A Primer on the Different Types of Watch Bands, Straps and Bracelets

A watch’s band, also known as a watch bracelet or strap, is not only an important part of the piece’s functionality and comfort, but it is also integral to the watch’s style. Some watch bands are casual, some dressy, and some sporty. Below are the most common types of watch straps you’ll find paired with luxury watches.

Watch Bracelets

There are various types of metal watch bands, commonly referred to as “bracelets”:

• Three-link
• Five-link
• Seven-link
• Bonklip
• Beads-of-rice
• Milanese
• Shark mesh
• Integrated

The term bracelet is usually reserved for metal watch bands. Watch bracelets can come in a wide range of materials such as steel, gold, platinum, and ceramic to match the watch case. Some bracelets mix various types of metals to achieve a two- or three-tone look.

Some popular watch bracelet styles include Bonklip, three-link, five-link, seven-link, beads-of-rice, brick-link, Milanese, and shark mesh. Rolex bracelets are especially famous. There’s the sporty three-link Oyster bracelet, dressy five-link Jubilee bracelet, and ultra-prestigious three-link President bracelet.

More About Rolex Bracelets: How Many Links Does a Rolex Come With?

Integrated Bracelets

Thanks in large part to Gerald Genta, integrated bracelets are a sought-after style of watch bracelets. As the name suggests, these bracelets are integrated into the case to create a seamless connection. The two luxury watches that popularized this design are the Genta-designed Royal Oak, by Audemars Piguet, and the Nautilus, from Patek Philippe.

See more: Gerald Genta Watches

One disadvantage with some integrated bracelets is that it can be challenging to remove the bracelet — some are even constructed to not be removed at all. However, in more recent times, several watchmakers have designed watches to look like the bracelet is integrated into the case, yet, thanks to clever hidden quick-release systems, you can easily switch out straps. The Vacheron Constantin Overseas is a good example of that.

Styles of Leather Watch Bands

Leather straps are a popular type of watch band and come in these common forms:

• Classic straps
• Rivet straps
• Bund straps
• Rally strap

Leather straps are a popular choice for dress watches. They also come in plenty of colors, ranging from neutral tones such as brown, tan, and black to vibrant shades like red, green, pink, or blue.

Some common types of leather straps you’ll find on luxury watches include alligator leather, calf leather, and nubuck leather; plus, there are some more exotic leathers such as lizard.

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Military watches are also often paired with leather straps, which sometimes have large rivets just below the lugs. IWC Big Pilot watches are typically fitted with this style of strap.

A bund strap is a particularly thick and wide leather strap that was originally developed for military pilots as a way to protect their wrists from burning should a fire occur. Tudor offers the Black Bay Chrono with a bund strap option.

Rally straps are characterized by large perforations in the leather (similar to racing gloves) to allow for air circulation around the wrist. TAG Heuer Monaco watches are often presented on perforated rally straps. Furthermore, some rally straps have top stitching in a contrasting color, which lends a super sporty vibe to the watch band.

Watch Rubber Straps

Rubber straps are a practical choice for dive watches since they perform great in the water and are light to wear. They are also available in a wide assortment of colors and patterns. The term “Tropic strap” refers to a Swiss-made rubber strap with a diamond pattern that debuted in the 1960s. However, it was Hublot that popularized rubber straps on luxury watches when the brand debuted its first watch in the 1980s.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut watches are almost always paired with what the brand refers to as “tropical” rubber straps. In 2016, Rolex released its approach to a rubber strap, which it calls the Oysterflex bracelet. Rather than just a rubber strap, the Rolex Oysterflex includes a metal blade that is then coated with black elastomer. Rolex offers the Oysterflex bracelet in the Daytona, Yacht-Master, and Sky-Dweller collections.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore watches are almost always fitted with rubber straps, as are Richard Mille watches.

Watch Nylon Straps

• Nato straps
• Zulu straps
• Perlon straps

Nylon straps were originally used in the military due to their utilitarian style and durability. The name NATO strap is often used to describe all types of nylon straps; however, that’s a misnomer. There are more accurately three popular types of nylon watch straps: NATO, ZULU and Perlon.

The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) introduced what we now call the “NATO strap” in 1973 and the name was derived from the NATO Stocking Number (NSN) used to order it. MoD-issued NATO straps were “Admiralty Grey” in color, fitted with buckles and keepers, and most importantly, included a shorter nylon piece attached to the buckle to prevent the watch from falling off the wrist.

Today, nylon straps are available in plenty of colors and designs and often don’t have the same structure as the original NATO strap. However, Omega does offer a large selection of NATO straps; one of the brand’s most famous NATO-strapped watches is the James Bond Seamaster Diver 300M made for the film No Time To Die (2021).

Another popular type of military-inspired nylon strap is the ZULU strap, which, unlike the double-layered NATO strap, only has one layer of fabric.

Characterized by a unique cross-weave pattern, Perlon is a specific type of nylon strap with braided nylon loops for added breathability.

Choosing the Right Type of Watch Bands/Straps

As expected, some types of watch bands and straps work better in some environments than others. Leather is far from ideal for water-based activities while rubber is perfect for that. Metal bracelets are a popular choice for daily wear given their durability, however, gold will scratch easier than steel.

So the next time you’re shopping for a watch, consider how and when you’ll wear it and if the strap that it’s attached to will work or if you’ll need some other alternatives. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that it’s always a good idea to buy a watch with a bracelet (if available) because buying the bracelet after the fact will always be more expensive. And if you’re removing links for a better fit, keep those links in a safe spot in case you wish to sell your watch in the future.