The Most Comfortable Watch Strap No One Talks About | Marine Nationale 

I wanted to get a Nato strap but then stumbled upon Erika's Originals strap. They are extremely comfortable (I adjust mine to just 2 mm tighter than barely flopping around) and there is no excess bulk, unnecessary hardware clonking, no tucking in the strap so there's 3x thickness on one side. It's clean, you don't notice it, the watch stays where you put it. Love it. When I first looked into these straps, I found that there are some differences between different manufacturers. Erika's are sturdy, stiff and very comfy. You actually need to unbuckle the buckle to remove the watch. Then there are the very loose/flimsy elastic ones, also very comfy. You don't need to unbuckle anything, you can just take the watch off. These straps are very stretchy. This is a convenience but it's also unwanted in some cases. If the watch is heavy, these straps will just wobble around, because they are too flexible. With Erika's there's no such issue, they are stiff enough to keep the watch in place but flexible enough to be very comfy.

Thanks for the vid. Well done. I would point out NDC watch straps, made the real Marine Nationale parachute elastic --comfortable, secure and work with fixed or removable springbars. Easy to install on any watch. Adjustable to any size wrist, over a sleeve or wetsuit. Too pricey, try a ballistic strap. Not elastic but nylon, single pass without the bulk of a Nato.

You can make custom m/n straps at Erika’s originals, they’re pricey but well worth it.

thanks for that, i've now gone down a rabbit hole checking out all kinds of options from the cheap-and-cheerful to bespoke MN straps

I have a MN on right now. My favourite by far. Thanks for the video.

The elastic straps are very very comfortable. The downside is that if the head of the watch is heavy it bobbles around. I tried one on some of my divers, but it just never felt as secure as rubber or a nato. Your lighter fieldwatch setup is however a good pairing with an elastic strap.

Marine in French just means Navy, so the French Marine National is just the French national navy. Funny enough that Citizen is actually famous for being used by the Italian Marina Militare and it looks incredible on a Marine National strap! Just in case you were curious

There is also the thin, single pass, friction based, nylon strap by springmadeshop; but is not elastic.

Is one of my favourite straps as well. For variety cnswatchbands (but you have to rearrange the loop) and erikasoriginals the latter one are made to order with your wrist circumference. Among the disadvantages there is also the risk of slingshoting the watch with the buckle if you are not careful and that the strap puts under constant flession the spring bars.

Perlon are nice too. Very thin, no double thickness.

With NATO straps you need to cut off the additional piece, so then you will end up only with one layer of fabric under the watch. The excess strap you can also cutoff, round it up a bit to look better. Then you just apply flame from a lighter on both end tips so they do not strip apart and voila - this is very comfortable and good looking

You can find marine nationales in a lot of color options from Erikas Originals

I was looking for a bracelet type NATO strap to reduce the chances of dropping my watch as I put it on. Also something less bulky. I found this strap on Amazon and can not be happier. It's comfortable and reduces the bulk, and rish of falling when you put it on. Also it's easy to adjust when you're working in a laptop you can simply move it up further on your wrist. The buckle sits near the bottom of my wrist for me which is where I like it.

I have a couple of g-series from the watch steward that I use with my FXD. Easily one of the most comfortable straps I have worn (maybe not as good as the OEM FXD strap)

I wear marine nationale straps since years. Extremely comfortable and rugged. I tried them because, like you, I really didn’t dig nato straps.

More watch content please🖤

Elastic strap lose it's elasticity in time & is much more difficult to change straps when it gets wet unlike a NATO strap.

I have a Tudor Pelagos FXD and like the strap a lot. It is my most comfortable strap and is very easy and fast to put on and off due to the velcro. Check it out.

I ordered a para strap 3 months ago, and I'm still waiting for delivery. Aliexpress. The nato straps took 1-2 weeks.

you’re literally my comfort person i love you #nkuwan !

truth!

Great video, thank you. I have discovered that getting the right size watch is very important. My wrist is about 6.9". So a watch with a case diameter of 38mm or 39mm is about right for me. Some 40mm watches are ok, depending on the lug to lug measurement. Anything bigger or smaller doesn't look right. I like the idea of NATO straps, but I have not found a comfortable one yet. All my watch cases are stainless steel. I'm not about to rush out and buy a watch with a titanium case, just so I can use an elastic strap.

I have one on now… 👍 up north in Minnesota

CNS watchbands sell these and has a pretty great selection, so give them a try and you should find what you're looking for. They also offer bargain prices too!

