Leather or metal? A Difficult Decision When Buying High End Watches.

Sep 18, 2022 | High-end watches | 0 comments

High-end watches are crafted from the most exquisite materials such as gold, silver, stainless steel and some less typical.

The service life of these faithful companions is usually long and that is one of the reasons that justifies their price.

To buy the right watch it is necessary to master a number of aspects both technical and functional and that is why today from Adeler Jewelers we will address one of these aspects.

Difficult Decision when Buying High End Watches.

When buying a luxury watch we have to face difficult decisions such as:Which brand and model to choose?

Rolex watches are traditionally the favorites, but you cannot rule out brands such as Patek Philippe, Cartier, Audemars Piguet, Tag Heuer and others.

Each of them has models that are true icons and that makes the decision to choose between one or the other a complex one.

Another recurring doubt is about what type of strap to choose: buying a luxury watch with a metal or leather strap.

Which material is better, let’s help you clear this doubt right now?

High End Watches with Leather or Leather Straps.

They are preferred for classic or dress models, if it is a luxury watch it must be natural or genuine leather.

The flexibility of these straps will depend on the type of leather, its design and thickness, but in general they are comfortable and pleasant.

Nowadays it is possible to obtain belts with water-repellent treatment that gives them a certain degree of water resistance.

The traditional colors are dark colors such as black and brown, but they can also be in bright shades such as blue, green and red.

Buy a High End Watch with Metal Straps.

Metal straps are usually made of stainless steel, silver or gold, and have the advantage of being highly resistant.

Stainless steel is one of the most popular materials used in the manufacture of watch bands because of its durability and versatility.

Among the metal watch straps are the famous Milanese mesh, the oyster bracelet or the president strap.

When to Wear a Leather Strap Watch?

Watches with leather straps are the perfect choice for a formal event, but special care should be taken to match the color of the strap with the suit and other elements of the wardrobe.

In general, leather straps always bring style and elegance, the only disadvantage of them is the delicacy, they are subject to wear and tear over time and may break after regular use.

When to Wear a Watch with a Metal Strap?

Watches with metal straps go better with more casual casual casual outfits because they are generally wider and less formal than leather watches.

They are watches that can be used daily without problems, because they have less tendency to wear out.

Other materials.

But leather and metal are not the only materials that can be used to wrap the wrist of high-end watch wearers.

Materials such as nylon or silicone have also been incorporated, but their valuation is lower and therefore leather and metals are still the favorite choice.

Types of Watch Straps

In addition to being classified by the material they are made of, luxury watch straps can also be classified by the way they fit.

There are several types, but we will mention 4 very outstanding ones:

1.Nato straps.

The name NATO strap comes from NATO backwards and the reason is that this type of strap was originally developed for British Army soldiers in the 1970s.

Originally debuted under the name “G10”, this is a one-piece strap unlike most straps that were composed of two separate pieces.

The idea of this strap was to ensure that the watch case would remain firmly on the wrist, even if one of the spring bars broke.

James Bond, the famous agent 007 is one of the precursors of wearing watches with NATO straps in his films.

2. Oyster straps.

Rolex introduced Oyster straps in the 1930s, this Oyster bracelet is a classic and is characterized by the design of long, thick links consisting of three pieces.

Almost all Rolex models to date have Oyster straps, the reason being that it is a functional bracelet with a wide vigorous central bar that is not prone to stretching.

The number of links minimizes potential breakage points, however, the strap feels somewhat stiff relative to other models.

Buying a high-end watch with Oyster straps is a safe choice, but there are other options as well.

3. President straps.

The President bracelets were originally used on the Rolex DayDate in 1956 and were named after Dwight D. Eisenhower.

This president received from the Rolex manufacture the 150,000th certified chronometer as a token of affection.

This bracelet is characterized by being similar to the Oyster in terms of the width of the links, but differs because each link is much shorter.

With this variation, the stiffness problem was reduced, but its durability is somewhat compromised because the breakage points are increased.

The President has a more formal style than the Oyster and works best with small to medium sized watches.

4.Straps High Range Aviator Watches.

Aviator watch straps became famous during World War II, the first versions were long to be worn over flight jackets.

One or more rivets were incorporated under the lugs so that the watches would not fly off the aviators’ wrists.

Aviator straps work well with pilot’s watch models, such as those from IWC and are not only used by pilots but by users in general.

Finally… Which strap to choose when buying high-end watches?

It will depend a lot on your taste and lifestyle…

If you are a classic person who constantly attends formal events, high-end watches with leather straps are a good choice.

However, it should be noted that there are high-end watches with equally elegant metal straps.

If you are a bit more adventurous and less formal, you may want a watch with a metal strap which will be more resistant for your activities.

Want to take a look at our high-end watches? At
Adeler Jewelers
we have different options for you.