Welcome to this watch LIFE. Hi, I'm Lydia Winters.
And I'm Boo Booey and it is summertime.
It is summertime and I'm headed to a hot, hot place called
Florida. When you're listening to this,
dear listeners, I will probably be on a plane on my way to
Florida. That is true and.
Foo will be alone in the perfect Swedish summer.
Yes, it's the the Swedish summer is the summer I really like.
There's a few hot days, but otherwise it's just nice.
It's mostly cold. I wouldn't call it cold.
It's not cold, but it's no not warm either.
No, it's like an LA winter, Yeah.
Which to me is like kind of nice.
It's a Florida winter for. Sure, yeah.
But since it's the middle of summer and you're going
somewhere, really, really, really.
Warm. Really warm.
Right then, we thought we'd talk about summer watch habits.
Summer watch habits. Sweating straps.
Well, yeah, I guess. Yes, straps is what I meant to
say. Yes, sweating in straps.
The thing is, OK, I used to think that I did not have
different habits for summer versus winter.
Yeah, you have said that before. Yeah, I have said that before,
but recently I've realized, no, that's totally not true.
I just like. I don't, I don't know why, like.
That's the thing I said, but I didn't follow through with.
It but since you're going to Florida, we had to think like,
oh, OK, well, how do you prepare for an even hotter place than
Sweden? Well, yes, which?
Is anywhere. Just a very hot place.
Yes, I would say other than to visit my family, I would not go
to Florida in July. That that is true.
You've said it many times before, but you are going and
like OK, when I'm talking about straps for your watch for
summer, the considerations I'm thinking about are really only
two things. One is that you're more sweaty
than usual. OK, I don't mean you, I mean
just everyone. Like OK, thank you people in
general, that felt very pointed. I was looking at you when I said
that. I'm like, Oh no, no, I don't
you. Are very sweaty.
But also, there's just more opportunity that you may end up
in the water. See, at any time you could end
up in the water. OK, I will say that is actually
true a consideration for me in Florida.
Yeah, that I may end up in the water.
I will choose to go in the water.
Unlike you, I don't believe I might fall in the water at any
time, you know, but. I've seen you standing at the
edge looking at manatees or dolphins at the.
I do always look like I could go in, yeah.
And you are very likely to. Fall, I do have a sort of
imbalance, yeah. So, OK, OK, OK.
When you think about that, like I always start with like metal
bracelet, right? It's what when I buy a watch
that offers a metal bracelet, I always say just get it with the
bracelet. You know, like ABB 54.
Yeah, that would be a perfect watch for a bracelet.
You think you would have definitely bought the bracelet?
I bought the rubber strap first because I decided I would not
have it on a bracelet. Then I immediately wanted the
bracelet, and the bracelet's very comfortable.
I'm a stickler for a good bracelet though.
Yes, and this one is a good bracelet.
That's the thing. OK, so, so the the key to buying
the the the reason you buy a bracelet when you buy the watch
is cause typically they're they're cheapest when you buy it
with the watch and other options are not as much more.
Yeah, that's true to get second, right.
So you buy the bracelet first is the most economical way to do
it. But also, you know, who knows,
someday you want to sell the watch, Easier to sell if you
have the bracelet right 'cause people, a lot of people think of
like the bracelet as the key component to the watch.
Like that's what goes with the watch.
But obviously if you don't like bracelets, I'm not saying you
have to get the bracelet. Oh, OK, you're not telling
everyone you must. No, it's not a must.
Well, you did told me I should and then I didn't, but you like.
Bracelets. You like bracelets.
And so when you decided like I'm not going to get the bracelet, I
have a bracelet on my Explorer. What do I need a bracelet on the
BB54? And I was like, you're going to
want the bracelet. And you, you did not.
Well, you know, and then you bought the bracelet and it was
expensive. Yeah, don't do it that way.
Don't do it that way. It's a bad idea.
Well, a good bracelet is super comfortable.
My favourites. My personal favourites,
unsurprisingly the Rolex Oyster and jubilee bracelets, but also
the Tudor three link. I think the Tudor three link and
Rolex Oyster like in terms of comfort I don't really notice a
difference. Yeah, I really like the Diver 65
bracelet. Super comfortable.
