Haveston Lunar Grey IVA Series Strap

I work in Human Space flight for my regular gig at Johnson Space Center when I am not reviewing straps. It is a wonderfully challenging job and every day brings new obstacles to overcome and often I am left driving home thinking, my gosh I love my job.  In the world of sending people into space the margin for error is slim and consequences for getting it wrong can be quite dire.  Propulsion hardware is screened to a level that would baffle most.  When a valve is built we at NASA not only know where it was build, we know the name of the inspector who verified it was built. We know the names of the personnel who tested it after it was built, we know who built it and if he/she was certified to build it.  We know every number in the stress report that says it was okay to build. We okay the acceptance testing to prove it was built right and the qualification test that says the design meets requirements. We know the machine the parts were made on, and we have records of the raw material before it was cut. We also know the name of the mine where the ore came from to make the raw materials.  I like to think we place the value of human life so high we try to cover all bases. We take a lot of pride in that.

My point in that long winded rant is to explain that when NASA declares something is OK for flight, it was not on a whim or by accident. It was through sheer force of will and attention to details that matter that lead to that decision.  The straps that held the Omega Speedmasters (and a few others like the Bulova moon watch) to the wrists of the astronauts were designed to perform a certain task and not one single thing more.  They were tested and cleared for flight, and are an often overlooked piece of equipment that served its country without fanfare.  Well until now.

Haveston, who is the premier military NATO watch strap maker to this reviewer, has released another one of its amazing watch straps called the IVA series. Here are a few words from Haveston on this strap:

Inspired by the original vintage space flown design utilized by astronauts to wrist mount mission tools.

The Lunar Grey IVA is based on the lunar surface tone as well all surviving examples of vintage faded mission worn straps.

Its secure buckle-free design, high grip rubber locking keeper and generous areas of hook and loop also makes this strap perfect for diving and rugged tool watch use.

Haveston takes a tremendous amount of pride in its military connection and I enjoy seeing the level of effort they go through to bring details to life that have a direct link to historical objects. 

DIMENSIONS

I purchased the 20mm version of this which should fit just about all Speedy Professionals out there. I am showing this strap on my First Omega in Space which is a 39mm watch with a 19mm lug spacing so the fit was a bit snug, but still acceptable. I just wanted you to know that when you view the pics.  My strap was 19.9mm wide and about true to the 180mm in length that they advertise.  The thickness is hard to pin down as Velcro is highly compressible and the measurements of 1.6 – 2.5mm thick seem reasonable and attainable when I used my calipers. 

I have almost but not quite a 7” wrist.  I was able to get the watch on and the strap secured with ease as you would expect with a Velcro attachment.  There was plenty of extra strap left and I could see this being used by people with an 8” wrist easily. 

DESIGN

My gut reaction is to say this is just a piece of Velcro on nylon strap. While this is true, it does not reflect the effort Haveston put into this design. If you have an umbrella with a retention strap this use of this strap should seem familiar. This simplicity is not a flaw however, as it is not about being fancy or ornate, or complicated.  This strap was designed to have one goal and do one thing. Hold a watch on your wrist in one of the harshest environments imaginable.  The Moon. This is a place were merely going from sun to shade results in a temperature change from 260 Degrees F to minus 270 Degrees F (530 degree change in temp).  Delicate animal skins need not apply. We are clearly in the land of synthetic fibers. 

Invented in the 50s by one Georges de Mestral, a Swiss engineer who in 1941 discovered burs attached to his pants and his dog after a long hike in the woods. He wondered how he could use this hook and loop interface to attach other things together.  With that dash of curiosity Velcro was Born.  In the 1960’s NASA gave Velcro a huge marketing boost that you simply cannot put a price tag on. They showed Velcro being used to attach commonly used objects to space suits and the inside surfaces of space ships (pens, combs, tooth brushes and yes watches).  The zipperless system has been with us ever since. 

