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Today's Newsletter

• 3 Watch Straps You'll Love

• Spinnaker Watches

• The Watch that Got Me Hooked

The Main Thing

Three Straps I’ve Personally Tested

So many people love metal straps. And there are lots of great ones. Between Rolex's oyster and jubilee straps, metal is a great way to go. But even with the most comfortable metal straps, they're not always for me.

Today, we're looking at three non-metal straps that I've personally tried. You can get these wet without worry and wear them all day.

These straps are easy to obtain, affordable (compared to metal straps) are easy to install.

Let's check them out.

(pics are linked to items)

Barton Elite Silicone

This was the first strap I tried. Of course, it's easy to head to Amazon, look at some reviews, and make a purchase. For only around $22, this one is a great deal. You can even buy a few in different colors to keep your "drip fresh." (something the cool kids say?)

Some people don't like the feel of silicone because it feels "cheap." This strap doesn't necessarily feel "cheap" to me. They were extremely easy to install, thanks to the built-in "quick release." That means that there are no tools required. Pretty convenient.

I was worried about these things getting activated and then losing my watch. Don't worry, they're recessed into the strap and aren't easy to activate. You need to intentionally mess with these things for them to work.

There's also a locking feature to keep the remainder of the strap in place. This brings me to my only gripe. It's a bit small. I have a seven-inch wrist and hardly had any room for the locking loop.

Overall, it's solid, sturdy, and easy to change. And for about $20, you can't go wrong with this strap.

North Star Straps

I found North Star on Instagram, talking about making straps out of "sailcloth." I was like, "What the hell is sailcloth?" North Star said something like, "Think of cloth but water-resistant." As we all know by now, I wear my watches in the shower. I need something that can get wet.

Ordering off their site was easy. They're based in the UK so shipping to Alaska was a bit of a wait. Between clearing US Customs and making it here, I had to be patient. But this is no fault of North Star. After about two weeks, I had the strap in hand.

I don't know the best way to describe it. But it feels like how a sailcloth looks. It's weird. I got the green and put it on my Victorinox Alliance. It kind of gives it an "army" vibe. I wore it to work and immediately got a compliment on it.

It is comfortable AND resists water well. I think that it retains a small amount of water, but not enough to keep your wrist wet, all day.

Of the straps here, this was the most expensive at $62 USD. While I enjoy wearing it and still recommend it, I'm not sure I will get another one for a while.

Click the pictures to learn more about North Star and decide for yourself.

Summit Straps

I connected with Summit on Reddit. After a few back-and-forth chats, I decided to give them a try. I wasn't sure what the hell a premium rubber strap was, but I'll try almost anything once. Ordering was quick and simple. They are just starting out and only have a few selections. Made the decision easy!

The pictures looked great and I made the buy. Here's where the headache came...

Summit is also based in the UK and it took FOREVER (three weeks) for my straps to arrive. This was no fault of Summit, they even paid for expedited shipping. Regardless, I was frustrated.

The day finally came and my straps arrived. After this long wait, I was worried if I would even like them.

And lucky for me, I really like them! I like them so much that I would put them on my Rolex Explorer II. (If I had one...)

These would also look great on a Submariner or pretty much any Omega.

The texture and stitching look like it could be a leather strap, but these hold up in the water and anywhere else. I continually wear these in the shower and out in the Alaska elements with no problem.

If you don't mind waiting a week or two (in the US or mainly Alaska), these are a MUST-buy.

In fact, I love these so much that I partnered up with Summit to work out a deal for my readers.

Enter OwnTheWatch10 at checkout for 10% off.

Help Me Buy My Dream Watch

I wrote a book about watches. It teaches you everything you need to know.

Every book sale gets me closer to my dream watch.

Help Ian get his Explorer II today.

Buy the book!

Shoutout Of the Week

Spinnaker Watches

Spinnaker is another Insagram-find. As a GMT fanboy, their Bradner GMT caught my attention.

Spinnaker is a microbrand that you need to check out. They were featured in a Teddy Baldassarre article in 2022.

From My Collection

Hamilton Khaki Field Auto

Winter holiday. I got the bug.

No, not the stomach flu. (that was actually the month before). The watch bug.

After about 100 hours and almost every Teddy video, I was ready to make my first purchase. I won't bore you with the entire thought process, but I decided on this.

A Hamilton Khaki Field Auto.

It was my first automatic watch. It blew my mind that there are watches that worked without batteries. Every watch I ever owned had batteries. I was finally a real boy.

For a somewhat affordable $695, this is the best watch that you can get for under $1,000. Period.

These are amazing watches with great water resistance and amazing power reserve. The size fits a wide variety of wrist sizes and there are colors for almost every occasion. It got me hooked and several watches later, I've come a long way.

Tell me...

What was your first watch, or the one that got you hooked?

Hit reply to tell me!

Looking To Buy A Watch?
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I spend almost all my free time researching watches. I've become pretty knowledgeable in them. So let me help you.

For only $20, I’ll be your personal watch concierge. We chat and you tell me your criteria. I do the research and email you what I find. Three watches that you'll love, guaranteed.

Out Of Time

Signing Off

Thanks again for taking time out of your busy life to talk about watches with me.

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Question for you…

Are these too long?

I’ve been reading a lot of other newsletters (like the ones below) and some are longer, and some are shorter. I’m curious about your insights!

I spent several hours each week writing these and if they’re too long and you’re not reading them all, let me know. I write this content for you so tell me what you like!

Also, I tried a .gif for the website thumbnail. Thoughts?

Every person you share this newsletter with gets me one step closer to my dream watch. Thanks again and ttyl.

Wear it well and wear it often,

—

Ian

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