Sailcloth Watch Straps, often referred to as ‘sailcloth’, are becoming increasingly popular especially with luxury watches like Omega, Panerai and Rolex (for example with the Rolex Speedmaster). Different types of Sailcloth Watch Straps are available. But what are the differences?
Short History of Sailcloth Watch Straps
The company Blancplain can be considered as a forerunner in sailcloth watch straps by introducing a Kevlar strap on their Fifty Fathoms dive watch. Kevlar, a registered trademark of the company Dupont, is a special kind of nylon (polyamide or PA) and features unique properties. It is very suitable to be submerged in water for a lengthy period of time. In fact, Kevlar has many applications ranging from bicycle tires to bulletproof vests. It is therefore no coincidence that cruise sails are made of Kevlar and other nylon grades as well.
What are the differences between the types of Sailcloth Watch Straps?
Basically the sailcloth watch straps can be divided into two categories:
Sailcloth Straps – Genuine and Tough
Genuine, tough and water-prove nylon sailcloth watch straps, or “Sailcloth Waterproof Divers Watch Straps”. Those are made of the most common sail materials such as synthetic, woven fibers made of polyester (PVC is a kind of polyester) and Kevlar (a kind of nylon as mentioned earlier). The inner-layer is usually made of another material to make them more comfortable to wear. They are perfectly suited for active sports such as diving and other outdoor activities. Fifty Fathoms Sailcloth Strap Pioneer Blancpain and Australian artisan Artem can be considered as the leading sailcloth watch strap manufacturers when it comes to quality of workmanship and employing real “sailcloth” material.
Summarized: The straps consist of genuine sailcloth made of thick density woven nylon fabric and rubber backed inner-layer (for smoothness against the wrist).
“Sailcloth-Effect” Watch Straps
Here sailcloth patterns are printed or embossed on the surface of straps which are made of PVC or rubber. And everything between… For example: Standard nylon claiming to be sailcloth with an inner layer of rubber. Or an upper layer of sailcloth-style calfskin with a lower layer of natural rubber. Or straps that are made from synthetic materials (both under and upper sides) resulting in a satin sheen finish in order to avoid stiffness. Some straps feature a nylon weave with a leather backing which is hardly waterproof at all. Some even state waterproof ‘PVC rubber’ or are referred to as ‘Padded Sailcloth Strap’. These straps are not made of genuine “sailcloth” material. However, they are usually also hard wearing and waterproof.
Note: Technically there is no material called ‘PVC rubber’. It shall just indicate that the material is actually PVC. The ‘rubber’ part of the term is just a calming term indicating flexible properties rather than a technical-correct description.
What are the most popular Sailcloth Watch Strap Colors?
Interesting fact: The most popular sailcloth watch strap color overall is blue, followed by black, grey green and brown (independent of a particular brand).