Watch straps and clasps now come in a wide range of materials and in countless designs. Some luxury watches even ship from the factory with several straps and a strap-changing tool, so the owner can swap the strap themselves whenever they like. But which strap suits which watch, and which occasion?
Wristwatches: From Novelty to Mass Product
Watches worn on the wrist dominate today's watch market. That wasn't always the case, however. Although the earliest portable timepieces can be traced back to the early 15th century, until well into the 19th century they were without exception pocket watches. And when Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, commissioned the world's first wristwatch from Abraham Louis Breguet in 1810, it long remained an exotic exception.
It wasn't until around 1900 that it became fashionable to fit ladies' pocket watches with chains or bands so they could be worn on the wrist.
Men initially stayed loyal to the time-honored pocket watch and considered the new timepieces too feminine. Before long, though, the realization took hold that in certain situations it was a major advantage to be able to read the time at a glance, without first pulling the watch out of a pocket and then stowing it away again.
The Breakthrough in World War I
This was especially true in the military, but also in the emerging field of aviation. So it's hardly surprising that the international breakthrough of watches on straps began precisely during World War I.
It is occasionally claimed that Girard-Perregaux was already producing wristwatches in series for the German Imperial Navy from 1880, but this has never been proven. What is certain, however, is that Alberto Santos Dumont, a Brazilian aviation pioneer, had his friend Louis Cartier make him a watch tailored specifically to the needs of aviators and worn on the wrist by means of a strap. The Santos collection in Cartier's lineup still commemorates this today.
During the war, officers in various armies also embraced the new watches, since they proved far more practical than a pocket watch, particularly in winter and under combat conditions. As a result, watch straps found ever wider use in civilian life as well, and by the end of World War I they had become standard for men, too. Many of today's leading luxury watch brands – such as Breitling, TAG Heuer, Omega, and Rolex – owe their current market position in large part to the fact that they focused squarely on developing and marketing wristwatches in the postwar years.
Various Leathers, Metals, and More: A Wide Range of Watch Strap Materials
For the straps of watches worn by pilots, officers, and soldiers, the material of choice was initially sturdy leather with strong riveted joints, as ruggedness and durability were top priorities for these users. A rugged leather strap, often with a vintage or distressed look, is still considered the first choice by many manufacturers and buyers today when it comes to military or pilot's watches from vintage or heritage collections.
Overall, leather and stainless steel are among the most commonly used materials for watch straps.
Apart from the vintage wristwatches styled after the 1910s to 1940s mentioned above, however, finer leathers are usually used. Calfskin is especially popular. Thanks to its smooth, fine-grained surface, it is used primarily for the straps of elegant ladies' watches and men's dress watches. In addition, watch straps – particularly in the luxury segment – are frequently made from exotic leathers such as alligator or crocodile, or from shark, stingray, horse, or ostrich leather. Besides the various types of leather, alloys of different metals such as stainless steel, gold, platinum, and titanium are used, as are rubber, plastic, textile, and ceramic.
Other Distinguishing Features and Characteristics
Besides the material used, watch straps can also be distinguished by their construction and their closing mechanism. Metal or ceramic bands are often made as link bracelets, with solid links predominating in the luxury segment. The links of cheap metal bracelets, however, may consist of folded sheet steel rather than solid material. Textile straps are often woven, though the Milanese mesh bracelet – made of a fine metal mesh and available, for example, on some models of the Breitling Superocean Heritage series – is sometimes also assigned to this category.
As for clasps, the main options are tang buckles and folding clasps. The latter can be designed as either a single or a double folding clasp. There are also straps without any clasp, such as the bangle-style bracelets occasionally found on ladies' wristwatches.
Another distinguishing feature is how the strap attaches to the case. Typically, the strap is fastened to the so-called lugs at 12 and 6 o'clock. However, there are also straps – usually made of textile – that pass underneath the watch case.
Which Strap Suits Which Watch?
Ultimately, of course, the choice of watch strap comes down to the wearer's personal taste. Nevertheless, certain material properties, aesthetic criteria, and functional features make particular straps especially well suited to particular watch models or occasions. This starts with the strap's dimensions.
Normally, the strap should be long enough not to feel constricting, but not so long that it sits too loosely on the wrist. Wristwatches worn over clothing, on the other hand, need a correspondingly longer strap. This applies, for example, to pilot's watches or dive watches worn over the sleeve of a flight suit or wetsuit.
As a general rule, finely linked metal bracelets or straps made of fine leather, paired with a suitable dress watch, are the right choice for evening wear or formal business attire. Distinctly chunky, rugged stainless steel bracelets or straps made of thick, heavily textured leather, by contrast, are better suited to chronographs and sports watches.
Sports and dive watches are also popularly worn on rubber straps, which combine water resistance with excellent wearing comfort, or on so-called NATO straps made of rugged textile materials. Depending on their design, ceramic bracelets suit both elegant and sporty watches. They are particularly scratch-resistant and also especially gentle on the skin. Plastic straps are found on luxury watches only in exceptional cases, if at all.
Different Clasps for Wristwatches and Their Pros and Cons
A tang buckle, like the one used on a traditional belt, is relatively secure against accidental opening. However, clasps of this type are only an option for textile, rubber, or leather straps, since a metal bracelet is not suited to this kind of closure. Besides its high level of security, a strap with a tang buckle also offers the advantage of being relatively flexible to adjust.
With NATO or textile straps, the tang can sometimes be pushed through the fabric at almost any point. With rubber or leather straps, additional holes for the tang can be added if needed. Gold, stainless steel, and other metal bracelets, on the other hand, require different clasps.
Particularly popular here is the folding clasp, as found on numerous masterpieces with metal bracelets from Rolex, Omega, or TAG Heuer. Alternatively, double folding clasps are sometimes fitted; when closed, they are often more discreet and give the bracelet a more elegant look.