I have one but I jus couldn't get on with it. I can't stand natos either though.

What about the watches though? What are they, especially the black one. Thanks!

even if it is unblivebal,but your promaster is a 42 mm case.that is the magic of japanese watchmaking.i own the promaster by myself,and i own a seiko 6105 willard omage.ihave the same wristsize than you. on one of this french marine straps it wears its asolutly weareble on a tiny wrist like mine.weareble and comfortable.

The only negative and the reason why I don't wear this kind of strap is because of how fast it smells bad 😂 Compared to a Nato where it doesn't smell quite as fast and is quicker to dry whenever I wash it, plus while I wait for my other Nato to dry I can easily slip on another nato. Also, I don't know if it's just my particular variant but the buckle slips quite easily. I have 2 of these and they pretty much have the same problem.

I solely use erika’s straps even tho I have many different kinds. They are expensive and overpriced but i guess you gotta pay to play. Side note: you have yours set up upside down i’m not sure if that was intentional or not.

Another strap that isn't talked about is the Perlon one peice straps . Very comfortable and less bulk compared to Nato and marine Nationale.

What watch is the MN strap on?

I just find an elastic strap weird, that's why i prefer single strap zulu or two piece nylon strap.

The point of the nato strap is so if the buckle fails you have the secondary. I get everyone is for aesthetics and not functionality in 2024 but reading people cut them and talk about being an enthusiast is weird to me.

#nkuwan Bolsa réplica 1:1 con imagen reflejada, resistente y resistente al desgaste. Me gusta mucho.

I have an MN strap but find them unblanced relative to the watch head. They're good for lighter field watches (i.e. Ti, carbon, ABS) but on divers and mechincal chronos? Just too imbalanced.

Only NDC are from real soldiers strap, The other brands just use The name Marine Nationale. NDC only come in 21mm, thats The size of The elastic 😊 The watches were delivered to the French troops without straps, so they began using the elastic bands they had. Color wise they come in green with yellow stripe, and a solid black. The others are in no way bad, but they are just not “original”, the looping/mounting is also different on the original NDC.

Expensive ones are itchy parachute strap. Cheap ones are soft elastic and don't last. I prefer the WWII canvas strap. It was issued with the USN Buships watch.

The strap you have is a bit too long for your wrist size. I have a couple of "Erika's Originals" straps ordered to size, which moves the buckle down towards the bottom of my wrist. These straps also have less of a tendency to resize themselves when you take them on and off. The downside: prices start at €80, more if you want black DLC coated hardware. Positives: they can be ordered for many lug widths and wrist sizes. They're not as comfortable on heavy watches whose case back protrudes (so they don't look as thick), the extra material exacerbates the pressure on your wrist.

Great job on this video. Word to the wise though be careful about using the word NATO there is a watch band company that has the rights to the word NATO that have actually sued RU-vid creators for using the word. I think it’s pretty pathetic that a company would do that over something so trivial but as far as I know, it’s still happening and good creators have had to pay a fine and remove a lot of their good quality past videos. I don’t want you to be one of them to have to pay the cost. With that said on a positive note, I wish you well on your channel.

thats basically an apple watch ultra alpine loop strap XD

And then you discover that 2-piece elastic straps are even more comfortable and easier to put on. Then you realize that quart watches are much lighter. Then that lume paint is pretty much a scam, even on Rolex or those brands who put even more layers of it. Titanium or plastic, quartz with tritium tubes.

I'd argue that Erica's MN strap is, in fact, perhaps the most talked-about comfortable watch strap. That said, its prices are premium, and both Nick Mankey, and The Watch Steward offer less expensive, equally comfortable elastic straps (I own one of each).

Elastic is nasty and cheap looking. That’s why they don’t sell. A single layer Nato strap (is this called a Zulu?) is not much thicker than normal leather straps. It’s the true safety style double layer Nato that gets super thick. And if you get a single layer cordovan leather Nato they’re paper thin, tough and gorgeous looking. See Veblenist. I have the Number 8, and navy (my favorite). Guess I should grab a black one! It’s by far my favorite interchangeable watch strap especially for vintage field watches and dress watches with fixed lug pins.

The reason it is not so popular because it is either too loose or too tight in any wrist most of the time

That watch (Citizen)is way too big for you my guy, with our without a NATO it looks like you stole your dad's watch.

In Toronto canada I buy a super super clone I bring it to a rolex expert he say it was real rolex . Unbelievable. Your super clone look just like mine. You a expert but a regular person like me will never know. Imagine on nkuwan