Omega

Marcus Hanke
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Speedmaster's new summer dress

Speedmaster fans generally agree that a real Speedmaster must be combined with a steel bracelet:



Unfortunately, I never felt really comfortable with steel bracelets. Consequently, every watch bought with a bracelet sooner or later finds itself on a strap.

In another, earlier thread it was stated that "brown is the new black for Speedies", to which I wholeheartedly agree. Since 21mm straps are not so common, I already ordered a nice brown leather strap from Omega together with the watch, and I really love this combination:





A hot and humid summer, though, is poision for the leather, which is why I considered switching to something more solid and water resistant, rubber or textile.

A while ago, I looked at the ceramic "Dark Side of the Moon" and noticed its well-made cordura nylon strap:



This is eacactly what I wanted, so asked the kind lady in my local Omega shop, if it can be ordered separately. It can, at a steep price; but I went for it. What I did not order, though, was the black ceramic tang buckle, which for itself costs 30% more than the already expensive strap. I had decided to use a standard Omega tang buckle instead, which would also be the better match for the steel case of the Speedmaster.

However, when the strap arrived a fortnight later, I had to realize that the holes need the specific design of the ceramic buckle to work and to keep closed securely. The holes are rectangular in shape and large.

The saleslady at the shop works there for many years already, and I highly respect her routine and profound knowledge of brands and their products. Therefore, I was not astonished to see her retrieving a big box from a shelf, containing literally hundreds of leftover parts of straps and buckles. So we spent a long while searching for a buckle that would fit into the cordura nylon strap. It was as if a gremlin were in there: When the tang was big enough for the hole, the buckle would not fit onto the strap, and the buckles with the right size, had tangs that lost themselves in the huge holes. Combining two parts for a working buckle also did not work, since every buckle needs a tang specifically matching its outlines.

Finally, the kind lady produced a massive buckle for a TAG Heuer rubber strap from her miracle box, which was a perfect fit for the Omega strap. Since only I - and God, of course - would see the "wrong" engraving there, I was happy to mount it to the strap. By the way, the lady from the shop denied any kind of payment for the buckle.

So here are a few pictures of this great cordura nylon strap:



It is thickly padded and reinforced at the lug end.



Alright, try to look over the inscription on the buckle ...



A highly comfortable fit, also at high temperatures.



Long enough to wear it over the jacket, if required.





I absolutely love the proportions of this Speedmaster!

Marcus

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