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Dive Watch Straps: A Retailer’s Guide

By on Wed 29 January 2025

Dive Watch Straps: A Retailer’s Guide

 

1. Dive Watch Straps: A Retailer’s Guide

At LBS, a leading wholesale watch strap supplier, we understand the importance of offering products that cater to the diverse needs of retailers and watch sellers. Dive watch straps are a crucial product category, and as a retailer, knowing the ins and outs of these straps can help you better serve your customers and increase sales. This guide will walk you through what makes a dive watch strap suitable for diving, its origins, and the various materials available, including rubber, water-resistant leather and Cordura.

2. Understanding Dive Watch Straps

Dive watch straps are not just another accessory; they are a vital component of a diver's gear. When your customers come looking for a dive watch strap, they’re seeking something that’s not only durable and secure but also comfortable and stylish. These straps are designed to perform underwater, ensuring that the watch stays firmly attached to the wrist and remains functional even in the harshest underwater conditions.

Premium Silicone Divers Watch Strap with Curved Ends

3. Key Selling Points for Dive Watch Straps

To effectively sell dive watch straps, it’s important to understand the key features that make them appealing to customers:

  1. Water Resistance
    This is the most critical feature of any dive watch strap. Customers expect a strap that doesn’t absorb water and maintains its integrity in wet conditions. Materials like rubber and treated leather are popular choices due to their excellent water resistance.


  2. Durability
    Customers who are serious about diving or outdoor activities look for straps that can withstand exposure to saltwater, extreme temperatures, and physical abrasion. A durable strap is essential, as it ensures the longevity of both the strap and the watch.


  3. Comfort and Flexibility
    While durability and water resistance are key, comfort shouldn’t be overlooked. Customers want straps that fit snugly without causing irritation. Flexibility is also important, as it allows the strap to move with the wrist, making it more comfortable to wear for extended periods.


  4. Security
    A dive watch strap needs to be secure, with a reliable buckle or clasp that prevents the watch from coming loose. Highlighting straps with strong, secure fastenings will reassure customers that their watch will stay in place, even during vigorous activity.


  5. Adjustability
    Many divers wear their watches over wetsuits, so straps that are adjustable or come in extended lengths are particularly desirable. Make sure to stock options that accommodate this need.

 

4. The Origins of Dive Watch Straps

Dive watch straps have evolved significantly over time. As you educate your customers, sharing a bit of history enhances their buying experience and builds trust in your expertise.

The Beginnings: Leather Straps

In the early days of diving, leather straps were commonly used. However, they quickly proved inadequate due to their tendency to absorb water and degrade. Early divers, particularly in the military, often resorted to improvising their own solutions, such as using fabric straps to improve durability.

Water resistant leather watch strap

The Advent of Rubber Straps

The 1950s saw the introduction of rubber straps, which revolutionised the market. Rubber’s natural water resistance, combined with its durability and flexibility, made it the perfect material for dive watch straps. The Tropic strap became iconic during this era, known for its perforated design that allowed water to drain away, reducing skin irritation and improving comfort.

The Silicone rubber stitched watch strap

The Introduction of the Accordion-Style Strap

In the 1960s and 1970s, the accordion-style dive watch strap emerged, becoming a hallmark of serious dive equipment. This design, featuring raised ridges or folds, was developed to meet the practical needs of divers. The accordion strap's unique structure allows it to expand and contract, accommodating the changes in wrist size that occur as a diver descends and ascends underwater. This flexibility ensures a snug fit regardless of depth, preventing the watch from slipping off even as a wetsuit compresses under pressure.

ND Limits polyurethane watch strap with accordion ends

Pioneered by brands like Seiko, the accordion strap was celebrated for its combination of durability, flexibility, and comfort. It remains popular today, both for its historical significance and its continued practicality in modern diving.

 

5. Our Dive Watch Straps – Collection Highlights

At LBS, we take pride in offering a diverse and exceptional range of dive watch straps, catering to everyone from professional divers to casual enthusiasts. Our collection is crafted to meet the highest standards of durability, comfort, and style, ensuring that every customer finds the perfect strap for their needs.

Let’s dive into our most popular dive watch strap materials and highlight the best-selling ranges that you should have in your inventory: -

 

5.1 Rubber Dive Straps
Rubber straps are a staple in the dive watch market. Made from materials like silicone or polyurethane, modern rubber straps are water-resistant, durable, and flexible. They’re resistant to UV rays and saltwater, making them ideal for any diving environment. Rubber straps are easy to maintain, and many feature textured designs, perforations, or accordion-style ridges for enhanced comfort and breathability - key selling points for your customers.

Premium Silicone Divers Watch Strap with Curved Ends

Premium Sports Diver

Constructed from high-quality silicone, our range of Premium Sports Divers Watch Straps boast a striking design highlighted by rectangular cut-out sections. These sections seamlessly transition into smaller rectangles to perfectly accommodate the square tongue of the pin buckle. Crafted from brushed stainless steel, the square profile of the buckle complements the straight lines of the strap, creating a cohesive and contemporary aesthetic. Available in a diverse range of captivating colours, these straps offer flexibility and comfort without compromising on style.

