I don't know why its taken me so long, but I finally figured it out.... all it took was this WW1 trench watch homage and a new leather strap to work it out.
Readers of my blog will know that I've long derided NATO straps as being (for civilian use) a problem looking to be a solution for. I've likened the whole stupidity of an extra flap under the watch as being akin to wearing tie your self bow tie tied badly, when you're supposed to be at formal black tie evening.
Bringing nothing but bulk behind your watch, puffing it out further from your wrist for no actual benefit (kiddiez who can't actually think will squeal and say "sir sir ... its to prevent watch loss if you break a spring bar", yet any single pass strap will do that) I really don't get why NATO straps are considered "premium".
But as Carl Jung so succinctly put it:
I'm not as polite as Carl so I'll say "... that's why most people are stupid." Which is why this NATO thing persists. People often have no experience, see it as being military or "James Bond" and don't think further than that.
But, wait, today I've discovered the KingWang solution which I will present to you here (and we all know, King Wang likes to watch).
Firstly if you don't have a 9" wrist the leather NATO just isn't going to work because, not only is there the extra thickness, the bloody buckle that anchors the useless flap gets in the way of allowing the watch to curve around your wrist.
As shown above. This is especially a problem with larger watches on a (does this big watch make my skinny wrist look too much like a chicken leg?) small wrist; such as my 6.5" wrist.
Once one thinks like the Ministry of Defence (using military intelligence) we can see the obvious. This cunning lacing style is an optimal solution because it not only protects the watch crystal from being scratched or broken as well as fitting perfectly, but solves the issue of bulk by only having one layer of leather under the watch.
So I present to you the ultimate optimal lacing technique for threading your NATO strap, having it fit and protecting your watch for those too challenged to use a pair of scissors and cut that flap off.
All jokes aside, this is the watch on my Green (started as a) NATO and the Red strap (now having had its useless bit cut off) beside it.
The Green one is a very comfortable waxed leather. Each strap was under AU$25. 22mm thickness which of course is not proper NATO either.
The commonly called NATO strap has several written characteristics, and probably many more unwritten characteristics.
The current military specification strap comes in only one colour (Admiralty Grey) and one width (20mm). The hardware specification is chrome plated brass with a recessed buckle to receive the tongue. Length 280mm, width 20mm, thickness 1.2mm.
It is currently defined in Ministry of Defence, Defence Standard 66-47 as Strap,Wrist Watch.
I've come to find in my journey of watches that I prefer a plain simple strap, having over the last few years experimented quite a bit with many combinations.
I have a number of straps now (meaning a single piece as opposed to the "pair of straps" which are two separate parts) which makes it not only easy to change out (and thus I frequently do) but helps to keep the back of your watch that bit cleaner from skin grease, sweat and dirt.
The NATO itself as it comes makes even less sense in leather than it does in nylon because the keeper is even more pointless, adds yet more bulk and makes threading extra length even more of a mess than nylon. However it makes it easy to make a nice strap for a low price which suits your watch and makes your watch wearing experience more comfortable as well as deepen the usefulness and fashion coordination that your watch has. You may have noticed that I wear the strap on the watch buckle down, for this reason and it makes it nicer on desk work too keeping all the strap hardware off the desktop.
Back in my early watch wearing history changing a band (or indeed a bracelet) was something which required tools, tools which were much harder to get. Thus one frequently didn't.
Back to the making a leather strap from a NATO, this also means that strap changes can be simple, convenient.
So apart from cutting off the keeper (see here), and of course trimming the band to a nice length (because you aren't really going to need that extra length for when you wear your watch outside your tactical gear or wetsuit that fits neatly in the keepers) you need to grind some of the extra thickness out from where you'll want the watch to sit.
I encourage you to think about this and perhaps buy a nylon NATO and experiment, because once you've done this its going to be pretty permanent as you'll see in this video:
So that's it ... not real hard and leaves you with a method to get a selection of straps which will suit the watch and perhaps colour match more with your clothes.
