Milano Straps two-piece ECO NATO Strap

Time away from anything can yield a new perspective when said activity is restarted.  Have you ever been cleaning up a huge mess for an entire day, then stopped and picked it up the next day?  The mess seems somehow more manageable and less overwhelming with a full belly of coffee and 8 hours of well-earned sleep.  Neurologists have speculated our brain keeps working on problems in the subconscious as we sleep or do other activities.  This is my first review back to Strapsense in over two years.  During this time we have had something of a worldwide pandemic that may or may not have affected you.  We have had the economy crater on us yet again and all kinds of fun in the workplace as we all learned to work remotely or for some not at all.  Your results may vary.  My time away from Strapsense has been therapeutic.  Priorities were straightened, goals were achieved, laughter ensued, and in general, life was as it should be.  However, I did still have moments of inspiration (that darned subconscious working overtime) that I felt I needed to get on paper. With my creative juices overflowing, it was time to review more watch straps and take the website to new places and try new things.  I hope you enjoy the new Strapsense content and join me for a jaunt through the watch strap world and who knows what else.

Okay, with that all said and the long, convoluted dashed line between when I stopped writing 2+ years ago and today magically connected, let us get this ball rolling.  During the time off my wife and I bought a lake house as any sane person would do when the economy is unstable and job market in chaos.  It is beautiful little house just as I would have built it on a very tidy acre and a half on a large lake teeming with largemouth bass with a good appetite.  Life is as good as I could have ever hoped it would be. And, like any normal man who now owns land, covered with many trees and bushes and shrubs, I felt an equally cool outdoor themed wardrobe was needed or else fishing off the pier or mowing would simply not be possible. I happened to discover Orvis, by chance, as I was shopping for a good, waxed jacket (Barbour is simply the best made jacket I have ever owned by the way, but this is not a jacket review website…at least I do not think it is) to wear while I was managing the yard while the temps dipped in the fall and winter months. Orvis as I discovered, is a distributor of Barbour jackets. They do a masterful job of blending cotton, suede, flannel, and other natural fabrics into something that can serve multiple generations if taken care of. In a round about way this led me to this watch strap I am reviewing today – The Milano Military Black Two Piece Eco NATO strap.  When I reached out to many vendors saying I would be writing reviews again, I was shocked at the welcoming response.  Milano sent me a couple of straps to try out and this was one of them.  Usually, I do buy all my straps but this time I was given these to review and say what I will about them.  But in full disclosure, I have not paid a dime for this strap. Before I get to my review, this is what Milano Straps has to say about the aptly named Black Two Piece Eco NATO Strap:

This is the ideal accessory for any watch lover who wants to make a statement with timeless style. With its golden yellow accents against the black body of the strap, this piece is sure to make any outfit stand out in style! Plus, its eco-friendly credentials make sure you can feel good while still looking your best.

Bringing together timeless elegance and chic sustainability, our Black Two Piece Eco NATO Strap takes minimalism to another level – with effortless flair and happiness woven in every stitch!

DIMENSION

This is the 20mm version of this strap. It is also available in 22mm and at the time of writing this article in a green and brown variant. That particular version has quite a vintage green military jacket vibe to it, which I like.  The strap is an even 20mm along the whole length (at lugs it measured 20.7mm), without any taper as is customary with NATO straps. The buckle end is ~78 mm long and the free end is ~120 mm long. There should be plenty of easy adjustment for wrists covering the majority of the population. On my 7” wrist I am on the 7^th of 9 adjustment holes when installed on the Hamilton 38mm Murph shown in the pictures which has a lug to lug of 43.7 mm for reference. As far as thickness at the lugs, where the leather surrounds the nylon on the strap is 3.58mm, and the nylon by itself is 1.4mm thick which is about average for the bulk of the NATO straps on the market.

DESIGN

Combining materials can be tricky. Would you combine Velcro and silk?  Probably not unless you are on some nightmare edition of Project Runway (do not mock me, that show is addictive). Conversely, nylon and leather have been good friends for decades since backpacks were a thing (most people probably had a Jansport backpack at one time or another). Both have similar and complementary character traits of toughness and durability. Leather has an old-world charm and reaches back to a simpler time when garments were hand stitched, and ruggedness was a virtue. Nylon is a far more modern material (space age if you will) which in this case is proudly sourced from recycled bottles which is always a welcome touch to any product just so long as the quality is not diminished. In my hands for two weeks, I can say all quality metrics have been satisfied and the ecofriendly nature of this strap comes at no cost to fit or finish.  The black fabric used is richly dyed from top to bottom. The stitching is done well, and the sides are sewn to further enhance durability of the edges. The adjustment holes in the nylon appear to be heat sealed which is typical of nylon NATO straps and they are evenly spaced with close enough spacing to give a near micro adjustment level of fitment options.

