I love the bracelet for my Omega Seamaster. That being said I purchased an Omega nato and put it on. I will probably never put the bracelet back on. The nato is more comfortable to me and comes with case, extra pins, and removal tool.
When you buy from Omega's website, you can enjoy several advantages, including receiving a case, spring bars, and a wide selection of products. This is in contrast to purchasing from an AD, which usually offers only a strap with a limited selection. IWC is also known for producing top-quality NATO straps.
Picked up my first NATO for my Seamaster a few weeks ago. Not sure when or if the bracelet will get back on. So much more comfortable and with all the options, much more versatile.
It took many, many years of hard work, good decisions, and a bit of luck for me to be in the position to buy a used Omega Seamaster. I'll be damned if I am putting it on a generic nato.
To make and to distribute this strap costs OMEGA - taking it on the high side - surely not more than 25 $. Luxury goods prices are based on demand, not on a rational value. It's about feelings and the emotional value that you get for your money.
Trust me, these straps are clearly the best around. Are they worth $160? Probably not, but I've already got two and I'm going for a third, and there's nothing emotional about it.
Come on, man. 120 Pounds (148 USD)? For a NATO strap? Please. That same strap. black/red edge from BluShark (perhaps the best NATO made in America) is 36 USD. 36. It has heavy duty hardware 1.2 mm thick, richer colors. BluSharks are all I wear. There is NO NATO strap in the world worth 120 Pounds. I don't care whose name is on it (I'm talking to Panerai as well Their NATO is 260 USD)
Michael Powell BluShark NATOs are not made in the US. Not for $36 anyway... I have several inexpensive NATO straps and recently purchased a Speedmaster Professional that also includes a black Omega NATO. The Omega NATO looks and feels the $160 asking price. The BluShark doesn’t even compare in terms of fit and finish to the Omega. I scoffed at the $160 price years before ever owning one but now I understand. You get what you pay for!
Congrats on your Speedy! And thanks for correcting me on their country or origin. I've never seen the Omega NATO straps, but I find it hard to believe that the difference between a BluShark and the Omega is as vast as the difference between a Ford and a Ferrari. If it were a silk strap on silver hardware, then they could make a case for the price. But this is nylon and steel. How much of the cost is for the name on the buckle? Anyway... enjoy!
Jonathan I own the same red and black Omega NATO that I purchased from the Omega boutique. I also own a couple of Blue Shark’s newest series of NATOs. Gone are the days of the scratchy crap you used to get. Omega certainly held a monopoly on the ultra-soft and comfortable NATOs at one point, but China caught up. If an Omega NATO is a 10 out of 10 in quality, the newest series of NATOs coming from China are an 8 out of 10. I prefer the color of the Omega strap (the Blue Shark straps are kind of shiny but the Omega strap is matte), and the Omega strap is just the tiniest bit softer, but I don’t think it’s worth $160. I’m glad I purchased mine (I mean, come on, I’m going to use an Omega-branded strap on my Omega-branded watch), but it’s not $160 worth of NATO. Given the fancy packaging, I’d say $100 is really pushing it, and $75 would be a more reasonable price. And while Blue Shark’s NATOs are $35, the same exact NATOs are now being sold for about $13 on Amazon. So a NATO that is 8 out of 10 in quality for $13, or one that is a 10 out of 10 for $160, and comes with a fancy box? Yeah, I won’t be making a habit out of buying Omega NATOs, I’ll say that.
My Bond spectre included a nato strap. I had allergic reactions. Purchased an omega brown leather. Amazoned some cheaper straps and had none. Wonder if anyone else had this occur?
As a guy who bought the 5 from Amazon as mentioned, a year later I have only 2 left and now i'm here looking at this Omega NATO. What does that tell you? If you're serious about a good quality NATO, like me you should consider these straps.