What Is The Best Watch Strap For Men?
There isn't one best watch strap for men, because the right one depends on where you wear the watch. For most men a leather strap for work and a NATO or rubber strap for everything else covers almost every day. Here's how the styles in this collection compare:
- Leather (from £17.99): the smart choice for an office or a dress watch. Buffalo grain and Crazy Horse are the most hard-wearing; Italian calf is the dressiest. Keep it away from swimming.
- NATO and Zulu nylon (from £11.99): the most versatile men's watch strap. A NATO is a double pass strap that sits under the watch, so the watch stays on even if one spring bar fails; a Zulu is the heavier version with chunkier hardware.
- Rubber and silicone (from £12.99): the one for the gym, the pool and holidays. Waterproof, and rinses clean in seconds.
- Sailcloth and military-style two-piece nylon (£15.99): the look of a NATO without the extra layer under the watch.
- Milanese mesh (£16.99): a stainless steel bracelet that adjusts to any wrist and dresses up a field watch.
Which Size Men's Watch Strap Do I Need?
18mm, 20mm or 22mm?
Measure the inside gap between the lugs, the two arms the strap fits between, in millimetres. Most men's watches with a 38-42mm case take 20mm, larger divers and chronographs usually take 22mm, and smaller or vintage watches often take 18mm. The width is also sometimes printed on the underside of your current strap.
Which styles come in which widths?
- Leather: 18mm and 20mm on most styles, with 22mm in buffalo grain, Crazy Horse and the vintage styles.
- NATO: 16mm to 22mm in the G10 range; seatbelt, ribbed and herringbone NATOs in 20mm and 22mm.
- Zulu, sailcloth, rubber and silicone: 20mm and 22mm, with 24mm on the heavy-duty silicone.
- Military-style two-piece nylon: 18mm to 24mm.
H3: Will it fit a large wrist?
Our NATO and Zulu straps are cut to fit most wrist sizes, so the spare length tucks into the keepers on a slim wrist and still closes comfortably on a larger one. If your wrist is over about 7 inches, email us your measurement before you order and we'll tell you which styles suit.
Men's Watch Strap Questions
Are these the same straps as your Apple Watch straps for men?
No. Everything here fits watches with standard lugs and spring bars. For an Apple Watch, see our Apple Watch straps for men, which use the Apple Watch fitting.
Can I change a men's watch strap myself?
Yes. On a quick release strap you pull a small lever on the spring bar and the strap comes away by hand. On a standard strap you compress the spring bar with a spring bar tool; our [guide to spring bar tools] shows how in five steps.
What watch strap goes with a suit?
A black or dark brown leather strap. Match it roughly to your shoes and belt, and keep the stitching subtle: our smooth grain and Italian calf straps are the ones to choose for a suit. Save NATO and rubber straps for casual days.
Are NATO straps good for men's watches?
Yes, for most of them. A NATO strap suits field watches, divers and everyday steel watches, and it's the cheapest way to change the look: the G10 range starts at £11.99. It isn't the right choice for a thin dress watch, which can look lost on the extra layer of nylon.
Do you sell gents watch straps in 24mm?
A few. The heavy-duty silicone dive strap and the military-style two-piece nylon straps come in 24mm; most other styles stop at 22mm.
