualities.
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I have a tiny French dive watch in bad need of servicing, a steel-cased Casio digital, and a battered looking vintage field watch.
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I wear them because they complement my clothing and general style, and I feel that itβs not hard to wear a watch that looks good and makes you happy without breaking the bank.
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When looking to accessorize with a watch, itβs important to keep the watchband in mind as it can affect the level of formality the watch conveys.
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A metal bracelet is inherently more formal than a textile band, while a leather band can vary in formality depending on its color and finish.
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While textile bands β usually cotton or Nylon β are decidedly informal, they give the wearer the opportunity to easily add color or texture to their outfit.
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Swapping out a steel bracelet for a Nylon band can dress down a flashy watch, while anchoring it in the colors or patterns of the rest of your outfit.
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The most famous kind of textile watch band is known as the NATO strap.
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Developed in 1973 by the British military, the NATO strap consists of two pieces of heat-sealed nylon, with a few metal loops connecting them.
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The main strap passes through the watch lugs and buckles around the wrist, but passes through a loop connected to the secondary strap.
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This keeps the watch from sliding around on the wrist, while ensuring that the watch will remain attached if one of the spring bars fails.
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NATO Strap British MOD RequirementS
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In a case of typical British understatement, the NATOβs true designation is βStrap, Wrist Watch,β although it was better known as the G10, after the G1098 form used to requisition it.
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The NATO moniker came about because it was given a NATO Stock Number for procurement by other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
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Since the 70s, the NATO has transcended its military roots due to its robust, water-resistant construction and low price.
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Itβs widely available in colors and patterns far beyond the original military grey, allowing the wearer to rep their college or home country, or simply complement their favorite tie.
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In the opening sequence of the 1964 film Goldfinger, Sean Conneryβs James Bond is shown wearing a watch on a ribbed nylon strap with black, olive green, and red stripes.
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This strap with its distinctive coloration is widely known as the Bond NATO despite not actually being a NATO strap at all.
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The loving closeup of Bondβs Rolex Submariner shows that the strap doesnβt contain the metal loops characteristic of the NATO, and anyway Goldfinger was released 9 years before the NATO Strap was developed.
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The design of watch band that Bond wore is commonly known as the RAF Strap.
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James Bondβs Iconic Goldfinger Rolex β Featuring the Classic Single-Pass Strap
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As you might suspect, the RAF strap also has its origins with the British military.
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Near the end of the Second World War, the Royal Air Force was looking for a watchband that would hold up better in tropical weather than cotton or leather.
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The result was a woven nylon strap with heat-sealed ends and buckle holes β much like the later NATO, but without the second strap or metal loops.
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I have also heard this design referred to as a βsingle passβ strap, as it passes under the watch case only once.
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By virtue of the lack of metal loops and the single strap design, the RAF strap has a simplicity that allows it to look a little dressier than the NATO, although it is still a casual watch band.
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RAF bands are available in as many colorways as NATOs, and are just as easy to swap out.
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Marine Nationale Strap With French Dive Watch and French Camo
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Another cousin to the NATO strap is the Marine Nationale.
As you might guess from its name, this watchband originated with the French Navy.
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As the story goes, in the 1950s the French Navy had a contract to procure a shipment of dive watches from Tudor, but did not order straps or bracelets to go along with them.
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The combat divers of the French Navy obtained some parachute harness elastic and steel hardware, using sliding buckles and a metal hook fastener to create a fully adjustable band that passed through the watch lugs in the same way as the NATO band.
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One advantage of the Marine Nationale design is that there isnβt a buckle that can fail, and if it comes unhooked the band is still wrapped all the way around the wearerβs arm.
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The Marine Nationaleβs stretchy material and incrementally adjustable construction make it extremely comfortable, although it is not as easy to switch out as the NATO or single pass designs.
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Whether youβre looking to add a pop of color to a simple field watch, dress down a shiny GMT Master, or just have something comfortable and water-resistant on your wrist, any of these watch strap designs will suit your purposes.
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The NATO and RAF start around 12 dollars, while the Marine Nationale tends to be available around 20-30 dollars and up.
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At those prices, you can afford to try a few and see what you like.
Do You Need My Help?
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Have you ever found yourself staring at the closet not knowing what to wear?
Do you need help with coordinating pieces?
Do you constantly struggle putting an outfit together and want to turn that confusion into confidence?
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Then let's talk about how we can improve your look.
Just by making simple fashion decisions, you can boost your self-esteem, make you more productive and improve your career opportunities. Every week, I help 1,000+ men make the most of their wardrobe with fashion tips to upgrade your life.
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