As it happens I love straps, but don't like NATO. Lets take a look at the things I don't get about NATO (and why I prefer just a plain strap) and there's a few:
the direction of threading for wearing (common to all straps but made worse on a NATO).
I prefer to have something neat and out of the way, not clicketty clacking into the desk (leaving marks) like this is:
Note that its also threaded buckle down and this brings with it some other benefits (which I'll get on to in a tic).
Compare that to this, threaded the "conventional way" with buckle up and with the NATO extra useless keeper...
... causing not just two thicknesses under the watch but a bunch of extra stuff on the side where its folded in over itself.
This is how your watch strap looks to everyone else if you thread it like (almost) everyone else. I suppose its for people who want to be different with their dress but don't know how to tie a bow tie themselves ...
I've already covered why the keeper is pointless over here, and explained how to get rid of it, but the focus of this post is to look at the advantages of threading your single piece strap in what some would call "Grand Seiko" style (aka buckle down).
As you may have seen above it leaves the bottom of the strap clean, but the other benefit of buckle down if you're using a computer you'll often rest you hand with it tuned slightly out: where the bunch of folded strap gets in the way.
As you can see above the wrapped up extra length of the strap (designed to allow you to wear it over clothing) is now not under your wrist but up above it and out of the way.
I used to always find wearing a watch while working on my computer (something I do for a living) annoying, and often took it off; resulting in me leaving it at work on many occasions.
Going back a few years nobody had heard of NATO straps and we all went on quietly using single straps, two piece straps (leather, fabric or nylon) and steel bracelets. Then NATO started shipping on watches standard (and wow, weren't watch makers happy to put on a $2 piece of nylon and have people clamour for it) that we see its rise on the internet on watch forums (note: most people still haven't heard of it).
The main argument for a single piece strap is that if the spring bar fails the watch is likely to fall off. As I ride bicycles and motorcycles this is actually important to me, but you can see that even if a spring bar fails the single pass strap will hold the watch
Indeed the keeper isn't needed to keep the watch on the strap when taking the watch off ...
So just what the keeper does is a mystery to me (well aside from add to the mystery of the name). So unless you like to have conversation starters (you know, ask a bow tie wearer about that) or fulfil some fantasy of being a military spec operative then I suggest you take the punt, remove the useless bits and thread it in buckle down.
Its actually now the most comfortable watch strap I own (well I now own a few in leather too and can thread out a strap to pick one that will better go with my shirt on the day)
Indeed the earlier RAF style is to me so much more functional as a watch strap (this one inspired me into buying the SNK805)
For years I just wore a watch; mechanical, quartz, training watch ... I occasionally bought straps or bands if they wore out. I never really put much thought into it.
My recent return to searching for and buying a watch revealed a new thing to me: the NATO phenomenon. I would never have even found out about it if the Seiko I bought didn't come with one.
Why does everyone love this piece of weird stuff? Its like a Solution looking for a Problem (which does not exist). Is it because "it sounds military"
The stated problem is "what if my spring bar breaks" ... well a simple strap would solve that, no need for the two thickness and keeper strap (which I usually cut off as discussed here).
The keeper isn't needed to hold the watch on the strap, unless you take it off, hold it by the buckle and whirl it around your head.
Then there is the idea about it being a Bond thing ... well, Bond never wore a NATO, until after the Bond NATO was established in the watch community
Is the only answer that its about this problem?
Applying Occams Razor I think this is probably it.
Some time back I did a blog post on removing the "keeper strap" which NATO straps have. I did this because it reduces bulk behind the watch and I have found that the watch doesn't move on the strap anyway so what is that keeper actually doing anyway?
Today while looking at my watch (and still not liking that bulk on the side caused by the fold-overs and keepers I thought (now that its not "locked in") why not move it so that the sides of the strap are not in my way (or visible) and make it just a nice well priced and solid strap
Also, it can be (when the buckle is down) positioned to the inside when using a computer by simply sliding the buckle closer to the watch. As one tends to roll ones arms out a little (thumbs towards up) it means there is only a thin piece of nylon or leather strap between your wrist and the desk.
I hope this helps someone who struggles with NATO being practical for them (not to mention the aesthetics) become more practical.