Really. Nice, I do find like a sort of
three link bracelet for me. I prefer even to Jubilee.
Yes, but good bracelets aren't guaranteed and there's always
the adjustment issue like you know, do you have quick adjust?
Do you have micro adjust? Those are two separate things.
In summer, that's extra important.
It is extra important. It is, but also sometimes you
just want to change the look or feel of your watch and hence
straps. Oh yes, I yeah, haven't.
I am. I'm dipping my toes in the
water. Yes, you are.
And may fall in. But we like there's a few
watches that we both own that already came with fabric straps
as well. Well, OK, my BB58 blue, it
didn't come with the fabric strap, but I got it at the same
time as I got the watch. And when you bought the BB 58
silver it came with because that that one comes on one of Tudor's
OEM fabric straps and those are fantastic.
They're these single pass fabric straps and the way that the pins
fit into it is really nice. Like it doesn't move around.
They're fantastic. I'm not really a NATO person.
Yeah, I was thinking about this. I am not either.
I I was. Like you were thinking about me
not being a NATO. No, I was thinking I'm not
really a NATO person because it adds a lot of bulk to the watch.
I wonder if this? I mean, it adds.
Oh yes. Yes, I wonder if this is
something where as I don't I'm thinking about like is this a
small wrist problem? It probably you know, because
when I wear on a NATO strap, you add 2 layers under the watch.
You can, I have cut off the extra piece which a lot of
people do and then you have a single pass.
But the thing about a typical NATO and OK, I know NATO strap,
the the the terminology is used for many things and I'm not
going to get into what is actually a NATO strap and what
is just a single pass and what. Are all these?
Well, but I don't know that I've I've gotten to the bottom of it
yet. So I I can't formulate like a, a
true opinion on this one, but I know that there's a lot of
divided opinions on what a NATO strap is and the origins and why
it would be called a NATO anyway.
So single pass straps, right? So it's like a NATO, but it just
goes around once. What I don't like about the
typical NATO and certain single pass straps is that on the the
the side that has the holes in it, right?
So the long side that comes up, usually you have to fold it over
and then you end up with one bulky side and one not bulky
side. And I do not like that
imbalance. That's interesting.
I kinda like the fold over. I don't like a NATO, but the
fold over I think is a little fun.
I don't like it to be under the watch.
OK, I don't know. I think there's.
Extra material under the watch. You don't like extra material
above the watch? Yeah, like when you're looking
down on your. Wrist, it doesn't bother.
That doesn't bother you? But I mean, it's usually towards
the back OK of my hand and then I feel like it's a little cool.
Well, the other. Option.
I'm seeing this as someone who's probably done that once.
Yeah, I've, I've only ever seen you use NATO once, and that was
when you bought your Seiko 5, the rowing blazer collab.
It came on a NATO. You use it for a little while
and then you said, hey, can you put it on this other strap for
me? Yeah, that's true.
Yeah, 'cause you didn't like the NATO.
No, I'm not a NATO. No, you're not.
So I don't know what this story is about you liking them, but
but we both really like another type of nylon strap, which is
it's a two piece where it's just like kind of like a leather
strap. It's just a regular two piece
strap with a buckle on it. And Nomos has those OEM on their
watches. Our new Tengente 38 dates came
with them on them and those are super comfortable and easy and
really nice. Yeah, Hoy had that too.
That's one of my first nylon straps and I really like it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And your NATO was another nylon
strap. Yeah.
Yeah, but I didn't wear it that much as referenced by you.
So I was saying. Your first one that you actually
wore. Yeah, the the Super Sardine I've
been wearing for weeks since I got it, or for two straight
weeks. And I really do like the nylon
strap. I think it's super cool and it
definitely gives a summer vibe. For sure nylon when I wore it on
my ahoy for years and I would go swimming with that watch a lot.
What I liked is that it tried really fast.
It's just like really easy. You didn't have to think about
going in the water with that. I can't swim too far with my
super sardine though, no. That one's only 30 meters.
