Buying a watch relies on preference, changing straps relies on wit

    Watches can be fitted with different straps depending on personal preference or the season. Straps made of different materials bring different experiences and feelings, which involves a lot of expertise. Let us take a look at some new strap materials together.

　　Rubber strap

　　Rubber straps are relatively rare in watches, though popular models like the Patek Philippe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak offer best-selling rubber strap versions. Rubber straps have many advantages: firstly, they are soft, comfortable, and lightweight; secondly, they have low costs. For rose gold watches like the new Rolex Yacht-Master 116655, using a full gold bracelet would undoubtedly increase the price significantly. Back in the 70s during the Swiss watch industry depression, apart from the shock of Japanese quartz watches, another major reason was the soaring price of gold at the time, which made traditional Swiss gold watch products too expensive and caused them to lose market competitiveness.

　　However, rubber straps have one difficult-to-overcome issue, which is durability. While rubber straps are much more durable than genuine leather straps, rubber as an organic material ages under sunlight, ultraviolet rays, high temperatures, severe cold, and bending, much like a car tyre that needs replacing every four or five years.

　　Sweat-resistant semi-edge-wrapped leather strap

　　Leather straps are a very old technology, with patents for making watch leather straps dating back to 1918 when pocket watches were all the rage. After being designed 100 years ago, they now look very complete. Unlike modern methods where straps are typically fixed between two lugs using spring bars, the strap was backed by a single piece of leather, and such leather straps are still produced today.

　　This design differs from traditional stitched, hand-stitched, or edge-painted traditional craft straps. Its advantage lies in good sweat resistance. In hot regions like Guangdong, many watch enthusiasts switch to this type of strap to get through the summer. I have personally used a lizard skin semi-edge-wrapped strap paired with a butterfly clasp for 4 years, and it is still in great condition.

　　Smart watches and smart straps

　　In recent years, smart watches have stolen the spotlight, and this year Apple's watch has generated huge attention. Recently, a CCTV female anchor wore an Apple watch during a television broadcast; although this electronic watch is not actually expensive, it sparked a discussion. Wearing a replica watch probably wouldn't have produced this effect.

　　True watch enthusiasts have complex feelings regarding the Apple Watch. On one hand, they want to experience the thrill of the latest technology; on the other, they fear that the Swiss traditional high-end watchmaking they love will suffer a massive shock, similar to the quartz crisis of the 70s, to the point where one influential platform has even announced it will not cover Apple Watch news.

　　For smartwatches, the strap is not merely a secondary component. Currently, the strategy for traditional Swiss manufacturers is a combination of mechanical and electronic devices, allowing them to have the best of both worlds. The CEOs of Montblanc and IWC have both responded to the development of smartwatches by keeping the watch head as a traditional mechanical timepiece while incorporating smart technology into the strap.