Haveston has done a good job recreating this strap by using a quality grey Nylon with clever P/N and S/N printed on it as it would have been in the 60’s.  The black Velcro surfaces are exactly what you would expect to see on backpacks and spoiler alert, work the same way too. One of the biggest advantages to this strap is that you and anybody else who wears it can get the perfect fit every single time regardless of watch or wrist size. 

Not being made of leather or metal means it is very light and impervious to anything planet earth dishes out.  However, in the spirit of open communications, I have read some early Apollo Moon Landing reports dictated from Q&A sessions with the early astronauts that landed on the moon. The moon dirt, or Regolith, did play havoc with the overall effectiveness of Velcro. It tended to get stuck in the shaggy portion and clog it up fiercely greatly reducing the retention of the product. So if you find yourself headed to the lunar surface maybe consider using an extra long strap for safety. 

KEEPER AND BUCKLE

This strap has no buckle and pin to speak of.  Velcro is, however, incredibly strong in shear and once the strap is fed through the brushed steel loop (which for all intents and purposes is the buckle) and pressed down against itself the connection is absolute and totally secure with nearly zero give.  

The strap does have two rubber keepers as well, but I struggle to think they are needed. They fit quite snug over the free end of the strap while it is holding onto itself, and while I am a huge fan of redundancy when life is at stake, I am just not sure this feature is absolutely needed to hold onto a 90 gram watch, but it is a nice detail and easily removed if you wish.  I left them on for pictures, but while wearing the strap, I found they just added bulk. It was a nice thought by Haveston to add them, but I find them ultimately not needed.

HOW DOES IT WEAR

This strap wears exactly as you would expect a piece of equipment to wear. I use that term specifically.  If I am to believe this is a replica of the NASA strap that held on the moon watches, and for us terrestrial bound folks, I assure you its close enough to just that, then this is precisely a piece of equipment.  Designed to hold onto a watch at all costs.  Everything else comes second. Aesthetics and comfort are just coincidental nuances derived from the straps obvious historical roots and its material choice.

NATO’s have always been comfortable and this wears both better and the worse than an NATO.  Better because the exact amount of wrist snugness is attainable down to the thickness of a thread. No matter how you like your time pieces, this strap will accommodate anything you deem your fitment nirvana.  Worse in the fact that this is a bit stiff compared to just Nylon.  Velcro does not move as easily as Nylon so the strap feels a bit rigid at first and I think it will break in a bit, but it will never attain that cloth like nylon feel. 

The next delineation from a NATO is that this strap moves the watch even further down the casual/tool path.  NATO’s have the benefit of being almost any color imaginable with embellishments in buckles, keepers, and weaves of the material.  Not the IVA as it is held to a historical standard that would be harmed by any deviance from fact.  This is a piece of equipment and that either appeals to you or it does not. Velcro is hardly high fashion and when you wear this strap, just about all you see is fuzzy Velcro.  If you ask me how this strap wears, it wears like it is ready to go for a walk on the moon, or maybe to go to work at JSC Mission Control. 

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR

Well this strap is a natural for any Speedmaster Professional.  Heck it was designed for it.  It was also used on the Bulova that went a for a walk in space on the moons surface as well. I wager it would look good on most space themed watches like a Fortis Cosmonaut, or even the Seiko Pogue.  I think you are feeling the theme I am reaching for.  If you don’t mind it picking up dirt and debris, you could use it for a great field watch strap, but trying to keep fuzzy Velcro free of particulate is not going to be easy. Consider this your warning.  

I usually try to review straps that will appeal to many people and many watches.  But every now and then I feel the need to pick a special strap and let it have its day in the sun. This is one such strap whose historical ties just convinced me to give it a try.  I am glad I did. While not suit and tie material, it is just a fun strap that pairs well with a speedy or any casual or tool watch you want absolute security when it is worn.

WHERE CAN I GET IT

The only place I would ever by a Haveston strap is from the good people at Haveston.

http://www.haveston.com/iva71.html

SUMMARY

The IVA strap is a dead ringer for its older space going brother who went where no man had gone before. If you love the adventurous spirit of those men who dared to step onto another planet, then this strap is for you.