What does it mean 30 meters? We're not getting into that
today, but and then the last category we want to talk about,
which is the exciting category, especially for me this year.
Summary. It very summary in my mind.
It's very summary. All that you could wear it year
round, of course, rubber straps, yes.
OK, so we were recently given some amazing rubber straps by
our good friends at Deluxe and I would say for me it's been a bit
of a game changer. Like truly changed how I think
about rubber straps. OK.
What did you think about what's the before and after?
Before was I didn't like them. That's true, actually.
Four or five of them over the years, you know, over the, I
don't know, 10-12 years, like I guess every once in a while
would be like, I'm getting that. They always come and go.
Pretty quick, never really liked them and there's a few different
reasons that I didn't like them. One was I most rubber straps out
there that I've found that I liked something about them like
either the color or the the style or the buckle that came
with whatever they would be too long for me I don't like.
Straps that wrap. Too long around and for some
reason with rubber straps, most of the makers that I've seen do
not offer multiple sizes. Yeah, just like.
This strap will fit anyone from 5 to 8 inches and I'm like not
really. Like yes, you can buckle it, but
that doesn't make it nice. No, as soon as I see that
little. That little watch strap tongue
coming out to the other. Side I don't like I really.
Don't like it, it makes me upset right away.
Yeah, I, I, I didn't like it. So then like because of that
sizing issue, I've cut multiple down, not just rubber straps,
but even I've done that with leather straps.
Like for years I was like, straps are just too long and I'd
cut the end off and sometimes it would work and sometimes it
wasn't. But then in 2020, I was I had
just bought my Grand Seiko SPG GM 221, and I really wanted a
nice strap for it. But I'm like, I'm not gonna do
what I've done so many times and buy a strap.
That's too. Long because it feels like a
bummer to like get something new and then you kind of like
immediately destroy part of it I.
Have to cut it or or it's just long in a way I didn't like,
which is how I wore it for years and so the first straps that I
found that will also came in a short size that were like a
style and leather that I liked were deluxe in 2020.
And so I found them, I ordered them, I bought them and I loved
those straps like they were awesome.
Didn't have to cut them and and those original straps because
that was 19mm and I only have so many 19mm watch now that I don't
have that Grand Seiko anymore. Now they live on my King Seiko,
which is also. Yeah, that's true.
It looks really good on. The great.
So like, it's nice to have that small size.
But anyway, so getting the right size strap like changed how I
thought about straps and I didn't have to cut them anymore.
Which is then kind of funny about these new rubber straps
because they are called CTS straps, which is cut to size.
So you do cut them. Yeah, you're supposed to.
It's different. We talked about them when they
did a big launch with all of these cut to size because they
actually made them specifically for.
Yeah, integrated. Integrated, and that's what I
like on my BB54. It looks really cool yeah yeah.
And since it's fit to the BB 54 and not like the rubber strap
that Tutor makes, which actually you use the end links of the 54,
I have three different versions of my 54 now, which I really
like. I think it gives it a.
Four, because you have two colors of the deluxe.
I do, I do, but I I felt like three different versions.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. That.
That makes it even more versatile than it already was
because it's kind of a different look for each one.
And I, I I have now the integrated rubber strap for the
BB58. It's in Gray.
It looks awesome. I love it.
And then just a straight black strap for the Nomos Tengente
Sport, the limited edition Japan one that I have.
Yeah, that looks really nice. It gives it a sleek cool.
It's already a cool watch, but I I do really like that pairing.
And then I put a white one on my pink Tudor Black Bay chrono.
I think that's actually the coolest pairing.
That is the most summer. Pairing and weirdly the most unu
pairing which I think that's why I like it so much because you
like never wear white. No, I really really, really,
really don't like even. Your shoes aren't like nothings
white. Actually, no, no, I've always
felt like it's too easy to get dirty.
Yeah. So I I just avoid white.
But OK, so why do I like rubber straps?
Like, I like the fact that number one.
OK, so rubber itself, it's like it, you know, similar to a
bracelet, like it doesn't absorb water.
