Crown and Buckle – Supreme NATO

This is my second strap review from Crown and Buckle.  Before I even get started I want to say thanks to Crown and Buckle that sent me a Desert Tan 20mm Supreme NATO to review.  I very much appreciate the chance to review your product.

I have a confession to make.  I rarely ever wear a  NATO strap. It is not because of any shortcomings of the design, they have been proven in the most rigorous crucible of them all, the military front line. If anything is good enough for a soldier, then it is more than adequate for a plebe like me.  It is just in my day to day attire choices at work, I tend to gravitate toward leather straps  or steel bracelets. They just work in a professional environment a bit better.  The original NATO strap is an all field, all rugged, and all around a thing of tool watches. They are the verifiable definition of form following function, and that really appeals to the engineer in me.  So since my experience is not as deep as with leather or even silicone straps, I have to really choose the NATO straps and words I use to describe them carefully.

I like to stick with NATO straps that are ‘best of the breed’ so to speak.  I like to stick to higher end straps that float around the 25-45 dollar price range that are a clear cut above the normal ‘stack’m deep and sell’m cheap’ NATOs. I think if you are willing to read a review on a NATO it should be worth your time. I am glad to say that after wearing the Supreme NATO from Crown and Buckle for almost a week, it is definitely worth your time.

Here is a few words on how Crown and Buckle describe their Supreme NATO:

Our Supreme NATO line is the highest quality nylon NATO strap we have made to date, and our answer to Swiss price tags.

The top-grade ballistic nylon is incredibly dense, but devoid of any perceptible ridges like in traditional NATO nylon weaving. This means the nylon surface is completely smooth, and the feel in your hand is similar to an automotive seat belt. The nylon is cut with a state of the art ultrasonic machine, leaving perfectly sealed tips and sizing holes that have no irritating bumps/burrs.

Supreme does not end with its nylon: the hardware is also a step above. The 316L stainless steel keepers feature machined beveled corners, and a flat profile, giving them a more angular and rugged look. The buckle is finished to a high degree, featuring a CNC machined solid tongue (versus folded flat stock), and is perfectly proportioned: not too large, but not too slim either.

I really enjoy it when a vendor gives a good description.  It shows pride in the product, and rather than just use vague superlatives like finest, and greatest and luxurious, they give details about each part of the strap.  With their words available for you to read, lets get down to my review.

DIMENSIONS

The Supreme NATO I received from Crown and Buckle was a 20mm version and measured 11.5″inches long. This is around the standard length most NATO’s come.  I laid it next to my others and all were very close in length.  The thickness of the strap is an impressive 1.3-1.4mm.  This is a testament to the quality of the weave pattern they have chosen.  Thinner NATO’s are available (C&B even sell some) but to me this thickness and multilayer weave is key to the robust and quality sheen and feel of this strap.  Likewise like all NATO’s, it will add thickness when worn as the watch case sits on top of the Strap.  So you can expect 1.4 or 2.8mm of added height to your watch depending on which version of the Supreme NATO you choose (more on that later)

DESIGN

It should be noted right from the onset, the strap I have reviewing is known as the Single Layer Option Supreme NATO.  Crown and Buckle really does great service for its customers here.  Rather than just offer the typical NATO we all know they offer it without the extra retention strap. This wonderful option does two things.  It gives the owner the freedom to wear the case of the watch anywhere he wants ( exactly like a ZULU strap) and it cuts down on the added height the strap adds to the watch.  The second benefit is mathematically obvious.  The first benefit of allowing you to place the case where you want on the strap to me adds so much value I cannot stress it enough.  I am not a fan of the NATO tuck when you have to bend the extra length around and have to feed it back into the keeper. It adds extra bulk to the sides of the strap and is, to me at least, visually obnoxious.  This is a constant malady of most common NATO’s as they place the case too close to the buckle. The Crown and Buckle Supreme NATO in Single Layer Configuration allows the watch case to be placed more toward the middle of the strap, which means the buckle is opposite of the case, the extra tuck of the strap is completely out of sight and out of mind.  I am sold on this feature.

