What Is a Rolex NATO Strap?
The real story behind the NATO strap — a military-born design turned everyday favorite for wearing tool, sport, and luxury watches alike.
2 min read
Actually, there’s no such thing as a Rolex NATO anything. There is, however, a NATO watch strap that is a popular way for a person to wear a tool watch or a sport watch. It is often worn with a Rolex and has been made popular by appearance in movies such as the James Bond franchise. The NATO strap, though a very popular thing to wear is unaffiliated with Rolex as such.
NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It’s a group of nations formed after WWII as a way to protect Europe from continued war. It was, in many ways, something to make sure Europe knew America was committed to continuing to help. It established a pact of mutual assistance among its members. In simple terms, NATO represented those nations committed to democracy.
A NATO strap is a watch strap that originally designed by the British Ministry of Defense in 1973. It was called the G10 strap for a long while. That was its stock number if anyone ordered it from the Ministry. The stock number is question was an NSN, a NATO Stock Number, meaning items for British Soldiers stationed in NATO countries. Eventually, people changed the NATO STOCK NUMBER G10 strap to the NATO strap.
The straps are single-piece strips of nylon, fabric, or canvas that loop through the spring bars or fixed bars of a watch. They typically feature a pin buckle and keepers at one end and pin holes at the other. The straps were designed to keep watches secure on the wrist during tactical situations like marches and battles. They were designed to be lightweight, waterproof, durable, simple to use, and cost-effective.
Like many items, the original purpose and function has become secondary. At least, that’s the case for non-soldiers. NATO straps and NSN G10 style straps are very popular among people whose day-to-day battles don’t involve marches or tactical considerations at all. They are worn with tool watches, sport watches, and luxury dress watches.
If you’re in the market for a pre-owned watch, you should consider a strap rather than a bracelet. If you’re looking for a pre-owned Rolex in San Diego, give us a call. Or just drop by the showroom. I can promise you that you’ll be happy you did.
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