How Often Should You Change A Watch Strap?

Changing the strap on watch is an easy way to quickly and cheaply change the look and feel of a watch.

People often ask how often they can actually do this and get worried that doing it too often can cause damage. The truth is that there are no rules. You can change your straps as little or as often as you feel like it.

Do It As Much As You Like

It really doesn’t matter how often you change your watch straps. Some people do it multiple times a day, some do it every few days or weeks and some people don’t bother at all.

There really are no rules and time scale. You can just do whatever you want and feel like is best. If you want to swap your strap hourly, go for it. If you never want to do it, that’s totally fine too.  

Try Things Out

Personally, when I get a new watch I like to change the strap quite often. In the first few days I might make multiple changes. I get excited and want to see how the watch looks with different combinations of straps.

As the days pass I tend to slow down with how often I switch straps. I start to find my favourite and start to get a feel what works is working best. Once I have settled on something, I just leave it like this for a while and try to keep it on this configuration for a few weeks or months until I feel like I want to change it.

However, you really can just mix it up and do whatever you feel like it, there really are no rules.

Depends On The Watch

I think it also depends on the watch. I usually find that when I order a watch and it’s on route I think about all the styles and colours of straps that might work best with it.

Sometimes I have a few ideas and this leads me to trying a lot of straps in the first few days.

Sometimes I am very set on only one idea and when the watch arrives, I put that strap on and it’s just perfect so I never change it again.

The Issued Strap Can Be Enough

I think it also really important to know that sometimes the strap that comes with the watch is the best option and you can just keep that on. If you do not want to mess around with trying new straps, that’s totally fine.

Watch makers spend a lot of time designing watches, and the strap is part of this package, so usually it is a great choice.

This can be especially true with watches that come on bracelets or anything that might come on a resin bracelet. Just think of G-Shocks, or any Casio really. They are perfectly fine right out of the box and I have never felt the urge to start playing around with different strap options. The issued strap just looks perfect.

You can just keep the issued strap on the watch for its whole life, then swap it or even just replace it for the same one when it becomes worn out or damaged.

Why Change A Watch Strap?

There can be an endless amount of reasons why you might change a strap, but here are some common ones:

The Current Strap May Be Worn Out

The only reason you need to change a strap is if it is worn out or broken. Straps usually do not last as long as the watch head, so you may find they break or become un-wearable.

This can take many years to happen, but it’s better to change a strap before it totally breaks. You do not want to be wearing it and the watch fall off your wrist and hit the floor.    

You Want A Different Look

Most people change straps to give them and the watch a different look. This can be as simple as just slightly changing the look of the watch, or it can be to coordinate watch with your outfit, by wearing a complimentary strap.

Different social events may call for a different style. While it is often easier to just change watch, it can be equally as easy to change straps.

 If you are at a more formal event you should reach for your dress watch, but not everyone has a large collections of watches and maybe you don’t have a dress watch. It can then be easier to change your strap from a more rugged Nato on to a more classy leather strap for the evening. 

You can also bring new life to an old watch. Changing the strap can totally change how you see an old watch that you might be bored of. It can give it a new lease of life as well as a new look and feel.  

Functionality  

You can also change your strap based on what you are about to do. Sometimes the weather or the activities you are about to do might require a different strap for its functionality.

If you wear your watch on a leather strap, this isn’t going to be the best option if you are about to go to the beach. The warm weather is going to make wearing the leather strap sweaty on your wrist and well, going for a swim with a leather strap really isn’t a good idea.

For the sake of functionality it would be sensible to switch your strap to something that is going to be more comfortable to wear and also not get damaged from whatever activity you are doing.

In this example something like a rubber strap or a Nato is going to be best. They are not going to be damaged by sea water and are going to let your wrist breath in the heat.

You Wrist Might Have Swollen

You also need to remember that in heat, your wrists can swell. This means that if you wear a watch with bracelet, they can become too tight.

Some bracelets will the ability to make little adjustments while you are out and about, while others might need you to get the tools out and add some links.

This is made more annoying by the fact your wrist can change throughout the day. A watch may fit perfectly in the morning, but be too tight by lunch time.

For a lot of people it is easier switch to a strap where it is easier to change the size quickly and easily, such as a strap with holes and buckles.  

(You can read more about – What To Do If A Leather Watch Strap Doesn’t Fit)

A Strap Is Cheaper Than A New Watch

Watches are not cheap, but straps certainly can be. It is a lot cheaper to buy a couple of new straps and change the look of your existing watches, rather than buy a couple of new watches.

I know most of us would rather have the watches, but it’s not always possible. New straps can give us that same feeling without having to break the bank. 

Types Of Straps You Can Swap

Here are some common straps you can get for your watch:

Nato Straps

They are the easiest to switch over and it literally takes 2 seconds. You can just quickly slip them out and slide a new one in.

Switching these causes no damage to the watch and you can also easily keep a spare strap in your pocket.

(You can read more about – What Is The Difference Between A NATO Strap and A Zulu Strap?)

Bracelets

These are the most annoying straps to swap. You will need a spring bar tool to take them off, and this isn’t too difficult, but getting them back on can be very fiddly at times.

Ideally you need to squeeze both ends spring bars at the same time to get them into position easily. You can do this with two spring bar tools, but really you need 3 hands. It’s doable with two hands, but it’s not exactly a pleasant experience.

You then have the added pain of the bracelet getting in the way. The first side is fine, but of course to do the second side, the bracelet is going to have to basically in the way, making the whole process even more annoying.

You also have the potential to scratch the case. While this is probably going to be around the inside of the lugs, or on the end link of the bracelet, it’s still not ideal. It’s very easy for the tools to slip and personally I have never been able to attach a bracelet in one smooth motion. It always takes me a while and I need to wrestle with the spring bars and the tools a little bit.

Maybe I am just not that good at adding bracelets, but I am sure I am not the only one who struggles! 

You can buy a special, tool the Bergeon 6825, which will make your life a lot easier. It is designed so you can squeeze both ends of the spring bar, equally, with one hand.

However this tool is well over £100, so I haven’t quite been able to justify its purchase just yet.

(You can read more about – How To Adjust A Vostok Bracelet)

Two Piece Straps

This can take a little time to swap, but are not that difficult and can be quite fast.

Again you can cause a little scratching around the lug holes from using spring bar tools and maybe even cause a little damage to the strap itself, but it’s usually minimal.

I have always found this style of strap a lot easier to change compared with bracelets.

Some straps come with quick release spring bars. These can be very fast to remove as they require no tools and they will cause no damage to the watch.

Putting them back on can occasionally cause a little scratching. If you miss the hole it can scratch the casing around the lug hole. However, in general they cause less damage than having to use a spring bar tool and they certainly speed the whole process up compared to straps without a quick release.

Conclusion

You can change your watch straps as often as you want, to whatever you want. It doesn’t matter if you are doing it hourly or every 10 years. It’s your watch and you do whatever suits your needs and tastes. Changing straps can be a lot of fun and can give you a lot of flexibility with only a small number of watches.

If it’s not something you are already doing, you should consider it. It can really give a watch a new lease of life. 

(You can read more about – How To Pick A Strap For Your Watch)