BluSharkOriginal Collection Military-Style Waterproof Watch Strap, Fits All Timepiece Brands, Durable Nylon Wristwatch Accessories with Stainless Steel Buckle - 18mm, 20mm, 22mm & 24mm Watch Bands

I bought this (BluShark Original) and some other brands and styles of NATO watch bands to replace the OEM band for a new automatic watch. It was my first NATO style band.The other bands (from other vendors) were a very inexpensive 6-pack for $15 and a single seatbelt material style NATO from another competitor for a comparable price to the Blue Shark ($18 + shipping - it's sold and shipped by BluShark, not Amazon)This band (BluShark Original) has great initial quality. The buckle and the strap keepers have a high quality fit and finish. They also have nice lines and smooth finished edges compared to cheaper bands whose hardware seems to be more stamped out of a machine. The stitching likewise seems to be high quality and the melted/fused edges of the nylon where it's cut at the holes and the end of the band had no issues. The band is thin but feels strong and durable. The thin material is nice because with a NATO band it threads easily through the watch and around the back, and the watch sits low on your wrist. I don't have a huge wrist (7 1/2" regular band is usually ideal) - this band had enough left to loop the extra back through the keeper that's further from the buckle (and the thinner material makes this easy to double it back on itself). I've only had it for a few weeks, so I can't speak to the longterm durability, but I expect it to be good. I liked the first one (black) so much and felt comfortable enough with the quality that I ordered a second (Bond Blue). The second one actually looks better than it does in the photos on Amazon. The 'Original" BluShark has 'premium' nylon which seems plenty strong, but it is slightly more scratchy than a 'seatbelt' nylon. That's the only reason I gave comfort 4 stars. It's not uncomfortable - just not as smooth and comfortable as a seatbelt nylon band. However (see comments below) the seatbelt style seems like it may be more susceptible to fraying over time, so the seatbelt-material bands may have a tradeoff of comfort for durability.For comparison, the $15 6 pack of bands (another vendor) seemed to have decent quality too, especially for the price. The buckle hardware seems a bit flimsier, so I'm not sure I'd use those bands for a good or heavy mechanical or automatic watch. They're probably fine for lighter or inexpensive watches. Those bands also have round holes, and it will be interesting to see how the holes hold up over time compared to the rectangular holes in the BluShark. What's good about inexpensive 'sampler packs' like this are that you can order them and see if you like NATO-style bands if you've never tried them before, and also check out how a variety of colors and patterns (generally stripes) go with your watches. Once you find out if you like the style and pick some colors that you like, you can trade up for a more costly higher quality band.Also for comparison, the seatbelt nylon NATO band from another vendor is high quality and has similar quality hardware to the BluShark. As mentioned earlier, the material is silky smooth and very comfortable. However, the band material is thicker, so the watch sits a bit higher off the wrist, is a bit tighter to thread through the watch, and doesn't bend as sharp where it comes out of the watch and curves around the wrist...at least not initially. That band seemed to have a few minor frayed threads at some of the holes and on the rounded strap end - that's not a knock on the quality, they were minor frays and can be melted down and sealed quickly and easily with a lighter or a lit match. Most people wouldn't have noticed them. I suspect that fraying over the long term may be more of an issue with the softer seatbelt material, but time will tell.The BluShark Original seems to hit a perfect balance between price and quality and durability. Not as cheap as the sampler pack, but not as costly as the $30+ premium bands offered by BluShark and others. The initial quality is very good - nice fit and finish of the hardware and the band itself. I would buy again.August 2022 update: 1 year + later and the band has held up well. It's not one I wear every day, though, for what it's worth. Would buy again. No fraying at the band tip or around the holes. The extra fit and finish compared to bargain bands really shows.

Very nice NATO strap, that can be worn a few different ways.. highly recommend!

I wear a Citizen Eco-Drive dive watch that I've owned around 5 years. Fantastic watch that charges itself from ambient light, so you never need to change batteries, which breaks the waterproof seal on most watches so that they leak afterwards.However, the bulky silicon strap that came with the watch wasn't very comfortable, and it broke after I'd worn it three and a half years, by which time it was already looking a bit rough and nasty, with dirt deposits in the molded folds.A friend who wears the same watch recommended getting a NATO strap. After shopping around, I felt that BluShark offered the best value/quality, so I got a black one. I wish I'd replaced the original Citizen strap a lot sooner. The BluShark is way more comfortable and looks better, esp for business meetings. It still looks pretty new even though I wear it 24/7.It does take time to figure out how to install a NATO strap. I watched a few tutorials online, and finally got it. I don't think a person new to NATO straps would figure it out intuitively.

I was looking for a 20mm NATO strap to pair with my Seiko Orange Monster (gen 1) and this one caught my eye as a great match. In person on the watch it looks great with the orange stripe highlighting the face and the grey and black blending in with the case. It is a piece of cake to put on and take off and wears well on the wrist with the material while not heavy ballistic nylon feeling solid. The rings and buckle are pretty standard fit and finish, nothing spectacular and so far there hasn’t been any fraying with the laser cut holes. I’ve got around a 7” wrist and I’m pretty close to the middle of the available sizing holes and have about an inch of strap past the last ring I’m tucking back.We’ll see how it holds up over time, outside of the strap colorway and stripe, I’m not sure this watch strap is worth double over other NATO straps you see out there particularly if you just want a solid color or more basic stripe. In the package it is just a strap and doesn’t include any extras like spring bars or removal tools).

This is the NATO strap you’ve been looking for and hoping for. I’ve tried so many, from cheaper ones to really expensive ones off Amazon. I always come back to this NATO strap. Only thing to note is this is a particular pattern and NATOs can come in many different types of patterns. I’d say this leans towards a dive watch, specifically a tool dive watch. It might not look premium enough on Tudor or Rolex, but is perfect for Seiko or other military/tool type watches.

Thick, well made. Very nice hardware.