Agree re rubber strap; my favourite on a diver. The Nato possibly makes it look bigger on the wrist, as it elevates it a bit, as well as the excess strap being visible at the top lug.

As far as the case size itself goes, that’s ideal for my tastes.

Bracelet all the way for my money, I think the blue NATO detracts from the watch as the focus.

It’s a nice looking watch neil, but appears massive

It is nice, the diameter doesn’t look huge but the lug to lug looks to be quite big, that and the NATO is making it sit up on rather than conform to the wrist. Try wearing the NATO single-pass, it’ll settle in to the wrist better – you’ll also lose that ugly bunch of strap on the side (I know, “it’s a feature not a bug” but I’ve never got why people like it!).

It’s just my personal taste I suppose. My favourite watch is my 40yo Seiko 5 with a 36mm dia. If you squint or I think it looks a bit like a Rolex Oyster Perpetual. I like 36mm to 40mm.

On modern larger divers it always appears to me that a Nato is not enough strap for the watch.

I’m not a massive fan of NATO straps because of the fold of excess length and the way it stands the watch off the wrist. These 2 piece ones look good, if not a bit pricey. Watchbandit
Anyone do similar a bit cheaper?

’m not a massive fan of NATO straps because of the fold of excess length and the way it stands the watch off the wrist.

Totally agree, I like a NATO but hardly ever wear them the normal way – give your existing NATOs a try worn single pass, you’ll be surprised what a difference it makes. You’ll still have the excess to deal with but it’ll be under the wrist, not poking out beside the watch. And the second loop is superfluous anyway unless your watch is a very slack fit across the lugs and tends to slide off the strap when you take it off. I’m half inclined to just cut the extra bits off mine altogether.

It’s 42mm. But sure if they includes the crown, I’ll check. My po is 41.5mm across the crown and I’m well used to that. Both are also thick watches. The Tudor appears larger as the case sides are flat, the lyre lugs and large chamfers on the po make it appear much smaller. The Tudor still slips under a shirt cuff ok. My wrist is between 6.5 and 6.75″ so not thick bit I’m happy/used to 42mm thick watches now. The slab sides of the tudor are what really makes it appear larger. If put the end links back on and cut down/notched the NATO it would look quite different I think, the rubber strap (supplied) is made to fit with the end links and hide some of the height of the watch. Personal view but I think that looks a bit weird having the end links on.

I’ll post up some more photos later as it’s on another strap today…a few more to try yet too.

Lug with is 22mn which is large. Steinhart Ocean one is the same, po is 20Mm iirc. One of the straps I might get to try is a seatbelt nylon NATO, blue edged in grey. I think the grey will match the Titanium well and I’m wondering if the strap would look less wide as a result of the edging.

Oh and since the tudor is very light, unlike the po which very very heavy, so wearing it is much comfier. I’m used to the po now, but swap to another and I’m reminded it’s a hefty lump.

Looking at the photo of the blue and yellow NATO, I’m wearing the strap quite loose and the strap had only just been fitted and hasn’t conformed yet. It is making the watch look very tall.

johnners, I’m wearing a NATO on my paratroopers Vostock like that right now. It’s better, but the way the extra loop folds then the spare back on itself and tucked in there’s 5 layers under my wrist! It’s probably the reason this one doesn’t get worn so often.

I’d love to see the Tudor on the rubber strap Neil

EDIT – I give up, how do you put photo’s up on this site now?

Where’s the photo hosted? If it’s Google you need to put it in a shared album, grab the address and paste between IMG and /IMG but with square brackets around those. Or you can use apps to turn the Google sharing link into the embed code and just paste that.

tthew, yes, I know what you mean. I’m generally OK with it but there’s always a lot of superfluous fabric somewhere with NATOs and I’m happier with it under the wrist rather than stuck out by the side of the watch. You could just cut off the extra loop and reduce it to a mere 4 layers! Or have you tried a French Para strap? They’re a bit flavour of the month but I find them very comfortable and there’s a max of 2 layers anywhere. Nowhere near the choice or value to be found with NATOs though.

The Tudor OEM NATO for the black bay is a bit different, with sewn in place spring bars and no extra step. I believe they may wear better. Once I have a colour/design settled I might get the scissors and needle and thread out for a bit of strap modification.

Or have you tried a French Para strap?

No! Not seen those before, will take a look. Ta.

There’s a magazine?
38.75mm and 73g – bit cheaper than the Omega Superlight.

38.75mm and 73g

Not 73g with the bracelet, Shirley?

You are right – 68g. It’s ahem, tiny and you just don’t notice it’s there.
Not quite this Omega then.

Ahem, erm, yes, obviously 73g is way too heavy, that’s what I meant.

