Note: These straps were provided for review.
As you might suspect, I am exceedingly picky with watch straps. I don’t even want to take a guess at how much money I’ve spent on watch straps only to later sell them for pennies on the dollar, or tossed in the garbage. I have found a couple of companies who make outstanding watch straps, and I have left my buying to only those. So when RSM reached out to offer some straps for review, I was worried.
I loathe getting a review sample that I hate and watch straps are hard to gauge from website descriptions alone, but the email was very friendly and it seemed like it was from someone who really got watches. And they offered that if I told them my favorite watches, they would pick the straps for me. I was game, a few weeks later a bunch of straps showed up, and a few hours after that I realized that this is yet another strap maker who gets it.
If I was asked to summarize what makes these straps so good, I’d sum it up like this: very nice materials, executed in a very low profile package.
There are softer straps out there. There are more hardcore straps out there. But I don’t know many straps where I am consistently amazed by how little bulk they add to the underside of my arm.
A Bit on the Materials
I was sent three strap types to try, a don’t-call-it-a-NATO-NATO, canvas, and lizard. Before I talk about the materials on these, I want to quote something I found excellent from the description RSM uses:
The thickness of each strap begins at 4mm thick at lug position and tapers to 2.5mm at their tail end, giving your wrist and watch the ultimate wrist hugging experience.
There are not many strap makers detailing this, and I think this single sentence sums up the key differentiation for me. That is not to say they are slacking on the materials themselves, but to point out that they are executing with those materials extremely well. Each strap I received is made from excellent feeling and looking materials.
Before I dive into the straps themselves, I want to touch on the buckle. All of the straps use a similar style buckle. It is one of the best out there. The way in which the buckle works causes the strap to overlap in an exceptionally low profile manner. And for the strap to stay relatively tidy.
The buckle excellence is on display with the single pass strap, but more on that in a moment. RSM also sells a deployant clasp they sent me for review. And that clasp is nearly ideal, with the only issue being how it secures to the adjustable side of the strap. The entire deployant clasp is secured with screws. On the clasp side of the strap, it’s two long screws which replace what would otherwise by a spring bar on most setups. This gives a really clean and very low bulk setup.
On the other end, there’s another screw, which screws from the backside of the strap to secure the length positioning in place. In theory, I really like the security of this, and in practice it sits cleanly. However securing this is an effort in frustration for me. The screw was so small that even with tweezers I had a hard time getting it in place, with it taking about 8 minutes each time. This is not a system you can do quick strap adjustments with.
There is no butterfly locking mechanism either, instead the deployant has a very firm spring to keep it clasped. In my wear, it stayed put with no accidental release. This is refreshing, and makes the wear easier. Unfortunately, like with all deployants, this adds a lot more bulk to the underside of your wrist, and given how lovely the standard clasp is from RSM, I prefer the standard over the deployant here.
The Straps
Five straps in total, of three different types. Some notes on each…
Herringbone Twill Watch Strap
Shown here in (I believe) Artillery Black, this strap is — without exaggeration — exceptional. There are two things I think which make this strap better than any other strap of this style I have tested. Before I dive into those two things, I will caveat this by saying that historically I have hated this style of strap. Aesthetically, I have always loved it, but in practice I found it added an absurd amount of bulk to the watch, and has a general discomfort for wear.
None of that is an issue here, as this is the perfect single pass strap. Here’s what makes it so damned good:
- The low profile buckle: means that there’s very little added bulk to the bottom of your wrist. This a very clean and smooth fit, unlike most straps of this style.
- The adjustable length and keeper positioning: there’s quite a few adjustable straps like this, but the method RSM is using is absolute perfection. This method allows you to not only adjust the length of the strap, but the last strap keeper positioning at one time. The closer keeper is free floating and easy to adjust. And because there’s no superfluous keeper on the inside of the wrist, you can then correctly position the location of the buckle on your wrist by adjusting the strap length and position of the watch case on the strap. It took me about 3 minutes to nail the fit on this, and once I did — there’s no going back to any other single pass style strap.
I strongly encourage you to get one of these. It is a soft material which flexes well and looks exceptional with the right amount of tonal contrast and visual depth.
Fine Canvas Watch Strap
Look that twill strap is good. But my heart might be here with these canvas straps. I’ve owned a lot of canvas straps, and I thought I knew which were good or not. But the canvas RSM is using is special and it’s one of those things where you can tell it’s something different by hand, but I could not figure out why it was so good. Here’s what RSM says about it:
When the world is flooded with the common canvas, our senses heightened when we discovered a Japanese canvas manufacturer who has been producing them for 89 years!
The secret sauce lies in the process of these finely woven cotton yarns. They are slightly stiffened with starch which gives the fabric structure a very handsome appearance. Much like how some uniforms were starched and ironed for the sharper look in the 70’s.
I would have sworn this canvas had some wax, but it’s the starch. It feels dense. It feels durable. But it doesn’t look or feel rough. It looks incredibly refined. In the same way that a Filson Rugged Twill bag both looks rugged and fancy, these straps pull that same vibe off.
They sent these straps in three different colors, and each color is fantastic. A lot of depth and character to each of these color options. With the quick release, very low profile strap, and perfect tapering — I could make a case that these should be on every watch I own. They are comfortable with a nicely finished leather lining, and I’ve not seen any fraying in my wear and use of these. I am quite impressed.
Lizard Leather Watch Strap Vertical Grain
This is my first lizard strap, and I was pretty skeptical of this when I opened the package. It was a lot to take in visually on its own. I put it to the side. At 20mm width for the strap I received to test, it would only fit two of my watches. It doesn’t feel like a good fit for a field watch, so I put it on my Datejust.
Once it was on the Datejust I felt more open. Once it was on my wrist, I got it. I might have had a hard time visualizing this at first, but once mixed with your watch and curved around your wrist, the strap becomes a lot less in your face, and a lot more refined feeling.
This strap compliments the shine of watches well and instead of making everything a little louder, it evens out the appearance making the entire kit feel a little more subdued. This strap has impressed me, and is likely to get a lot more. It’s very flexible and supple to wear and the few marks I have on the strap are from the case rubbing (common Rolex issue), but even there the wear on the material doesn’t ruin the overall look.
Overall
I never know what to expect from a new watch strap brand I try. Will they be rebranded stuff, will they be like everything else, or will they be different. RSM is different. They take care in what they do, and it shows in the straps themselves.
I didn’t select these, I only shared three watch models with RSM, and these straps are what arrived. They could not have picked better colors and materials for my watches — this speaks volumes: they are watch people.
These are well worth a look if you are wanting to change up the look of your favorite watches. And when you see how affordable these are, it’s the cherry on top. I’d strongly encourage you to check out the Twill and Canvas models. If you have a dressier watch, then the Lizard pricing is really competitive.
Buy:
– Herringbone Twill $45+
– Fine Canvas Watch Strap $78+
– Lizard Leather Watch Strap Vertical Grain $115+