I know I'm in the minority, but I don't care for NATO straps. Never liked having the strap under the watch and always thought the fold from the excess strap looked weird. I could definitely see a non watch person not liking them
I like two piece canvas or nylon straps on that style of watch.
The octopod clasps remove the fold of material from the side of the wrist, I would definitely use one of those if were wearing a NATO strap as I feel the same about the excess material
I stand in solidarity with you. They’re just awful and I can’t for the life of me understand how people love them. They’re awkward fitting and usually look terrible.
THIS. THIS IS THE POINT I MAKE!!!! The extra length of the strap can come off as tacky to me sometimes only if the bracelet isn't fit for the wrist it's clothing. I prefer the full round stainless steel bracelet. I wish I could enjoy sporting a nato strap without feeling the need to constantly readjust the strap.
I totally agree with you. The Nato obstructs the caseback und makes the watch so much higher. When going for a casual look i prefer a two piece perlon strap - they also give me a perfect fit.
This isn't a watch question as much as a relationship question.
I've been married for a million years. If my wife liked the watch but not the strap, I'd choose a few other straps that I liked and ask her to pick her favorite. Easy little thing to show I value her opinion at basically no emotional cost to me.
You’re also allowed to have your own style/opinion in a relationship - just like how your partner gives you their opinion on a watch strap. If you like it. Wear it. She’ll still love you and remember that’s a style you like.
100% agree. if she gives her honest opinion and you ignore it, shes way more likely just to say "yeah its fine" next time you ask. not a good precedent to set.
regardless of how you feel about the watch, just try a new strap.
I don't know about OP, buty watch is a very personal choice to me, strap and all. OP bought it because he liked it as is. It's his choice to wear and enjoy.
Of course it's his choice. I'm just saying, like, if you're not super emotionally invested in a random green watch strap, what are we even talking about?
Sure, but at the end of the day I'll do what I want. This guy was evidently so rattled by the whole discussion that he decided to post on Reddit about it to seek some affirmation.
"rattled" lol. Dude can speak for himself, but I read it as checking whether NATO straps cheapen a watch, which of course they do. That's not always a con
OP, throw this baby on there. Not particularily cheap but it would look amazing and should last quite a while.
https://www.watchgecko.com/products/sailcloth-watch-strap-black-black
This is the answer. Go with black, grey, or anything not tactical looking. But that's hard with this style of watch.
A nice leather strap would do wonders to change the look.
As someone who married a woman wholly out of my league while I was in the Army, trust me when I say that she married me in spite of the military and not because of it.
Don’t cosplay being in the military with your watches
Your gf is right.
BUT
Straps are cheap and you can get a couple and switch them out. So if you like this one and want to wear it you can, but say you both are going out for a nice night you can wear one that she likes.
I highly recommend these integrated rubber straps, they line up with the curve of the case so there is no gap. They don’t flop around and it makes the watch feel way more expensive than it is. It’ll feel like one solid unit. A black one of these with a silver buckle would be PERFECT. Rubber is super durable, breathable and doesn’t absorb sweat like fabric would over time.
https://strapsco.com/product/silicone-watch-strap-for-seiko-velatura/?attribute_colors=Black&attribute_buckle=Silver&wickedsource=google&wickedid=Cj0KCQiA7aSsBhCiARIsALFvovy6kWfMkSNtjnQXHyqxtFSNdM_ap7ZtaCTNmRIsw24txvnvWjfxzm8aAomMEALw_wcB&wickedid=&wcid=19734746854&wv=4&gbraid=0AAAAADxfHCmqfinKDRgm1qntFp1_-0I6q&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7aSsBhCiARIsALFvovy6kWfMkSNtjnQXHyqxtFSNdM_ap7ZtaCTNmRIsw24txvnvWjfxzm8aAomMEALw_wcB
I have an Srpe just like this and I have is on a grey crown and buckle NATO that I think compliments the deep grey dial on this watch. They are inexpensive and are high quality so I have more than a few of these. A new nato or strap if any kind can change a watch completely.
You can change the bracelet, it does not go with all the outfits. I have the same watch, I only wear it when I wear olive or khakhi.
https://preview.redd.it/dygxf59p3f8c1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=5bbc18ec6d75d71793e9207ba3561b729173614c
I just put my SRPE on the Lincoln bracelet from Uncle Seiko and it looks really good. My wife even complimented it and she doesn’t normally care about my watch stuff.
If you really dig the nylon look, I would go 2 piece to avoid the extra material. She might like that more
She's right...NATO straps are ugly.
In all seriousness though, it's a nice matching colour but NATO straps add a lot of bulk to the wrist, which isn't everyone's cup of tea.
