BluShark Black and Yellow Silicone Rally Strap
July 27, 2019
One of the easiest ways to obtain a wonderful watch to strap pairing is to play with color. Using a contrasting color or rather a pair of colors that are very far away on the color wheel is a basic design method used to bring out both colors without it looking odd or disproportionate. I have watched enough HGTV to know this is as true in interior design as it is in finding a wonderful combination between a watch and a watch strap. This also perfectly explains why watches with blue dials, tend to just pop so vividly with brown watch straps that have some orange in them. The colors bring out the best in each other. This concept is further bolstered by the sage words of a Mr. Forrest Gump, when he exclaims that when things were right with the world, they were like ‘peas and carrots’. But maybe that one is just coincidence.
In some cases, however, contrasting colors are not always the best course of action. Some watches require you take on a far more difficult task that is fraught with peril and wasted money. That is of course the task of matching the color of the dial to the strap. Get it right and the combo just works like a well orchastrated symphony. Get it the least bit off, and the look can be tragic combination akin to wearing two different color shoes. Blue dialed watches the world over have led to drawers full of indigo, navy blue, royal blue and any color saturation in between of blue watch straps. The good news is some colors are not this demanding of precision. Yellow for instance is as forgiving as a devout priest.
This is where my Grand Seiko SGBV243 which is proudly covered with yellow minute numerals around its dial and a striking yellow second hand enters into this story. It came with an amazingly well made sailcloth strap with yellow stitching that perfectly matched the highlights on the dial. Total success by the artisans at Grand Seiko, and you would expect nothing less from them. But maybe we should have.
This stock strap did have one fatal flaw. The SGBV243 is a pure sports watch, with shock protection, nearly indestructible 9F quartz movement, and crucially 200m of water resistance. The stock strap although brilliant was lined with extremely soft leather on the underside which would not have a long life should you do something as mind boggling taking your 200m sports watch to the pool. The time for a new strap was apparent before I even opened the box.
The team at BluShark reached out to me recently to offer me something of my choice to review. Looking the shiny new Grand Seiko on my wrist I asked for something yellow which was waterproof, and they were kind enough to send this strap in for a review. Let the fun begin. Here are a few words from the Strap wizards at BluShark about their own strap:
Our Silicone Rally Strap is loaded with all the bells and whistles. Quick release pins? Check. Curved ends to contour to the wrist? Check. Contrast stitching? Check. These race-inspired straps are constructed from double-layered silicone for a two-tone finish. Combine the sporty look of the traditional rally strap with the comfort and sweat-proof benefits of silicone.
DIMENSIONS
I ordered the 20mm version of this strap to match my GS and all my dimensions are based off of that. It should be noted that this strap is available in 22mm as well. Using my trusty calipers the width at the buckle came out to be 19.8mm which tapers a bit to 18mm for most of the length of the strap, then a final taper to 12mm at the tip. Overall a very nice shape that is interesting and functional as well. The thickness of the strap is 5.2mm at the lugs which tapers down a tad to 4.0mm along the length of the strap. This is mostly due to the prominent center section which has the aesthetic of a padded leather strap and it acts accordingly.
The lengths of the strap are 130mm/85mm at the free end and buckle end respectively which is a tad over the 120/80 middle ground most straps run. This is entirely appropriate for a strap that may get used to do actual diving as the extra length would be useful to people should the strap be used on a watch that fits over a wet suit. However for daily use this does mean that on my 7″ wrist I am on the second to last adjustment hole to achieve a snug but comfortable fit. This strap could easily be used on wrists up to 8.25″.
DESIGN
This strap is not made of leather. I figured I should tell you a design feature that this strap does NOT have as more concise way of telling you what it does. It has just about everything else. Thanks for reading.
Even though that is a very accurate statement, that simply will not due for an official Strapsense review, so let us put my feeble attempt at humor aside and just get to it shall we. I have often said that when it comes to rubber straps, it is all about two things. 1) the design of the mold, and 2) the polymer blend used to make the rubber or silicone strap. The first item can be as simple and plain as a flat piece of material with holes in it and those are available all over the internet in a dizzying array of colors. Or you can get serious and really get creative. BluShark has definitely done the later. This strap is an amalgamation of many straps all tied together to form what I think is a watch strap that is as visually captivating as it is fun.
Even though most of the visible strap is black, these straps are all about very loud and fun colors. Red, yellow, blue, and green, etc, BluShark has you covered. These colors are given the supportive role but they steal the show against the matte black top surface in every configuration. The underside and stitching both reveal the straps accent color boldly. Speaking of that stitching they not mock stitches, but rather real stitching with real thread to give not only a color highlight, but a textural difference against the smooth silicone surrounding it. This is not a common design feature and it is rarely seen as most polymer straps rely on details in the mold to give the surface interest.
