Watch straps/bracelets: which are more casual?

[longskate88]

What are considered 'casual' and 'dressy' watch straps? I've decided I like the feel of a leather strap, and am going to get a new watch equipped with one.

Assuming casual wear, would you go brown or black? I also like alligator printed calfskin, is that more dressy or casual than plain? The watch will probably be stainless steel, and rather large and sporty compared to most seen here. Pics are welcome, thanks!

 

[acidboy]

Leather strap, in general, is more "dressy" than steel bracelets. Depends really on what watch you're planning to buy- some watches look bad in strap and some in bracelets. Also for casual wear, you might want to get a nato strap.

 

[Caveat]

Am I the only one who can only wear a leather strap? My hairs get pulled by the metal. I'm not Sasquatch or anything so I know somebody else has to have this problem.

 

[Johnathan]

I'm all about grosgrain.

 

[Johnny_5]

I want to say right off the bat that a strap is more formal than a bracelet, which is true in many cases but not always.

I had a custom strap made for my PAM 104 and it is definitely more casual than a bracelet would be, but the strap that came with the watch is much more formal.

Personally, I love the color of a well broken in brown strap for causal wear but is my preference.

 

[dfagdfsh]

James Bond NATO in grey/black

close thread

 

[aleeboy]

So many factors to consider. First and foremost, it depends on the type of watch. Assuming it is thick (you mentioned large), what colour face does it have? Does it have any other complications? Dress watches tend to be fairly simple, with most not even having a date.

Now, with straps. Depends on type of leather, stlye, thickness and finish. A pilot style strap is casual no matter what leather you put it on. A thin strap in polished finish will be dressier... more points if it's of Alligator. Black tends to be more dressier when in a shiny finish. Anything distressed is casual.

For example, my Pilot would be more dressier than my Explorer II if on a black alligator, but my Explorer II is more dressier than my Pilot if on a pilot strap. Now, I'm not saying that either of these are dress watches though.

Not sure if others will agree, but this is how I view it.

 

[longskate88]

Originally Posted by Johnny_5

I want to say right off the bat that a strap is more formal than a bracelet, which is true in many cases but not always. I had a custom strap made for my PAM 104 and it is definitely more casual than a bracelet would be, but the strap that came with the watch is much more formal. Personally, I love the color of a well broken in brown strap for causal wear but is my preference.
That's exactly what I want. Thnking the Swiss Army Alliance Chrono on brown strap, as seen here http://cgi.ebay.com/VICTORINOX-SWIS...286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:2|65:13|39:1|240:1318 Maybe I'll 'distress' it myself

 

[XenoX101]

It depends on both the face and the bracelet/strap, there is no definite rule, leather straps are usually the go though. What sets apart a dressy face from a casual one, to summarize its the prominence of the markers, the script if they are numeric, the subtlety of the colour, simplicity of the case shape and lack of clutter (though there are many tastefully busy faces that are dressy). Chronograph is a usually non-dressy complication that should be avoided if dressiness is your goal, vintage/classic chronographs however don't hinder the dressiness of a watch. dressy

dressy

casual (notice the big numbers and modern, slightly prominent branding)

dressy (elegant script for the numbers, classic style chronograph, elegant lugs)

sporty

dressy

casual

Leather straps are usually quite modest, with the likes of croc/alligator and contrast stitching being exceptions. Bracelets tend to be a bit ostentatious, they are more expensive but let your skin breathe better (though as mentioned above, hair can cause problems). It's harder for a bracelet to be dressy, but there are examples of this, such as the famous rolex datejust or the iwc portofino.