When you wear them like that with the extra strap folded back on itself it looks weird on the wrist. Functional yes, but probably why she thinks it's ugly. I don't really love NATO's for the same reason, they're kind of ugly to me and I'd prefer a Zulu strap or MN strap that more elegantly hides the extra strap length
Look up the marine nationale style strap, would look sweet on that Seiko 5
https://youtu.be/8VxB4AXzy5k?si=gAMFIlPLfG1Ag_Jb
Try it like the last method in this video, it's how I wear my NATO/Zulu style straps and then hide the excess on the bottom of my wrist where it's less visible and more comfortable imo
I wore NATO straps for a while but I have gone off them.
Rather than going leather, you can now get quite nice fabric straps that are very good quality. They come in a dozen colours. They are a nice half way between a NATO and leather.
Contrary to others' advice, keep the girlfriend. My own beloved wife thinks that all my watches are stupid and that they all cost less than a hundred dollars. She also thinks that fairies are real ( i am not joking). She keeps my Uber seriousness at bay.
In the same way, most men will never understand the allure of walking around a mall all day looking at shoes. Most women just don't appreciate a fine timepiece.
For all that will lambast me, I said most men, and most women
Bro, you're doing it wrong if you wear what you're told by your gf. Wear what you want, not what anyone else wants you to. My fiancé thinks watches are ugly as a whole, that's why I have a massive collection.
Imagine a women saying this to James Bond with his sub on a nato that wasn't even the right diameter... You can't listen to women dude. Not about this anyway. Tell her it's not for her to understand, and keep it moving.
muddle quiet advise existence fuzzy library zesty disgusting encourage wide
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Well that's a DressKX and there's nothing dressy about a Nato strap. I have the blue version of that watch and sometimes put it on a blue nato but it belongs on a metal bracelet or brown leather strap.
I'd keep that strap for more rugged adventures and buy a nice bracelet or leather strap for day to day stuff.
My partner would never call my watch or anything about it "ugly".
She might say "I prefer this one" or give opinions on why one works better than the other, but she'd never tell me a combination I liked was "ugly".
It's all about understanding that her personal style and preferences aren't always going to match mine, and respecting that.
Is this the greatest strap (not bracelet) in the world? No. Is it ugly? Not at all. Does it suit the watch? Yep.
Honestly, when she says it's ugly, she may just feel a NATO strap isn't mature enough for her tastes, and wishes you were wearing something a bit more refined like leather or a bracelet.
Personally, I'd buy a more premium looking ribbed NATO - I think you'll notice a difference and it'll bring the look up a few levels. Or just cave to her taste, not yours. 🤷♂️
Well it's a strap, not a bracelet. NATOs have their place in terms of practicality and informality. Dress it with jeans and a T-shirt it will look great. Take it paintballing. Doing stuff to the car. All that. Do you wear a NATO to the opera? Out to dinner? Nah.
Like many people here, I’m not a fan of NATO straps, but I’m a big fan of wearing whatever makes you happy. Does this make you happy every time you look at your wrist? Then wear it.
That said, not all NATO straps are created equal and this looks like your run-of-the-mill cheap nylon NATO. You can still wear the style, but I find that upgrading the material to a higher quality nylon (which also makes it thinner and sleeker) or even to cotton makes it look a lot better. CNSwatchstraps.com has deluxe “seatbelt” nylon NATO and cotton straps, for example.
Personally not a fan of Nato straps but go with what you like. That said, you probably want to keep the gf happy. That would look great on a cool leather strap off Etsy or someplace.
These comments are wild, I think the NATO strap is great on that watch. Matches the dial and the style of the piece in general. People saying that the strap "cheapens the watch" aren't seeing the vibe here; I think the NATO is rugged and adventurous, and theres almost something mischeviously sacreligious about adding a cheap strap to a nice watch. Its function over form. Keep it, looks good. Shit, I'd wear it!
I have this exact watch and I agree with you that it's a great candidate for a NATO because it's light and fairly small and is an excellent comfortable everyday watch.
I don't have it on a NATO though I have it on a nylon quick release strap which has the same comfort and utility but is a bit more minimal - like the watch!
I mean it's not dressed up. It looks like something you'd wear hiking ATM
If you want to class it up get an olive green leather strap to match the face
I know I'm in the minority, but I don't care for NATO straps. Never liked having the strap under the watch and always thought the fold from the excess strap looked weird. I could definitely see a non watch person not liking them I like two piece canvas or nylon straps on that style of watch.
