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Gloria Fung

Watch straps are as much about function as they are about form. They are an integral part of a watch’s construction and wear, and can also transform a design’s aesthetic through their build, texture and fit.
The strap has always been crucial in the development of the wristwatch: its development is the reason why pocket watches and their chains are almost never seen in the wild any more.
They are an integral part of the experience of wearing a watch, transforming a design’s aesthetic through its build, texture and fit. The modern wristwatch was inspired by ladies’ jewellery bracelets, emerging during World War I when soldiers needed to check the time quicker than was possible with a pocket watch.
The watch strap has come a long way since it was a strip of leather fastened with a pin and buckle. From metal bracelets that aim to hug the wrist to Nato and rubber exemplars that stand up to the elements, the modern watch strap has adapted to the evolving designs, functions and innovations of wristwatches.

Garnering much attention at this year’s Watches and Wonders, Ulysse Nardin unveiled its attempt at creating the world’s lightest dive watch, the Diver Air. The skeletonised timepiece weighs 52 grams, including the strap. The watch is presented with two elastic fabric straps in white and orange, each weighing just six grams. The strap’s Velcro-like scratch closure allows the piece to be securely fastened over dive suits without adding to the weight of the watch. The option to swap between colours also speaks to the growing popularity of interchangeable straps.
Today’s demand for straps and bracelets optimised for wear and comfort has prompted the industry to respond with innovations like quick-change strap mechanisms, which are increasingly becoming the standard for many watchmakers. Tudor’s latest Pelagos Ultra model introduces an ultra-quick-adjust clasp that even features luminous indication for easier adjustment during dives. Grand Seiko has joined the fold, debuting its quick-adjust feature at Watches and Wonders, underscoring the growing emphasis on wearability.

The increasing popularity of quick-release mechanisms has reduced the need to choose between a strap and a bracelet since they are now easy to swap – many watches are now sold with both options included. Zenith integrated this into its range of timepieces in 2021, including the Chronomaster and this year’s new Defy Skyline, offering a rainbow of rubber, nylon and link bracelets. Like many watchmakers, Zenith has embraced the quick-change bracelet mechanism engineered for effortless strap swapping without tools. A push-button system integrated into the bracelet’s end links releases spring-loaded pins that securely hold the strap in place while allowing easy detachment.
Rolex, notably at this year’s Watches and Wonders, is also placing greater emphasis on wearable bracelet design. Its marquee release, the Land-Dweller, reintroduced a flattened five-link bracelet that drew inspiration from the neo-vintage Oysterquartz. The brand also turned heads towards its dressier 1908 line with the Settimo seven-link bracelet, built to taper elegantly around the wrist.

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso has seen many iterations since its inception in 1931, and was an early adopter of the interchangeable strap concept. The timepiece has proven its versatility, from ultra-thin to bejewelled. However, one constant remains in its design: its art deco aesthetic. This year, the watchmaker introduced the Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds, fitted with a matching pink gold Milanese bracelet. Woven from 16 metres of gold thread, the bracelet flows seamlessly with the Reverso’s lugs and case, complementing the classic, vintage aesthetics of the piece’s iconic rectangular silhouette. The fluidity of the mesh tapers to the wrist and is better than that of link bracelets.
This desire to blend comfort with design has led even independent watchmakers like Furlan Marri and Ming to create their versions of mesh-style straps. Ming taps into 3D printing technology to create its new Polymesh, a design that Ming Thein, founder and chief creative officer, describes as “neither a strap nor a bracelet”.

“We wanted to have the best of both worlds: the durability of a bracelet and the comfort of a strap – and the aesthetics of something else entirely,” Ming says. This is achieved through an advanced additive process that allows all 1,700 micro-components to be fused into a single piece, entirely free of pins or screws. A wholly new approach to building a strap, Ming says the final product is the result of relentless trial and error. While at a glance it may look like the Polymesh is built from repeated elements, the build is in fact more complicated. “There is an overall tapering in both width and thickness, as well as camber across the bracelet surface,” Ming explains.
Comfort was also a key consideration when it came to refining the design. “Tactile feel is a combination of a few things – the way [the material] flows because of the link structure, the cognitive dissonance between how thin and delicate it looks and how dense and heavy it feels, and the thermal conductivity of the material itself,” Ming elaborates. “The combination of all these things results in a balance of strength and delicacy that’s impossible to achieve otherwise.”
Perhaps in response to increasing demand for variety in straps, Ming has plans to produce its Polymesh bracelet in different sizes for its own timepieces. There is also a straight-ended universal version designed for independent brand partners of the Alternative Horological Alliance, which includes UK-based Fears and US-based Fleming, among others.