Seriously though, that seems remarkably light even for a quartz. I’ve 3 or 4 bracelets that would be that without the watch head! It does look compact for sure but not properly tiny. It looks really nice.

right, a photo from today

I’ve pulled the sweather cuff back so the watch peaks out and I think you’ll agree the watch doesn’t look so big here. Note my hand is still resting on the table and that tends to push the strap up and lift the watch off the wrist.

same in this one, I’ve pulled the jacket cuff back as the watch was neatly tucked under. No its not a small watch but I’m happy with its size. (but then tbh I’m happy with a 36mm too…various sizes are all good imo)

and from this morning, with a fleece on that must have short arms so you see wrist. Watch look a bit bigger here but note i tend to prefer a loose strap and the watch has slid down to my hand by the look, which makes the watch look larger.

BTW,what do people think of today’s nato? navy blue and wide white tripe?
Whie i can understand Jhonners coment I’m not looking to wear this on a bracelet. My PO is my daily and ives on a bracelet. it s a far more luxury watch and dresses up very very well. This is not that type of watch, its a much plainer tool watch, much plainer case and far far far plainer dial. I think the NATO fits a tool watch fine. I went for a blue watch as I want a summer/weekend fun watch and a colourful NATO will hopefully enhance that. I’ve bought 6 or 7 different colours/patterns to try. they are all very cheap, 99p to £1.19 iirc, once I settle on a design I may get a better quality version

Neil, if you’re totally anti-bracelet I’d still think plain dark (navy or black) strap to set off the lovely blue bezel and dial but if you’re really after a pop of colour then maybe a contrasting NATO? Scarlet or crimson are the most obvious complimentary colours but that’d take some carrying off. Worth a go if you’ve a line on decent cheapies? I can’t wear watches as far down the wrist as you, I’ve a proper gert nobble in the way (see above with the flieger!) and wearing it below that usually means the crown’s digging chunks out of the back of my hand.
BTW I think that watch looks a perfectly good size on your wrist.

Now if I were to go for a rubber strap then this crafter, which costs i believe, an extortionate amount for a rubber strap, is the look I’d want. As you see the strap is thickened and curved to neatly fill all the lug space (its 7.5mm there, the strap at the buckle is just 3.5mm)

However the OEM rubber, although I’m sure good quality, looks very different. it uses the bracelet end links to fill the lug space and …I just think it looks weird.

btw, the pelagos comes as standard with the bracelet AND the rubber. the Black bay used to come with its (not quite so good)bracelet and a nato, (with options for a leather) now it just comes with one strap (unless its the harrods Special edition, which still comes with black nato and bracelet at the same price). the OEM tudor nato is not cheap..but its good. its quite a bit different. it doesn’t have the extra flap of material and the spring bars are sewn in to little pocket/loops in the fabric. I can’t find a good photo but you might get an idea from this one

Cheers Johnners, I want comments like that. Since natos from ebay are super cheap I’m just trying them to see how they look. I’m quite ‘set against the bracelet’ I can see it is a good one, its very very comfortable, and looks good, but yes I’m after more POP. I see what you say about the plain blue nato. could people see the watch on the plain blue nato? or was that one not visible? its the wife’s favorite so far, and today’s navy and wide white stripe (a la Derekstarship and his Scurfa One) is second. I am considering a contrasting and LOUD coloured strap but feel a bit nervous! Scarlet might work though, I’d considered either vibrant yellow or neon orange but scarlet hmmm might work well! hmmm I’m now thinking of the tudor OEM one for the black bay scarlet

but I’ll also try as you suggest as I have them, and show it on a plain black, a traditional bond and a daniel craig bond (you’ve seen the steinhart on the traditional bond).

I also fancy this one for a go….think the grey edging will match the case beautifully. Tenner is a lot for me to pay for a nato though! (its a seatbelt nylon)

that should have read Im NOT quite set against the bracelet.

sharkbait

Member
A good friend of mine showed me one of her watches that had just come back from the jewellers – I nearly fainted when I found out how much it cost!!

I’m a bit late to the party but I’m going to call fake here. I think the over polished ‘screw’ heads drew attention, but when opening the above pic in imgur and zooming in you can clearly see the minute counter sub dial printing is way off with the minute markers around 20 touching the step but at the opposite side theres a clear gap between the tip of marker and where the step is.

Here’s the same watch on AP’s website to compare.

On the tachymeter scale you’ll notice that if the red 75 line was extended it would hit the 5 whereas on the genuine one it would go right between the 7 and 5. Then there’s the centre holes on the sub dial hands which don’t appear to be centered…

Just because your friend is minted doesn’t mean they would never wear a fake. Plenty of millionaire slebs have been called out on social media with fakes on their wrists, but it’s also possible your friend thinks it gen and has paid accordingly. This one was posted earlier in the thread and I have my doubts with the same reasons as listed above.

This old lady getting a bit of wrist time lately. Love how clear the dial is for a chrono.

