Types of Watch Straps: Bands, Fittings, and Belt Styles | Ethos (2024)

Hello there, reader. If you visit our website regularly, you’d have recently come across an article where we had explored the different kinds of materials that are used to fashion watch straps, and how they match up against each other in terms of utility, comfort and durability, among other important factors. If you need a little bit of a refresher, you can follow this link and find your favourite strap/bracelet material. This time around, we’re going to be delving into the most common watch strap styles.

The Types Of Watch Straps

It’s not all about looks here (even though that’s really important too); the style of the strap also assists in a timepiece’s functionality and utility. For instance, can you imagine a dress watch with a bund strap? Or a dive watch attached to a bangle? And so, we’ve curated a list of the most common watch strap styles that assist in a timepiece’s functionality and takes its visual appeal to another level.

Aviator Strap

The name really gives it away here. These straps are fashioned specifically for pilot watches. Aviator straps became popular after World War II (1939–45). Historically, the straps were quite long so that they could easily be fitted over a pilot’s jacket or glove. They were also brown in colour—then, pairing well with the black dial that pilot watches usually came with. Nowadays, however, watchmakers experiment with the colour of aviator straps all the time. They are usually made of leather and tend to be thicker than regular leather straps. They can be distinguished by the rivets that are usually added above the lugs on one or both sides so that the watch does not slip off the glove. If you want to add a militaristic or vintage-inspired look to any watch, add an aviator strap and you’re good to go!

Bangle Or Jewellery Bracelet

Ladies, this one is for you! If you consider watches as accessories at par with any other piece of jewellery, you’d do well with a watch case attached to a bangle or jewellery bracelet. Effortlessly stylish and eye-catching, bangles look great on women’s wrists. Bulgari has truly mastered the art of jewellery watches, and their Serpenti collection is the epitome of this style of craftsmanship. Guido Terreni, the managing director of Bulgari watches, had told The Watch Guide, “Usually, in the industry, ladies are addressed with the release of small versions of men’s watches; but we think that ladies deserve specific creativity.” And that is exactly what they have achieved with the bangle/jewellery bracelet watches that grace their catalogues. The brilliant thing about these bracelets is that they can be expanded or contracted easily, depending on the size of the wearer’s wrist.

Fancy a Bulgari watch on your wrist? You can check out our picks for the top 10 Bulgari watches you can don

Bund Strap

Another strap that finds its genesis in the history of aviation, launched as they were during World War II along with aviator straps, bund straps were issued to pilots. The reason for their invention was quite ingenious—for pilots, one of the biggest risks aboard an airplane is fire. As metal gets super-heated during that event, so would a pilot’s watch case. The bund strap would protect a pilot’s wrist from getting burned. Bund straps are not just attached to the lugs, but also cover the bottom of the case, protecting the skin from the temperature changes that the metal of the case may experience at high altitudes—ensuring that your wrist remains toasty. The leather also protects the case from sweat, thus reducing future repair costs. The bund strap also has a place in celebrity lore—Hollywood personality and race car driver Paul Newman wore his Rolex Daytona on a black bund strap made with crocodile leather. The bund strap is a great choice for someone who experiences metal allergy. However, if you have a tendency to run hot, steer clear of this strap style since they can be quite warming.

Link Bracelet

Most commonly made of metal (stainless steel being most popular material), link bracelets give off a formal look and ensure that the watches they’re usually paired with look dapper and eye-catching.

As can be evinced from their name, these bracelets are made of links joined together. There are several kinds of link bracelets available in the market today, and below we’ve listed some of the important ones.

Engineer bracelet

Designed with a total of five links, engineer bracelets have a chunky presence on the wrist, making them some of the most masculine bracelets in the market today that make a bold statement. Believed to have been first introduced by Seiko, these bracelets are thick, heavy and might seem uncomfortable to wear, especially in the beginning. But they more than make up for this slight downside with their incredible durability. So, if you expect your watch to go through the rough and tumble of life with you, make sure that it has a reliable engineer bracelet attached. Engineer bracelets pair well with watches with large case sizes.

Milanese Bracelet

Also known as a mesh bracelet, these are usually made of stainless steel. The history of these fashionable bracelets can be traced to the Renaissance era (14th to 17th century) when jewellery was handcrafted by goldsmiths in Milan (hence the name) in the mesh style, with metal strings woven together. Mesh bracelets attached to watches were introduced only around the 19th century. Despite this heavy heritage, these bracelets manage to look quite contemporary and modern. This style of strap was popularised in the 1970s when Omega came out with the Seamaster Ploprof (short for Plongeur Professionel, which is French for ‘professional diver’) 600M, a good-looking diving watch from the brand. Mesh bracelets are definitely more robust than normal stainless steel bracelets, as there are no links that could be broken, giving the bracelets a longer lifespan. They are also incredibly comfortable to wear and feel supple and smooth on the wrist.

NATO Strap

This is one of the most important straps on our list. These watch straps were originally called G10 straps when they were first issued to the soldiers of the British Ministry of Defence in 1973. Each strap came with its own unique number called the NATO stock number (NSN), and that’s how the nickname of these watch straps came about. Soldiers started preferring these nylon straps over army-issued leather straps for their durability and moisture-wicking abilities. The latter was really useful in the dreary and rainy weather of Britain, Ireland and Scotland, along with the humid weather of the tropics. Originally, they only came in one colour—plain grey. Today, the basic make-up of the NATO strap remains the same—now available in multiple colourways, each more eye-catching than the next, they still come with two long fabrics of nylon, one connected to the lugs, and the other going underneath the case. The length of the fabric ensures that the strap fits any wrist size with minimal adjustment. The NATO strap is often included as a secondary strap option by high-end watchmakers, mostly because it can give any timepiece a casual, summery appeal that a leather strap just cannot achieve. Another great thing about NATO straps is that they are quite inexpensive.

Rally Strap

Motorsport and watchmaking have always gone hand-in-hand. Chronograph watches, since their very inception, have been used to time automobile races. Over time, many elements of a car’s design would find their way into watches, and it makes sense that, eventually, automobiles would inspire the design of the strap as well. Just like in pilot watches, where fire was a big risk, so was it in the high-adrenaline arena of automobile racing. It was important that watch straps be made of a material that would not heat up and scorch the skin under these circ*mstances, so leather straps gained a foothold. Since speed has a lot to do with weight, carmakers drilled holes into the metal body of the automobile to make it travel faster—and the same was done to leather straps, more for aesthetic purposes than to make them lighter on the wrist. Some argue that the leather straps were perforated to improve breathability, but the real reason is shrouded in mystery. Nevertheless, rally straps look classy, vintage and are reminiscent of the rallies of yesteryear when drivers pushed the limits and constantly traversed the edge of glory.

You can read more about the connection between horology and automobiles here

Waffle Strap

Another strap invention by Seiko, which is characterised by the distinctive texture on its surface, the waffle strap has been included in exquisite diving watches from the brand. These rubber straps became popular in the 1970s when they came attached to watches issued to military personnel serving in Vietnam. These straps proved to be durable and resistant to the humid weather of the country. Slightly militaristic in their appeal, and incredibly sporty-looking, waffle straps must be included in your collection if you find regular straps a bit dull and could do with some texture.