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. 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.