Do you think straps make your Rolex more "under the radar"?

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Wingman244

The one thing I hate about Rolex - is for any of their bracelet watches - they are by design unfriendly to putting on a strap.

Huh? Have you seen any of the photos above?

Rolexs are easy as you take the bracelet off and install a strap. Some brands do not provide a way to easily remove the bracelet (your timepiece back has to be removed / goes into service to have a watchmaker remove the bracelet).

[Neil McCauley]

I cannot make my mind up about this... it feels wrong
but... kinda looks cool at the same time

[Neil McCauley]

Originally Posted by the dark knight

I see questions (more often these days it seems) asking which model of Rolex is more or most "under the radar", people desiring this for various reasons.

Often the responses are Explorer I, OP, etc.

But I'm now of the opinion you should just buy the exact model you want and just put it on a strap if you want to be under the radar. I dare say an Exp I on the Oyster is more recognizable as a Rolex than, say, a BLRO put on a leather strap.

I think this works even on PM models, I think Day-Dates look really sharp on the right leather.

Thoughts on this?

I put my GMT on a leather strap once... was bloody awful...



Slightly more acceptable on an rubber oysterflex style, but still, not my thing. Quickly reverted back to bracelet.

[espanol]

I’ve lived everywhere from major metropolitan US cities, to developing countries in the Horn of Africa. Non-shiny straps (nato, leather) definitely make the watch look less obvious. But if someone is mugging you, they’d take anything off your wrist regardless of strap.

[gamingdoctor]

Originally Posted by Wingman244

The one thing I hate about Rolex - is for any of their bracelet watches - they are by design unfriendly to putting on a strap. It would be great if this was an option from finishing the case between the lugs to making it easier to change the strap to allowing you to buy a different Rolex bracelet.

In my opinion it is just inexcusable that my Daytona’s case between the lugs is unfinished.

Rolex is not a strap watch.

Disagree 100%

They're great on bracelet and straps. I think the older models generally look better on leather, while the newer ones with the ceramic bezels better with rubber.

[Sglider]

Originally Posted by Neil McCauley

Slightly more acceptable on an rubber oysterflex style, but still, not my thing. Quickly reverted back to bracelet.

Concur. Some of the photos, it's all personal preference of course, but some of them are horrendous. The rubber is marginally OK, but that leather, whew, good for you.

Some of the examples, it's not the material, just the clashing of colors taking away from the watch itself. Then again, there are a few good examples which highlight the case, dial, the timepiece as a whole.

[ashall]

I have a 36mm smooth bezel, blue motif dial Datejust on jubilee. It drew a bit of attention until I put on a brown curved end leather strap. I did visit my AD with it on the leather strap and my client advisor did a double take because they didn't believe at first that it was Datejust.

[White Collar Boy]

Originally Posted by WatchEnthusiast7369

Very nice!

[PeteNYC13]

I've been toying with this idea for a while and some of these photos are the kick in the pants I may just need to give it a shot.
The Explorer on Black Rubber looks really good!!

[WatchEnthusiast7369]

Originally Posted by White Collar Boy

Very nice!

Thanks. I really like the red white and blue one.

[Wingman244]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Huh? Have you seen any of the photos above?

Rolexs are easy as you take the bracelet off and install a strap. Some brands do not provide a way to easily remove the bracelet (your timepiece back has to be removed / goes into service to have a watchmaker remove the bracelet).

There is just no excuse for a $15,000 watch to have an unfinished case between the lugs. That is just poor design and quality, but we all buy it because - "it's Rolex". Omega, Panerai or IWC would never ever do this.

Yeah, I would say most of the pictures of the straps on the previous pages are not great. Since the case is unfinished. You have to buy sub par quality endlinks that really don't look good, don't really fit properly and make fitting a strap very hard since the endlink takes up so much room. Or you have to buy a terrible looking stap with the "curved end integration" that to me looks janky. I don't know - I think a strap should have a square end. Notice how all the pictures of watches with square end straps are from above to hide the unfinished case.

I have a box full of very nice leather and exotic skin 20mm straps I purchased for my Speedmaster that I just can't use on my Daytona.

I tried this combo - but after a couple of days this bothered me so much I just switched back to the bracelet. Putting a square ended strap on my Daytona without something covering up the unfinished case is just not an option.

Come on admit it - if the case was finished like a speedmaster - everyone would be saying what a "strap monster" the Daytona is. Everyone would be running all kinds of straps on the watch.

[Mr Ben]

Originally Posted by Neil McCauley

I cannot make my mind up about this... it feels wrong
but... kinda looks cool at the same time

I know what you mean. It’s almost as if the dial pretty much works with the strap but the bezel doesn’t.

I think a bit of age/ patina is helpful when putting it on a nato - preferably an aluminium bezel as well with a bit of fade. I guess that’s why the rubber straps look better to me on shinier watches whether it’s ceramic or gold.

And yeah - leather is a hard one to make work on a sports watch. Unless it’s a faded brown leather strap on an ancient GMT or similar.

[Dave O]

Love me some blue. Although the blue stands out, to me, it stands out less than the TT PCL bracelet. And I think it looks great to boot.

[Harry-57]

Originally Posted by Dave O

Love me some blue. Although the blue stands out, to me, it stands out less than the TT PCL bracelet. And I think it looks great to boot.

Cor. That works. And such a nice bracelet to swap it back onto. A win win.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Dave O

Love me some blue. Although the blue stands out, to me, it stands out less than the TT PCL bracelet. And I think it looks great to boot.