I've had a couple of watches with a NATO strap now and while I would like to like it, I'm afraid that I just don't like the unnecessary thickness under the watch. This is more pronounced with a slim watch on a slim wrist.
Now its worth mentioning that the very design of the NATO places two thicknesses of strap under your wrist:
In reality one is completely enough and the other as a keeper is only really needed if you have either a military watch with fixed and large spring bars
or if the band too small for the watch (say, you've got an 18mm on 20mm lug width) and there is concern of the watch slipping off when you're taking it off. If you get the right size for your lug width then it won't slip.
Remove the Appendix
The solution often suggested on the internet is to cut off the (vestigial) keeper. This surgery looked painless enough, so I did it.
which has now made only a single pass of fabric under the watch and still holds the watch firmly.
My next concern was that the cut (and heat sealed carefully with my soldering iron) would be a slight skin irritant (because its rough), but this has proven not to be an issue because the spring bars keep it away from the skin.
As it happens I like to wear my straps "buckle down" or "Grand Seiko" (GS) style, because it is easier to control where the watch sits, and keeps both the tongue and the buckle facing me. I find its easier to fit, as well it keeps outside of the watch looking smoother (and snags on less things).
The watch can also then sit on my desk easier too
... although now with this band I feel I no longer need to take the watch off when using a computer at my desk.
If you do this yourself I recommend that you use a sharp blade (such as a box cutter with a fresh blade) and
clamp the strap down by the end (away from the buckle)
pull the keeper back and keep tension on it (folding it back against the stitch point)
cutting just above the last row of stitching removing the keeper strap
seal with a hot tip (I don't recommend flame)
Sharp scissors also work if you are careful too.
A quick and dirty video
So now it looks like this, clean on the back:
and the clutter of the strap on the inside (rather than both sides as before) ... where its less likely to catch on things.
and note that the watch is now sitting much nicer.
There is still of course one layer of fabric between me and the watch, and since this is a work watch (yard and other sweaty work) that may just help to keep the watch (my SNK805, which isn't highly waterproof) cleaner and less gunk infested.
voilla ... win win
PS: this is actually almost a Bond pattern strap now, with the removal of the keeper and the almost correct Bond pattern (oh and no Bond wore a NATO until the 21st century).
For some years a sub community of the watch community that I believe is more correctly classified under the King Wang Community have lapped up (like a kitten milk) that a particular colour pattern of NATO strap was correctly called "The Bond NATO" ... without even questioning anything about it. Such as:
was it the colours we're told it is (by strap sellers on eBay largely)?
was it even a NATO or just a strap?
(its a fine line between watch enthusiast / collector and Wanger. A follower of King Wan is largely unimaginative and seeking to be told what they should like but it must be expensive & flashy).
Like all things in the Kingdom of Wang false ideas are the jewel in the crown.
This term essentially stems from the movie Goldfinger where Bond is shown wearing a Rolex (extra wanking cred there these days) with a nylon strap. I'm going to cut to the chase here and show an image from Goldfinger which shows clearly that which is "thought to be" the Bond NATO is not correct. So in Goldfinger, right at the start, we have Bond emerge from the water in SCUBA gear and infiltrate a place (of purveyance?) and begin setting some explosive charges on some drums.
He checks the time and you can see dimly and fleetingly his strap (which doesn't properly fit his watch). Indeed in that fleeting glimpse it does indeed seem like its a match for the classic Bond NATO which we all know and love. Its understandable from this scene that the view of it being black and grey is a reasonable one because its dark and you only get this fleeting view.
However when you see the next scene in the bar we see him check the time, just before the explosions go off.
This shot reveals two things 1) its not a NATO and 2) actual colours: it appears to be black with greenand very fine red lines either side of the green, but appearances (on VHS or worse) can be deceptive. (as an aside this shot shows just how bright the old radon based lume was).
Thus to believe the Bond NATO view as its been presented is to have not paid much attention during Goldfinger and to have simply gone with first image as seen on a freeze frame on your VCR (remember them?) and ignored the later one.