The leather is not described in detail on the Milano Straps website, so I can only delve into the past experiences of other straps to give a description.  The leather is well oiled/waxed and has a very soft texture to it like you would expect from any leather product that hails from Italy.  From my wearing the leather exhibits no pull up or aging qualities, as the grain is very small and dense.  In my time of use and abuse, this strap has seen many fishing trips, and afternoon with a chainsaw and post hole digger, and many hours cooking and washing dishes.  Still, it could be easily mistaken for a brand-new strap with little to no signs of its past experience. I am also very happy to mention that Milano has equipped this strap with easy to use quick release spring bars, which are a watch strap lovers best friend.

Overall, the mixed textures of this watch strap work well. It has a bit of the same vibe as the rip stop strap I have reviewed before (Bulang and Sons Ripstop Watch Strap – Welcome to Strap Sense) The medium brown contrasts a nice middle ground between the white stitching and the black nylon giving this strap a very purposeful look.

KEEPER AND BUCKLE

Milano Straps chose to use two floating keepers made of the same smooth leather displayed near the spring bars.  This is a natural choice as it gives the strap a unified and all together dutiful look.  The keepers are sized wonderfully right, with just enough gap to allow easy feeding of the free end of the nylon.  Each keeper has a little roll mark near the edges for a touch of class and shows a bit of extra thought and care went into this design.

Milano Straps has impressed me in the past with its buckles. They are not an afterthought or a parts bin special. Their buckles usually have a very curvaceous and quite frankly Italian stylized look to them on the medium- and high-priced leather straps that is most welcome.  On this dual texture gem,, however, rightfully forgoes that\ as the buckle here is appropriately all business. The buckle is entirely linearly brushed with a nice chamfer that runs around the outside edges, assuring no sharp edges ever meet your skin while you are out adventuring.  The buckle is free of any outwardly visible signage and should pair well with just about any tool watch made.

HOW DOES IT WEAR

This strap conforms to the wrist like a worn in pair of Converse All Stars. Nylon never really puts up much of a fight when it comes to being flexible. The leather around the spring bars also conforms and curves quickly to match your wrist.  This is a critical point that is often overlooked by some other watch straps.  The most critical part of a watch strap when it comes to comfort is the area around the spring bar. Often times this is the thickest part of the watch strap making it very hard to bend and flex.  When a strap creates “stiff leg syndrome” (that annoying trait of a watch strap that holds a watch off your wrist because it will not bend) it is usually because the leather around the spring bar is too stiff.  This absolutely is NOT the case with the Milano ECO NATO strap.

Prolonged wear of the strap yielded all day comfort and the nylon breathed beautifully. Debris and dirt from yard work followed up with hand washing seemed to do nothing to take away from the finish.  I found all day wearability and comfort from day one.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR

This strap is unapologetically rugged. I could not see this on a thin dress watch any time soon. However, on an adventure watch or a daily / casual wear it would absolutely shine.  Think Hamilton Khaki or Timex Expedition and I think you are getting close.  It would also work well on something more upscale like an Omega Railmaster in a pinch.  In general, watches that see more flannel than silk against their crystals are prime for this watch strap.  I would probably keep it away from a diver even though most of the material is waterproof, I have not tested this enough in water to say its impervious to damage.  So consider this your warning.

HOW DO I GET IT

Milano Straps can only be purchased from them directly. Here is a link to this particular watch strap.

https://www.milanostraps.com/products/black-two-piece-eco-nato-strap?_pos=1&_psq=two&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Like all Milano Straps it comes with a nice Metallic Tin and a spring bar tool included with your purchase. Just a bit of extra value and fun for your watch collecting addiction.

SUMMARY

The Milano Straps Two Piece ECO NATO has been a loyal companion for the past 2 weeks.  It seems to be impervious to wear and provides all day comfort.  I have experienced no wear on the edges or adjustment holes, no fraying of the stitching and no degradation of the leather.  I would recommend you pick up your favorite field watch and get back to nature while enjoying a strap that does a little something to contribute to its part to cleaning up all those unwanted plastics in the world.