Valjoux 7750 movement and nearly 20 years old, lume isn’t as strong as it once was but still keeps great time.

neilnevill

Member
right, a photo from today…

Top tip: When taking a wrist shot hold your phone/camera as far away as possible and then crop the pic. It’s all about perspective. I have skinny wrists yet I can wear a Tuna with ease, but if I take a pic of my 36mm Avia too closely it looks like a hairy ten year old girl is modelling the watch.

That Fortis is nice, very much a pilot’s watch, the Valjoux calibre’s are very good, that’s what’s in my nearly fifty year old Yema, Breitling used them in the 60’s as well.
My Tuna homage is wearing very nicely, I was concerned about the rubber strap, I’ve not had good experiences with them in the past, but after nearly a week of continuous wear, it’s been fine, and the watch has gained about twenty seconds so far, so it’ll be roughly thirty seconds a week, I reckon, which isn’t bad for a fairly mainstream movement.

At last, someone has posted a photo of a watch that I own. I am also a very happy wearer of the Seiko Titanium solar diver.

The blue colour is lovely in natural light, the weight makes it really comfortable to wear, lume wise its bright and the real bonus is not having to change a battery.

I have an Omega seamaster which is my posh watch, a tissot T race which is very different and the Seiko which probably gets worn the most as I tend to wear it for work.

My other half has given up on bikes +1, he is now working on watches +1, the latest being an Orient diver with orange dial…..

Love how clear the dial is for a chrono.

That is a very nice clean chrono, I understand the history etc but have never got on with all the tachy and other gubbins you often see, just too much clutter if all you’re doing is telling the time. Those are nice clear hands too – my only chrono is a fairly clean dialed Seiko quartz but tbh the hands on that are just a touch too slender for good visibility.

I like the “Tuna” CZ, I don’t think it’s a style I’d wear but it’s certainly got bags of wrist presence!

think you’ll agree the watch doesn’t look so big here.

I think you’ve done the opposite, it looks pretty large to me! If you like it though, doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

As you asked for an opinion, the blue on the white stripe NATO is too dark. It should match the face, or contrast like Johnners suggested. Again IMHO, you shouldn’t take what I say seriously, I’m a fashion disaster zone. 😊

@neilnevill I think you just beat me to it by a few minutes in purchasing that Pelagos (tz?) 😉
Looks lovely, the blue is stunning.
I ended up going down the GMT route instead which I love but still would like to try a Pelagos at some point.
I think it looks best on bracelet but if you are going for an alternative strap then it would have to be a crafter blue, don’t really like the OEM one.

Jackal, yes tz, from shalako. He is a lovely gentlemen, and has some very lovely watches!

I ended up dragging me wife, 4yo, 2yo to and my mum with me as I took a very slight detour from heading to Dorset for a week’s holiday, shalako was very welcoming though, sunshine in the garden and tea and oj made for a nice break from the car journey for a few minutes.

So a few of us are on tz then it seems!

The Tuna looks grubby and it’s new. Too many dust receptacles. Certainly not cGMP! Sorry not my cup of tea.

NN the Tudor looks really nice on the Navy/white NATO. It just works, as with my Diver One.

Re. Tudor –  if it were me (wishful thinking, as the more I see it the more I like it) I’d order a Crafter rubber strap in blue. It’s a lot of coin for a bit of rubber, but well worth it to get the look just right imo.

Re. Tudor – if it were me (wishful thinking, as the more I see it the more I like it) I’d order a Crafter rubber strap in blue. It’s a lot of coin for a bit of rubber, but well worth it to get the look just right imo.

I agree and when you’ve dropped north of £2.5k on a watch then another £60 to get it looking nice isn’t a big leap.

Yes I think the crafter blue looks good. I think there may be a rubber b for it too. I’m nervous about the price though. I’ve not worn a rubber ever, what if I’m like count and her a rash? I suppose I could pop the OEM on for a test, or worst case I could sell it on tz I guess. I tend to mentally think of rubber as cheap and nasty even though the crafter looks good, I think it reminds me of the plastic rubbery straps from those cheap Casio watches 35 years ago. How well do rubber straps last though?

I suppose it depends on how you treat it. The Mrs has a silicone strap on her Christopher Ward for over 3 years now and it’s still in great condition.

True, I tend to wear straps loose so shouldn’t stress the hole with the tang overly but being a lefty I do catch both watch and strap on stuff a bit. Not loads, I’m not clumsy, but so knock/catch it a little. If I paid £60+ quid for a rubber and then sliced it..well it would about more then slicing my livestrong band did. If that’s a thought, that never irritated me so is probably be fine.

Jeez! I just looked at the price of the rubber b straps! $250! While the watch deserves a nice strap that feels a rip off.

[url=https://postimages.org/]upload pix[/url]

New to me, this is an Eterna Military Heritage 1939. It’s an updated version of the original watch issued to Czechoslovakian air crews. £415 from eBay, I’d say it isn’t worth the full retail price but it’s a nice piece nonetheless.

An recommendations for anything similar, but less pricey, to an omega seamaster planet ocean in orange?