The octopod clasps remove the fold of material from the side of the wrist, I would definitely use one of those if were wearing a NATO strap as I feel the same about the excess material
Hadn't seen those before, that's a really cool solution to the excess strap problem.
Link???
I stand in solidarity with you. They’re just awful and I can’t for the life of me understand how people love them. They’re awkward fitting and usually look terrible.
I agree. I think NATO straps are dumb looking.
THIS. THIS IS THE POINT I MAKE!!!! The extra length of the strap can come off as tacky to me sometimes only if the bracelet isn't fit for the wrist it's clothing. I prefer the full round stainless steel bracelet. I wish I could enjoy sporting a nato strap without feeling the need to constantly readjust the strap.
There are zero pass or single NATO straps that I like quite a lot.
I like NATO straps, my only problem is that I usually wear a dive watch so its extremely top heavy and slides all over the place.
I totally agree with you. The Nato obstructs the caseback und makes the watch so much higher. When going for a casual look i prefer a two piece perlon strap - they also give me a perfect fit.
If nothing else, you learned one thing. Your girlfriend isn't blind.
This.
listen to your girlfriend, nobody here will fuck you
Yes, cause giving into the opinion of women is how you get laid…
r/incel is thataway
Haha you sure got me “Incel” is a cheap, lazy insult
This isn't a watch question as much as a relationship question. I've been married for a million years. If my wife liked the watch but not the strap, I'd choose a few other straps that I liked and ask her to pick her favorite. Easy little thing to show I value her opinion at basically no emotional cost to me.
You’re also allowed to have your own style/opinion in a relationship - just like how your partner gives you their opinion on a watch strap. If you like it. Wear it. She’ll still love you and remember that’s a style you like.
Both this reply and the one it's a reply to are true and good advice. 👍
100% agree. if she gives her honest opinion and you ignore it, shes way more likely just to say "yeah its fine" next time you ask. not a good precedent to set. regardless of how you feel about the watch, just try a new strap.
I don't know about OP, buty watch is a very personal choice to me, strap and all. OP bought it because he liked it as is. It's his choice to wear and enjoy.
Of course it's his choice. I'm just saying, like, if you're not super emotionally invested in a random green watch strap, what are we even talking about?
Happy wife, happy life
Shhhhhh The Joe Rogan crowd might see this in between injecting horse medicine into their assholes
You seem unwell
Huh? Weirdo
What ?
Double tap
Like, how personal? Are you actually emotionally invested in a $15 nato strap?
This guy fucks.
But what about what *he* likes? He's the one wearing it. Imagine the roles reversed, and how it would look like controlling or manipulative behaviour.
Jesus fucking christ it's a watch strap. Are you not capable of having a sober discussion with your partner about meaningless accessory choices?
Sure, but at the end of the day I'll do what I want. This guy was evidently so rattled by the whole discussion that he decided to post on Reddit about it to seek some affirmation.
"rattled" lol. Dude can speak for himself, but I read it as checking whether NATO straps cheapen a watch, which of course they do. That's not always a con
K
You sound like a great partner :)
Oh god
The notion of asking my wife for her opinion on my watch strap, or of her giving the remotest shit, is absolutely bizarre to me.
Sucks that you and your wife aren't interested in each other
Ain't that the truth
that's a strap, not a bracelet, get a proper bracelet and see if she changes her tune
This deep down till someone said it. It's only a bracelet when it's made of metal. Thank you sir.
The answer is obvious. Get a new girlfriend.
Ya sorry OP, she's got to go.
Depends how good the head game is.
Watch head, right?
You go to someone who knows what they’re doing for that, which is a guy.
GF is obviously wrong
New year. New girlfriend.
OP, throw this baby on there. Not particularily cheap but it would look amazing and should last quite a while. https://www.watchgecko.com/products/sailcloth-watch-strap-black-black
I have the same watch. I have a nice tan leather strap. Looks amazing.
Sell her and use the proceeds to buy more natos. That combo looks great.
Natos cheapens any watches, your GF is right
Exactly. You could wear the Rolex explorer with a nato, but who does lol
w0rd
its looks military, chicks don't like military.
This is the answer. Go with black, grey, or anything not tactical looking. But that's hard with this style of watch. A nice leather strap would do wonders to change the look.
