BluSharkOriginal Collection Military-Style Waterproof Watch Strap, Fits All Timepiece Brands, Durable Nylon Wristwatch Accessories with Stainless Steel Buckle - 18mm, 20mm, 22mm & 24mm Watch Bands
J**T
Good value and quality
I bought this (BluShark Original) and some other brands and styles of NATO watch bands to replace the OEM band for a new automatic watch. It was my first NATO style band.The other bands (from other vendors) were a very inexpensive 6-pack for $15 and a single seatbelt material style NATO from another competitor for a comparable price to the Blue Shark ($18 + shipping - it's sold and shipped by BluShark, not Amazon)This band (BluShark Original) has great initial quality. The buckle and the strap keepers have a high quality fit and finish. They also have nice lines and smooth finished edges compared to cheaper bands whose hardware seems to be more stamped out of a machine. The stitching likewise seems to be high quality and the melted/fused edges of the nylon where it's cut at the holes and the end of the band had no issues. The band is thin but feels strong and durable. The thin material is nice because with a NATO band it threads easily through the watch and around the back, and the watch sits low on your wrist. I don't have a huge wrist (7 1/2" regular band is usually ideal) - this band had enough left to loop the extra back through the keeper that's further from the buckle (and the thinner material makes this easy to double it back on itself). I've only had it for a few weeks, so I can't speak to the longterm durability, but I expect it to be good. I liked the first one (black) so much and felt comfortable enough with the quality that I ordered a second (Bond Blue). The second one actually looks better than it does in the photos on Amazon. The 'Original" BluShark has 'premium' nylon which seems plenty strong, but it is slightly more scratchy than a 'seatbelt' nylon. That's the only reason I gave comfort 4 stars. It's not uncomfortable - just not as smooth and comfortable as a seatbelt nylon band. However (see comments below) the seatbelt style seems like it may be more susceptible to fraying over time, so the seatbelt-material bands may have a tradeoff of comfort for durability.For comparison, the $15 6 pack of bands (another vendor) seemed to have decent quality too, especially for the price. The buckle hardware seems a bit flimsier, so I'm not sure I'd use those bands for a good or heavy mechanical or automatic watch. They're probably fine for lighter or inexpensive watches. Those bands also have round holes, and it will be interesting to see how the holes hold up over time compared to the rectangular holes in the BluShark. What's good about inexpensive 'sampler packs' like this are that you can order them and see if you like NATO-style bands if you've never tried them before, and also check out how a variety of colors and patterns (generally stripes) go with your watches. Once you find out if you like the style and pick some colors that you like, you can trade up for a more costly higher quality band.Also for comparison, the seatbelt nylon NATO band from another vendor is high quality and has similar quality hardware to the BluShark. As mentioned earlier, the material is silky smooth and very comfortable. However, the band material is thicker, so the watch sits a bit higher off the wrist, is a bit tighter to thread through the watch, and doesn't bend as sharp where it comes out of the watch and curves around the wrist...at least not initially. That band seemed to have a few minor frayed threads at some of the holes and on the rounded strap end - that's not a knock on the quality, they were minor frays and can be melted down and sealed quickly and easily with a lighter or a lit match. Most people wouldn't have noticed them. I suspect that fraying over the long term may be more of an issue with the softer seatbelt material, but time will tell.The BluShark Original seems to hit a perfect balance between price and quality and durability. Not as cheap as the sampler pack, but not as costly as the $30+ premium bands offered by BluShark and others. The initial quality is very good - nice fit and finish of the hardware and the band itself. I would buy again.August 2022 update: 1 year + later and the band has held up well. It's not one I wear every day, though, for what it's worth. Would buy again. No fraying at the band tip or around the holes. The extra fit and finish compared to bargain bands really shows.
J**P
Another great strap
This is a very unique color way, which I love. It's currently on a steel dive watch with black dial. Nice and thick. Will fit any size wrist, and again unique. A bit pricey but worth it because I've seen no one else with anything similar.
K**N
Best NATO Strap for the Price
As a watch enthusiast, I rate this best for the price—hands down.
N**A
Color
I really wanted this to be the perfect NATO strap, but it is not. Don't get me wrong, the quality is good. I specifically bought this one because of the reviews saying that the length was longer than expected. I need about a 9 inch bracelet, so many of these straps that I have purchased have been too short for me to tuck the end in completely, and when left out, they just look sloppy and unfinished. Also, the color is slightly off. The pictures sort of look like it, but I have never seen one, from any manufacturer, that the gray was not just gray. I thought that the pictures were just a little off in color, which is not at all uncommon. The stripes on this, (black and gray), have a sort of olive or gold color to them. Other than that, this is a very good strap. The length is the best for me that I have ever purchased. The material and hardware is high enough quality, and the build is good. Just be informed about the color if you are expecting a standard black and gray strap.
P**T
Good strap. Not too thick
Works good for me. Not too thick with both straps under the watch
Z**H
Great
As a “watch guy” this is the best nato strap for the price. Feels very durable and not cheap at all.
A**N
True to color
Super nice watch strap. Durable, simple to install. For all who don't like a rubber or steel strap. Nylon strap is water resistant and easy to wear.
S**B
wrong size, nice quality
I have ordered few colors, and the quality is nice, but they packed the wrong size, for the orange one. On the package it says 20mm but actually its 22mm width. I have ordered another one, and still had the same problem, they have sent me wrong size. My assumption is that they have packed 22mm inside 20mm package and they have no idea, they just send it by default, it happened with the orange one twice. The black/gray one was fine. It's pretty annoying having to send it back twice, thus 3 stars.
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