Okay now that the benefit of the single layer option has been discussed, I think this NATO performs essentially like a ZULU.  Let us move on to the impressive nylon this thing is made out of and how it is constructed. As you read in the description provided by Crown and Buckle this is made from Ballistic Nylon. Okay that sounds really tactical, but what is it actually. Well to save you some time, I did a tiny bit of research:

Ballistic nylon refers to a specific type of nylon fabric designed for maximum durability and abrasion resistance. Created by DuPont during World War II, its original intended purpose was for protecting aircraft personnel from shrapnel, bullets, and other ballistic impacts (hence the name).

I can see why they used this. The abrasion resistance is obvious in this strap as the weave is to close together it is basically smooth as silk when felt with the grain of the weave. The outside edges are beautifully bounded by contrasting stitching in a different pattern. It really adds an extra dimension to the looks and increases durability.  These outside stitching patterns to me give the strap a finished and more expensive look.  The stitching that holds the keepers in place is well executed and precise in the same color as the outside edge banding.

The strap has 13 adjustment holes on it.  They are positioned in a way that on my 6.75″ wrist I have three holes left to go after the perfect fit was found.  The holes themselves are not just punched but cut by an ultrasonic cutter which leaves the edges of the fabric sealed which should resist any fraying for the life of the strap.

KEEPER AND BUCKLE

The keeper and buckles are made of 316 Stainless steel.  These parts are  machined rather than stamped with means all the edges are crisp with no waviness to be found. The finish on this hardware can be had in two flavors, brushed and PVD.  Mine was Brushed. I must say that the brushing on the hardware of my NATO was not totally uniform, with some areas more heavily brushed than others and some corners were even a bit shiny on the keepers. Also the edges of the keepers while precisely cut could have used a bit more edge breaking as the long edges were almost machine shop sharp.

Having noted those minor things, I must say I actually liked this finishing on the hardware as it gives the strap a worn in if not militaristic look.  I am not sure I would change it if I could.

HOW DOES IT WEAR

I can definitively say that this Single Layer Supreme NATO wears as good or better than any other NATO I have ever had.  The ability to place the case of the watch where you need it so the buckle is directly opposite leads to a NATO that can pass for an extremely nice canvas strap.  I wore this strap during several baseball practices, and it never pinched me nor was it ever uncomfortable.  It was totally unaffected by water or dirt that I could tell.  It should be noted that while the nylon is insanely strong it was never confining.  I chalk this up to the extremely close placement of all the adjustment holes that allowed me to find the perfect fit.  The tucked strap in the keepers was never seen as it was out of site 180 degrees from the watch case.  The single layer option allows for practically no noticeable increase of height on the wrist and even my smaller watches wore it with ease.  I had this strap on My Oris Divers 65 and my Sinn 104. I wore it for a day on my Hamilton 38mm Khaki field and it worked fantastic with that watch.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR

To me NATO’s are the tooliest of all straps. They exude toughness and focus of purpose.  With all the colors and styles and materials, I think an owner could choose a NATO that is particular to any event or outfit.  I like to keep them close to their intended use.  I pair mine with field watches or aviation watches mostly.  I think they would work really well on some G-Shocks as well, as a tough as nails watch needs a tough as nails strap. Well actually, since the strap is ballistic nylon, it maybe tougher than nails, but I am just speculating now.  Keep it casual, and the Supreme NATO will work for you. Crown and Buckle has many colors for you to choose so I think you can find one you would like.

WHERE CAN I GET IT

The only place I know where you can get one is at Crown and Buckle themselves.  My purchase went through very smoothly and quickly, and it came packaged very nicely.

https://www.crownandbuckle.com/supreme-nato-20mm-desert-tan.html

shown below is the typical dual layer NATO Supreme Strap courtesy of Crown and Buckle