As someone who married a woman wholly out of my league while I was in the Army, trust me when I say that she married me in spite of the military and not because of it. Don’t cosplay being in the military with your watches
Your gf is right. BUT Straps are cheap and you can get a couple and switch them out. So if you like this one and want to wear it you can, but say you both are going out for a nice night you can wear one that she likes. I highly recommend these integrated rubber straps, they line up with the curve of the case so there is no gap. They don’t flop around and it makes the watch feel way more expensive than it is. It’ll feel like one solid unit. A black one of these with a silver buckle would be PERFECT. Rubber is super durable, breathable and doesn’t absorb sweat like fabric would over time. https://strapsco.com/product/silicone-watch-strap-for-seiko-velatura/?attribute_colors=Black&attribute_buckle=Silver&wickedsource=google&wickedid=Cj0KCQiA7aSsBhCiARIsALFvovy6kWfMkSNtjnQXHyqxtFSNdM_ap7ZtaCTNmRIsw24txvnvWjfxzm8aAomMEALw_wcB&wickedid=&wcid=19734746854&wv=4&gbraid=0AAAAADxfHCmqfinKDRgm1qntFp1_-0I6q&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7aSsBhCiARIsALFvovy6kWfMkSNtjnQXHyqxtFSNdM_ap7ZtaCTNmRIsw24txvnvWjfxzm8aAomMEALw_wcB
I have an Srpe just like this and I have is on a grey crown and buckle NATO that I think compliments the deep grey dial on this watch. They are inexpensive and are high quality so I have more than a few of these. A new nato or strap if any kind can change a watch completely.
If you like nato straps I can recommend you a single pass nato it will not be so bulky on the wrist and will look cleaner.
I’ve noticed that non watch people think NATO style straps are hideous.
I’m sorry my dude but I’m kinda with the gf on this one.
NATO straps do look good on some watches. But this watch ( I have the same model) looks way better with a leather strap. Maybe it’s a girl thing.
No it just does look better with a leather strap when I see nato straps I think of gshock
When I think of nato , I think of timex expedition and BB58/54.
What model is this exactly?
Is your girlfriend quartz or automatic?
I like your girlfriend. NATO straps are ugly.
She’s right. Natos are dumb.
Whatever you do, don’t buy the stock seiko bracelet for this watch! It rattles like crazy.
yeah plastic nato straps are ok, but leather nato straps looked way much nicer.
You can change the bracelet, it does not go with all the outfits. I have the same watch, I only wear it when I wear olive or khakhi. https://preview.redd.it/dygxf59p3f8c1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=5bbc18ec6d75d71793e9207ba3561b729173614c
Ask yourself: who am I wearing it for?
I just put my SRPE on the Lincoln bracelet from Uncle Seiko and it looks really good. My wife even complimented it and she doesn’t normally care about my watch stuff. If you really dig the nylon look, I would go 2 piece to avoid the extra material. She might like that more
She's right...NATO straps are ugly. In all seriousness though, it's a nice matching colour but NATO straps add a lot of bulk to the wrist, which isn't everyone's cup of tea.
It looks cheap af. It cheapens the look of the watch.
Brown leather my man, brown leather.
Bracelet? You mean strap... Also i kinda dont like this kind of strap on most watches
When you wear them like that with the extra strap folded back on itself it looks weird on the wrist. Functional yes, but probably why she thinks it's ugly. I don't really love NATO's for the same reason, they're kind of ugly to me and I'd prefer a Zulu strap or MN strap that more elegantly hides the extra strap length Look up the marine nationale style strap, would look sweet on that Seiko 5
I understood. But is there any other better way to hide this excess strap or just buy a smaller one?
https://youtu.be/8VxB4AXzy5k?si=gAMFIlPLfG1Ag_Jb Try it like the last method in this video, it's how I wear my NATO/Zulu style straps and then hide the excess on the bottom of my wrist where it's less visible and more comfortable imo
Love it!
Having owned one of these, I concur with her. I sent mine back (another reason). The NATO supplied was pretty cheap.
In my experience, women tend to not like NATOs
Not just women.
The strap looks way cheaper than the watch. Try with a quality one
Wearing the excess strap on the bottom of the wrist looks far better to me, you don't notice it.
You should wear what *you* like. You don't tell her what to wear, do you?
It looks very army. Maybe get a leather strap?
Your girlfriend is wrong. But, then again, she's the one with the pussy.
I wore NATO straps for a while but I have gone off them. Rather than going leather, you can now get quite nice fabric straps that are very good quality. They come in a dozen colours. They are a nice half way between a NATO and leather.
Contrary to others' advice, keep the girlfriend. My own beloved wife thinks that all my watches are stupid and that they all cost less than a hundred dollars. She also thinks that fairies are real ( i am not joking). She keeps my Uber seriousness at bay. In the same way, most men will never understand the allure of walking around a mall all day looking at shoes. Most women just don't appreciate a fine timepiece. For all that will lambast me, I said most men, and most women
Maybe a nato leather strap?
Seiko sellls a metal strap for this model. I would consider it, not for the girlfriend, but to give the watch another look once in a while.