That's why I think it it has a little bit of benefit over a
nylon strap because if you're really sweaty, then in a nylon
strap, it just kind of stays wet all day.
With a rubber strap, you can just dab the water off and it's
dry now. And so I kind of like that,
which is also why I like bracelets.
So it's like more similar to a bracelet in that way.
But unlike a bracelet, it requires different level of
adjustment. And here's where I differ from
what I usually say about quick adjust.
I've learned something about these rubber straps and it's
gotten me very excited. OK, so at first I was a little
worried about these because the deploying clasp, the cool spring
loaded deploying clasp that I I love to just Oh no, don't get me
started. Yeah, I really do like to clip
them. They're super fun to play with,
but they don't have an on the fly quick adjust.
They do have micro adjust so you can size them right, but they
don't have on the fly. So I was a little bit worried
about that. But here's how I changed my
mind. The reason I want a quick adjust
is because I like for my watches to be tight enough on my wrist
that they don't move around, right?
So that's the key. I like mine to kind of spin
around. They don't.
Spin all the. Way I just never know where they
might end up. It's why it's funny because when
you wear the Royal Oak, which does not have any form of quick
adjustment, it's always laying like in this one weird side spot
and just branding you because the back has the relief of Royal
Oak. On yeah.
And so then it says royal look on my wrist all the time in the
second spot. In a very weird place.
But anyway, so that's my key is I don't want it to move.
So that's why I have it tight. But that means when my wrist
expands, then it's uncomfortably tight on a bracelet.
So that's why I want quick adjust so that when my wrist
expands, I can let out a little bit and then it still fits in
that same way where it's tight enough to not move, but not so
tight that it's uncomfortable. So that's how I realized like
why so many people don't care about quick adjust because they
wear their watches the way you wear your Royal Oak where it's a
little bit loose and that doesn't bother them.
And that's fine. Like actually that's awesome.
It just makes more things can be comfortable.
If you don't care about that, I think it's flopping around like
a dead fish. But you know, whatever.
It turns out these rubber straps don't have that problem and they
just feel comfortable. And I think part of it is
because the rubber makes them less likely to move around, even
if they're not as tight as I typically would wear a bracelet.
So they kind of keep their position because of the friction
with the rubber. Right.
But also, rubber has a little stretch to it, so I've found
that it doesn't. Like I can keep it a little
tighter and then even if my wrist expands, it doesn't feel,
yeah, uncomfortable. No, they definitely have
stretching them but also the deploying class because it's
magnetic. Sorry, it's not magnetic.
I was like that is not true. It is spring loaded, but it
feels like magnets. So because it's spring loaded
like unlike a a typical deployment clasp where it like
clips in this has a little bit of gift.
So it's just never uncomfortable.
So I actually OK it reminds me of those old bracelets that had
stretchy links in them. So like with those, I didn't
need a quick adjust either. Like one of those, like elastic
bracelets? Like a friendship bracelet.
Yeah, but there's nicer versions of that that are actually metal
bracelets, but they have a few stretchy links.
No, I have seen that in different Zodiac has that it's a
really nice. So then those like they they're
still always comfortable. You don't need the quick adjust
because it's giving you that relief when your wrist expands
Yeah. So that's yeah.
So I, I really like but I, I love these displaying clasp.
I, I think that when I go to grab a watch sometimes now, the
level of laziness I sometimes feel makes the deploy, the the
spring loaded deployment clasp like attractive 'cause I know I
don't have to like put a pin through the buck.
Nothing. I just put it on and go snap
snap. Like that's the level of lazy
I've been some, it's just sometimes.
It's the summer. Summer laziness sometimes.
You know, it's summer. It is what it is.
And I just want something that I can just quickly throw on the
wrist. And they are very fidgetable.
Yeah, so. Fidgetable.
Is that not?
A word but. I like to snap them.
I snapped them all day and Lydia is like okay, stop.
Yeah, all, all day, nonstop. I'm super curious to know what
all of your favorite summer strap options are.
I I'm going to say mine is going to be nylon or rubber this
summer. Nylon or rubber?
I don't know that's. That's not even a choice.
Bye bye.