The Coolest Watch Upgrade Only Costs $10
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Imagine with me for a moment a ludicrous scenario. Let's say there's a stack of bills totaling $600 (or more, even a lot more), held together by a band that costs only $10. If I told you the bills are totally secure, would you believe me? You should. Because this silly hypothetical is what it's like to wear a NATO strap with your most treasured timepieces.
If you've not yet been introduced, allow me to remedy that: The NATO strap is your watch's new best friend. Often coming in waterproof ballistic nylon (though it's not hard to find them in other materials, like leather or the smooth stuff seatbelts are made of), NATO straps convert any watch into a rugged accessory. Be it sweltering summers or snow-frosted winters, NATOs can withstand almost all conditions—and most importantly, secure your watch—better than traditional two-piece straps or steel bracelets.
The NATO strap is a durable, practical, affordable, and, yes, stylish upgrade to any wristwatch. It's a signifier that you're a serious watch guy who knows what he's doing. And if you want to be that guy, then you should get your NATOs from Benchmark Basics.
We won't bore you with a history lecture here. But the nutshell-sized origin story is this: During World War II, the British Ministry of Defense began experimenting with watch straps made of woven cotton. By 1968, the British military introduced the first official NATO straps. As the story goes, the NATO name came about because the official name—"Nato Stock Number 6645-99-124-2986," according to Crown & Buckle—is a real mouthful. Eventually, the straps simply became known as NATO straps.
Though it was built for military use, the NATO strap now exists for any watch enthusiast who likes a bit more security along with a tactical aesthetic. The security comes from the way a NATO is constructed. In addition to the longer portion of the strap that's threaded through the spring bars, there's a secondary piece that sits below it, directly on your wrist. That second piece is finished with a metal keeper that you also thread the longer part of through. If it sounds a little complicated, let me assure you that when you're putting on a NATO, it's all very easy and self-evident. And that sandwich construction means that the watch stays on even if one of the spring bars breaks.
This is where Benchmark Basics delivers. The brand's ballistic nylon straps are tough against sweat and water yet blanket soft in how they wear (ideal for summertime). The metal buckles feel sturdy from day one—and stay that way. I've had mine for at least three years now, and I feel confident that these bad boys aren't going to fall apart any time soon.
While it's hard to mess up something as simple as a nylon strap, it's deceptively easy to cut corners. Nylon isn't an expensive material to begin with, but when it's cheap, you feel it. (And feelings of insecurity are not great when we're talking about keeping our favorite accessories to our wrists.) Benchmark Basics somehow and miraculously offer top-shelf quality at lower-end prices.
Watches aren't solely about function. Aesthetics matter—and NATO straps just look cool. The patterns and textures of the strap are often appealing by themselves, but when paired with the right dial, a watch can really come alive.
NATO straps from all brands come in an endless array of color varieties, and Benchmark Basics have oodles to offer. From solid color basics like black, gray, navy blue, and military green, to iconic patterns like the two "Bonds" (more on that in a bit), it's hard to resist buying a bunch to experiment and discover funky combinations.
Personally, I've used Benchmark's NATOs to spruce up pieces I've owned for years. A Pepsi dial Seiko Samurai, my daily beater, gets new life whenever I swap between navy blue and black. Every Fourth of July, I get in the spirit and strap on a red, white, and blue NATO to make the matching bezel pop off like fireworks. Recently, I experimented with a gray and red elastic nylon, and found my for a watch I've already enjoyed for nearly a decade rekindled. Similarly, my favorite field watch—Orient's Defender II—gets a lot of mileage out of black and green straps, thanks to its military design and dark colors. The neutral vibe invites experimentation too, and it's fun to see this deadly serious piece find a new mood.
So if you're "bored" with your watch, slip on a new NATO. Maybe one in a really bold color. Suddenly, your pop-pop's vintage Rolex has a whole new vibe.
(About the James Bond connection: In the movie Goldfinger, which came out only a few years after the British military released the first NATO, Sean Connery wore a NATO in a pattern of black, green, and red. But differences in people's TVs made generations of watch guys think Bond's NATO was black and gray. This led to decades-long disagreements over what is the "real" Bond NATO. In 2015, Daniel Craig wore a black/gray NATO in SPECTRE, which finally cemented both patterns as canonical.)
Finally, the real appeal of Benchmark Basics' NATO straps is how affordable they are. While prices vary depending on materials, their floor-level model of NATOs—the ballistic nylons we've been talking about—cost just $10 apiece. For something you can trust to keep your favorite Omega, Seiko, Tudor, Longines, or whatever from falling off, that's a damn bargain.
Even if it's variety you seek, acquiring other NATO types from Benchmark is a breeze. With options like oiled leather, seatbelt, or Zulu, it's not that much more money to try something new. This summer, and for the rest of the year and every year afterward, the best upgrade your watch can get is a NATO. And mercifully, it won't break the bank.
Photographs by Florence Sullivan
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