Silicone Stitched

Our Silicone Stitched straps are designed for those who seek both comfort and durability in a dive watch strap. With a smooth finish, these straps offer optimal comfort, making them ideal for daily wear as well as diving adventures. The durable, water-resistant construction ensures long-lasting performance even in challenging conditions. Customers can choose between white or red contrast stitching, adding a subtle pop of colour. The heavy-duty polished stainless-steel buckle with a square tongue provides a secure fit, ensuring the watch stays in place, no matter the environment.

Premium FKM Rubber

Premium FKM Rubber Straps are the ultimate choice for high-end dive watches, including luxury timepieces. Made from fluoroelastomer (FKM) rubber, these straps offer unparalleled durability and resistance to wear, ensuring they remain in pristine condition for years. The tactile grid texture adds visual interest, while cut-away sections increase airflow to the wrist, enhancing comfort during dives. Equipped with a heavy-duty brushed steel pin buckle, these straps combine style with functionality. With a carefully curated selection of bright and neutral colours, there’s an FKM strap to match every customer’s style and preference.

ND Limits

ND Limits straps are engineered for serious divers who demand both functionality and style. Built from resilient polyurethane, these heavy-duty straps are perfect for daily wear and underwater adventures. The robust stainless-steel buckle ensures a secure fit, while the ND (No Decompression) limit markings provide essential information for divers about maximum dive times at specific depths. The accordion sections at both ends allow for easy adjustment over a dive suit, accommodating changes in suit compression during dives and ensuring the watch remains securely in place throughout the descent and ascent.

Premium Divers – Curved Ends

Our Premium Silicone Divers Strap with Curved Ends is specifically designed to seamlessly integrate with high-end dive watches from brands like Omega and Rolex, including models such as the Submariner, Sea-Dweller, and Deepsea. The curved ends match the contours of the watch case perfectly, ensuring a snug, secure fit. This strap offers both the durability and comfort that professional divers require, along with a refined aesthetic that complements the luxury timepieces they cherish.

5.2 Water-Resistant Leather Straps


While leather may not be the first material that comes to mind for dive straps, water-resistant leather offers a unique blend of style and practicality. These straps cater to customers who appreciate the classic look of leather but need the functionality of a strap that can withstand occasional water exposure. Treated with special coatings or waxes, these straps repel water effectively, making them suitable for casual diving and water activities. It’s important to note that while these straps offer water resistance, they are not intended for deep or prolonged dives, making them ideal for customers seeking versatility and elegance.

Water Resistant Carbon

Our Water Resistant Carbon straps are an excellent match for sports and chronograph watches, offering a striking aesthetic that pairs well with modern timepieces. These straps are crafted from a synthetic material commonly used in sports applications, providing excellent durability and water resistance. The premium padded construction ensures comfort, while the polished stainless-steel buckle offers a secure fit. Customers can personalize their look by choosing stitching in bright colours that complement the details on their watch dial, creating a visually cohesive partnership.

Modern Water Resistant

Our Modern Water Resistant watch straps are designed with contemporary aesthetics in mind. Featuring a solid black edge and stitching that matches the top leather colour, these straps are perfect for pairing with bright, modern dive watches. The soft nubuck lining adds comfort, while the polished stainless-steel buckle ensures a secure fit. An integrated quick-release spring bar allows customers to easily swap straps, providing flexibility and convenience for those who like to change up their style.

Morellato Regatta

Crafted from water-resistant smooth calf leather, the Morellato Regatta strap is both stylish and functional. Its half-remborded construction, tonal stitching, and refined matte finish provide a sleek, polished look that is perfect for customers who want a leather strap that can withstand water exposure without compromising on elegance. This strap is ideal for those who engage in water activities but also appreciate a sophisticated, timeless design.

5.3 Cordura Straps

Cordura straps are the go-to choice for customers seeking durability and a rugged, tactical appearance. Known for its high resistance to abrasions, tears, and scuffs, Cordura is a fabric designed to endure the toughest conditions. These straps are reinforced for additional water resistance and dry quickly, making them practical for both underwater activities and everyday wear. While not as water-resistant as rubber, Cordura straps offer unmatched durability and are perfect for customers who need a tough, resilient strap for their active lifestyle.

 

Morellato Cordura Strap

From the Morellato Sport collection, the Cordura range is designed for reliability and comfort during any activity. With a fully remborded construction and flat profile, these straps offer a relaxed, casual look that’s ideal for both outdoor adventures and daily wear. The tonal stitching adds subtle detail, while the robust construction ensures that the strap can withstand the rigours of an active lifestyle. This makes the Morellato Cordura strap a versatile choice for customers who demand both style and durability.

6. Conclusion

As a retailer, offering a range of dive watch straps that cater to different customer needs is crucial for boosting sales and customer satisfaction. By understanding the key features of dive watch straps and the benefits of different materials like rubber, water-resistant leather and Cordura, you can better assist your customers in finding the perfect strap for their needs. As one of the UK’s leading trade watch strap suppliers, we provide a wide selection of high-quality dive watch straps designed to meet the demands of your customers, ensuring that you have the products they need to make informed, confident purchases.