Now the image here is taken from a frame of my (now quite old) Bond DVD (NOTE, not Blu-ray HD) which isn't actually a remaster. Perhaps on older TV's it would be less clear than this ... helping perpetuate the myth (which is actually a relatively recent phenomenon and perhaps exploding more as watch wankers soaked up the mythology needed for their official blazer badge).
I am not the first to be observing this mistaken identity (far from it) as this site (here) makes plain. The purpose of this post is to
add another voice to that call
further my King Wang series (which started here) where (for some) wanking takes priority over reality
In Goldfinger, Sean Connery as James Bond wears a Rolex Submariner [Reference 6538] as pictured below, on a Regimental belt strap. Many people say Sean Connery wore his 6538 Submariner on a NATO strap. This is not true. There has NEVER been a James Bond movie in which James wears a NATO.
Note that the strap that Sean Connery wears has 9 stripes total consisting of Dark Navy Blue, Dark Olive Olive and fine burgundy stripes. The most interesting part of this story is that Daniel Craig was recently seen wearing and talking about his Rolex 6538 that he wears on a NATO strap.
Oops ...
They go on to say:
... The strap Sean Connery is wearing is a Royal Scots government strap, and its formal colour names are: Peony Red, Gosling Green and Oxford Blue. The Royal Scots, also know as "The Royal Regiment" is the oldest British Army Regiment. It was founded in 1633 by Sir John Hepburn by a Royal Warrant from King Charles I, who recruited 1200 men in Scotland. On March 28, 2006, the Royal Scots merged with other Scottish Infantry Regiments to become The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Which is very befitting of Connery who was a Scotsman (and it was his personal watch).
But are we correcting this or is the mainstream just going with the wrong facts? I say the latter ... Indeed some sellers are now aware of this and are selling a "Vintage" (King Wang?) version of the Bond NATO
So the King Wang of the "proper" appearance of the Bond NATO can't be changed now (because the knob on the end prevents the hand coming off) and there is now a Vintage Bond NATO strap.
Sigh
but what about NATO?
The funniest thing about this is not only (as Rolex Magazine mentions) has no bond ever worn a NATO strap, its that NATO Strap hails from much later in history (1973 actually) than the Goldfinger movie while Goldfinger was released in 1964, so without a time machine its pretty hard to imagine they had a NATO strap.
Its probably too late to stop this with the tide now fully in, but in the interests of preventing even more wanking about this...
I thought this post may play a small part.
Best Wishes
PS: Today (10/09/2021) it came to my attention that subsequent to the writing of the Rolex Magazine (2005) that Omega has taken on the mythos with their Seamaster range and added a Bond NATO (not the Traditional) into their range. Let me cite their product literature:
It's fitting that an ex-naval commander would choose a Seamaster. In SPECTRE, Bond wears two. The OMEGA Seamaster 300 SPECTRE Limited Edition with rare lollipop seconds hand and black and grey NATO strap; and the OMEGA Aqua Terra 150m: a striking watch with a blue dial that recalls OMEGA's rich maritime heritage and Bond's naval background.
But no mention of it being a Bond NATO strap ... just black and grey NATO ...
So lets look at the Bond Films:
Dr. No (1962) From Russia with Love (1963) Goldfinger (1964) Thunderball (1965) You Only Live Twice (1967) Casino Royale (1967) On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969 Diamonds Are Forever (1971) Live and Let Die (1973) <<<NATO strap invented The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Moonraker (1979) For Your Eyes Only (1981) Never Say Never Again (1983) Octopussy (1983) A View to a Kill (1985) The Living Daylights (1987) Licence to Kill (1989) GoldenEye (1995) Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) The World Is Not Enough (1999) Die Another Day (2002) Casino Royale (2006) Quantum of Solace (2008) Skyfall (2012) Spectre (2015) <<< First Bond to wear a NATO No Time to Die (2021ish)
Pretty clearly a Bond NATO isn't a thing isn't it ... So to me its cash in on the false premise and make it truth. Perfect marketing opportunity created for you.
Personally I think Chrissie summed it up well here
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