The strap has a nice angular built in curve molded into the shape of the rubber. This helps the strap to naturally curve around the wrist without requiring any extra effort. This may seem like a small detail but that 15-20 degrees makes a huge difference in aesthetics and feel. Another useful feature that you will appreciate is the quick release spring bars that most BluShark straps are blessed with. To the user this kind of spring bar is welcome as it encourages strap changes that can happen faster than one can put on a pair of dress socks. We are seeing more and more strap manufacturers start to do this now, but BluShark is way ahead of the pack.
On the back of the strap which is entirely molded yellow is the BluShark logo, the 20mm designation and that beautiful stitching. It is not just aesthetics working on the bottom as the center section has a cutout in it to give the skin beneath it some breathing room underneath. This will help facilitate drying and greatly aid comfort.
A rally strap would not be a rally strap without those iconic holes in the strap to give it that technical optimized look much like the holes drilled in parts of race cars to help lighten it where the strength is not needed. The holes in the BluShark Rally Strap are not functional as they do not go all the way through, but as an aesthetic flourish, I think many will find them welcome as it gives the accent color a chance to peek out that much more.
KEEPERS AND BUCKLE
The BluShark Silicone Rally strap comes with two floating keepers, rather than the usual one fixed and one floating. This is rather ingenious on their part as the industry standard for rubber straps is just the use of ONE single keeper. This means that the lose end often ends up sticking out unsupported or worse, the middle of the lose end bulges out looking sloppy. Both of these situations are avoided with the BluShark strap as the inclusion of two keepers meets all needs.
The buckle is of a good size and thickness. It is neither overpowered by the strap nor is it so small as to look fragile. It is stainless steel with a flat tang and a very nicely signed buckle. Taking the time and pride to sign the buckle is something am always happy to see. When a vendor is proud enough to attach their name, the end result is usually a very fine product.
HOW DOES IT WEAR
Despite this strap having some of the design cues of nice leather straps, this is most definitely a sport strap with a lot of flair mixed into the recipe. The material despite being 4mm thick is immune to any stiffness as silicone is by its very nature pliable and soft. If this strap had been made of rubber, depending on the mixture it would have been far more stiff. Silicone was the right choice here.
This strap begs to be in a pool or playing tennis, or hiking up your favorite trail. The durability is in abundance and the comfort is all day long on the golf course good. On the watch those angles molded into the strap help the watches lugs in wrapping around the wrist and the result is less pressure on your skin. The ability to flex and stretch is also key in adapting to your unique shape and keep the watch firmly set in place. This is one of the very few straps you can wear somewhat lose and it will still not allow the watch head to rotate on your skin.
With my time with the strap it never felt uncomfortable nor did it feel bulky or clumsy. It moves with you and once on your wrist, it never requires any more attention from you until you are ready to take the watch off. It managed to avoid any scuffs or marks of any kind through cutting tree limbs in my yard, moving rocks in the pond or just general cooking and cleaning.
WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR
I mentioned it before, this is a sport strap. Its colors are not muted or toned down or calm. It is an active lifestyle, in your face strap that fights for as much attention as it can get. This is perfect for a colorful diver or sports watch. I would wear this with any clothing that you would wear to a neighborhood barbecue or regional soccer or baseball game.
The point is to avoid dress watches, or vintage watches with this one. This strap solidly occupies one niche but it does so with absolute commitment. I think this strap would be a total home run on a modded SKX to help bring out the fun hand and dial colors that are available to builders. It will allow those who like to make their own watches to give their creations that final custom appearance with a fully integrated colorful strap.
WHERE DO I GET ONE
You can pick up your BluShark Black and Yellow Silicone Rally strap at BluSharks own website here:
You can also find this strap on Amazon here:
SUMMARY
The black and yellow color scheme of my Grand Seiko could have been a prison sentence with the OEM strap. Okay that was melodramatic, as the OEM strap is really good except for the fault of the leather on a watch strap that begs to go swimming. The aftermarket answered the call and BluShark makes a fantastic strap to help bring out the color in the Grand Seiko. But it does more than that. It helps make the watch more fun to wear. Not ever strap needs to be distressed rare vintage leather. Some straps can elevate a watch in different ways that really improve the whole experience with the time piece. Finding a black strap with yellow on it was a match made in heaven for this watch. Going with a matching color was definitely the key, as if I used the other normal approach and used a contrasting color I would have a yellow and purple combination. I am just not ready to be a Batman Supervillian yet, But maybe you are?