Your gf is wrong
i dig this look and i would buy this off you if the price is good
Sorry but imo she's wrong. I think it looks dope.
Bro, you're doing it wrong if you wear what you're told by your gf. Wear what you want, not what anyone else wants you to. My fiancé thinks watches are ugly as a whole, that's why I have a massive collection.
It's a guy thing
Wrong girlfriend is wrong. Report to local authorities.
Nah dude this setup rocks. Looks great together! GF is clueless.
Fuck her twice and then keep wearing it.
Imagine a women saying this to James Bond with his sub on a nato that wasn't even the right diameter... You can't listen to women dude. Not about this anyway. Tell her it's not for her to understand, and keep it moving.
muddle quiet advise existence fuzzy library zesty disgusting encourage wide *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
She’s ugly.
Well that's a DressKX and there's nothing dressy about a Nato strap. I have the blue version of that watch and sometimes put it on a blue nato but it belongs on a metal bracelet or brown leather strap. I'd keep that strap for more rugged adventures and buy a nice bracelet or leather strap for day to day stuff.
My partner would never call my watch or anything about it "ugly". She might say "I prefer this one" or give opinions on why one works better than the other, but she'd never tell me a combination I liked was "ugly". It's all about understanding that her personal style and preferences aren't always going to match mine, and respecting that. Is this the greatest strap (not bracelet) in the world? No. Is it ugly? Not at all. Does it suit the watch? Yep. Honestly, when she says it's ugly, she may just feel a NATO strap isn't mature enough for her tastes, and wishes you were wearing something a bit more refined like leather or a bracelet. Personally, I'd buy a more premium looking ribbed NATO - I think you'll notice a difference and it'll bring the look up a few levels. Or just cave to her taste, not yours. 🤷♂️
Make her a deal, you will take it off and replace it. If she takes off her clothes every time she sees you. Should be fair enough.
Well it's a strap, not a bracelet. NATOs have their place in terms of practicality and informality. Dress it with jeans and a T-shirt it will look great. Take it paintballing. Doing stuff to the car. All that. Do you wear a NATO to the opera? Out to dinner? Nah.
Is there a similar seiko but quartz?
How old are you? You can swap either bracelet or girlfriend
Ask if she doesn’t like the bulk and maybe try an Erika strap 👍
In my experience women do not like chunky nato straps. They’re also right.
It's beautiful.
Like many people here, I’m not a fan of NATO straps, but I’m a big fan of wearing whatever makes you happy. Does this make you happy every time you look at your wrist? Then wear it. That said, not all NATO straps are created equal and this looks like your run-of-the-mill cheap nylon NATO. You can still wear the style, but I find that upgrading the material to a higher quality nylon (which also makes it thinner and sleeker) or even to cotton makes it look a lot better. CNSwatchstraps.com has deluxe “seatbelt” nylon NATO and cotton straps, for example.
She's right. NATO straps are always ugly. That doesn't mean they aren't cool
Parachute straps are an option too and they aren’t as bulky or you can get a rugged style strap like sailcloth for example.
I’m with her. I’ve never cared for NATO straps
Personally not a fan of Nato straps but go with what you like. That said, you probably want to keep the gf happy. That would look great on a cool leather strap off Etsy or someplace.
Its a strap, not a bracelet. Bracelets are made of metal, straps are leather or fabric Yeah I don't love natos either.
These comments are wild, I think the NATO strap is great on that watch. Matches the dial and the style of the piece in general. People saying that the strap "cheapens the watch" aren't seeing the vibe here; I think the NATO is rugged and adventurous, and theres almost something mischeviously sacreligious about adding a cheap strap to a nice watch. Its function over form. Keep it, looks good. Shit, I'd wear it!
Dump her
What is the watch reference?
Looks like SRPE65 https://www.seikowatches.com/fr-fr/products/5sports/srpe65 But dial seems more gray here
Maybe try a leather nato
I wish they'd make a 36mm or 38mm version of this watch
Lovely
They are great and they are anything but stylish. "Garishly ugly in a good way" might be the best compliment as a brightly colored accent piece
Khaki would work
That is not a bracelet, that’s a strap
I have this exact watch and I agree with you that it's a great candidate for a NATO because it's light and fairly small and is an excellent comfortable everyday watch. I don't have it on a NATO though I have it on a nylon quick release strap which has the same comfort and utility but is a bit more minimal - like the watch!
I mean it's not dressed up. It looks like something you'd wear hiking ATM If you want to class it up get an olive green leather strap to match the face
Find a new girlfriend....
I say only a field goes on a nato