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Timepieces

The evolution of the watch strap, from Tudor and Grand Seiko, to Jaeger‑LeCoultre and Zenith

Rolex ambassador and tennis legend Roger Federer wears a Land-Dweller 40 with a five-band bracelet. Photo: Handout

Ulysse Nardin Diver Air. Photo: Handout

Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller 40. Photo: Handout

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds with Milanese link bracelet. Photo: Handout

Ming Polymesh bracelet-strap hybrid. Photo: Handout

The world’s best watch museums, workshops and archives, from Panerai to Seiko

A fresco at the Musée International d’Horlogerie in Switzerland. Photo: Handout

The German Watch Museum in Glashütte has more than 500 pieces on display. Photo: René Gaens

A fresco at the Musée International d’Horlogerie, which is dedicated to timekeeping history. Photo: Handout

Panerai Boutique is a flagship store with a museum space. Photo: Handout

The world’s first quartz watch, the Seiko Astron, at the Seiko Museum Ginza. Photo: Handout

A watch created by John Arnold at The Clockmakers’ Museum. Photo: Handout

The National Watch and Clock Museum has over 12,000 items in its collection. Photo: Handout

The Vacheron Constantin clock tower is a historic site. Photo: Handout

Kurono Tokyo Aoyama Salon in Tokyo features curated displays. Photo: Handout

Smaller watches are making it big: Bulgari, Omega and others follow Queen Elizabeth’s lead

The Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas with the new Calibre BVS 100 Lady Solotempo was revealed at LVMH Watch Week 2025. Photo: Handout

 Bulgari BVS100 Lady Solotempo. Photo: Handout

Jaeger-LeCoultre 101 Feuille with calibre 101. Photo: Handout

Danielle Marsh and Sunday Rose Kidman Urban feature in the campaign for the Aqua Terra 30mm from Omega. Photo: Handout

A Lange & Söhne 1815 34mm. Photo: Handout

Grand Seiko SBGW323 with distinctive purple dial. Photo: Handout

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini. Photo: Handout

Diamond-encrusted watches from Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Graff

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s diamond-encrusted 101 Secrets watch. Photo: Handout

Cartier Baignoire jewellery watch. Photo: Handout

Graff Tilda’s Bow diamond watch. Photo: Handout

Jaeger-LeCoultre 101 Secrets watch in platinum. Photo: Handout

Van Cleef & Arpels À Cheval high jewellery watch. Photo: Handout

How dress watches have evolved and why they’re coming back – from Rolex and Cartier to Hermès and Louis Vuitton

Oscar Isaac at the gala screening of Frankenstein during the 2025 BFI London Film Festival in October, with a Tank Louis Cartier on his wrist. Photo: AFP

Andrew Garfield wears a Jaeger-LeCoultre dress watch to a screening of After the Hunt in September, in New York. Photo: Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

David Beckham attends Wimbledon in London, in June, with a Tudor Black Bay Chrono on his wrist. Photo: WireImage

A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin. Photo: Handout

Rolex Perpetual 1908. Photo: Handout

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Horse. Photo: Handout

Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Handout

IWC Ingenieur Automatic 42. Photo: Handout

F1 driver George Russell wears a one-of-a-kind IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur Automatic 42 in black ceramic with a blue dial. Photo: Handout

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Luce. Photo: Handout

6 lush coffee table books to gift the watch lover in your life, spanning Rolex, Richard Mille, celebrity collections and more

The Watch Book Rolex – Next Generation is just one of a handful of eye-catching tomes you could consider gifting to a watch lover. Photo: Handout

Richard Mille: The Impossible Collection. Photo: Handout

Richard Mille himself, co-founder of the brand, as pictured in the book. Photo: Handout

Air Time: Watches Inspired by Aviation, Aeronautics and Pilots. Photo: Handout 

American aviator Charles Lindbergh in May 1927, just before making his successful transatlantic non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris. Photo: Handout 

The Impossible Collection of Watches, published by Assouline. Photo: Handout

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso as featured in The Impossible Collection of Watches. Photo: Handout

The Wonderful World of Women’s Watches: Beauty Beyond Time. Photo: Handout

Elizabeth Taylor and her collection of iconic watches. Photo: Handout 

The Watch Book Rolex – Next Generation. Photo: Handout

The book celebrates the legendary brand’s evolution and outlook. Photo: Handout

Million Dollar Hip Hop Watches, published by teNeues. Photo: Handout

Busta Rhymes’ watch is notable for its iced-out bracelet. Photo: Handout 

Magazines

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Watches

Watch straps have evolved far beyond traditional leather bands, with today’s hi-tech models designed to be stylish, comfortable and easily interchangeable


Watch straps have evolved far beyond traditional leather bands, with today’s hi-tech models designed to be stylish, comfortable and easily interchangeable.


The evolution of the watch strap, from Tudor and Grand Seiko, to Jaeger‑LeCoultre and Zenith

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Watch straps have evolved far beyond traditional leather bands, with today’s hi-tech models designed to be stylish, comfortable and easily interchangeable

Watch straps have evolved far beyond traditional leather bands, with today’s hi-tech models designed to be stylish, comfortable and easily interchangeable