If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the hunt for the perfect summer-ready watch strap. It sometimes feels as if finding the ideal hot weather, water-friendly, watch and, by extension, watch strap can consume the mind. Tumbling down the rabbit hole reveals many familiar choices: NATOs, rubber, sailcloth (Oh, my!). What’s a watch lover to do?
My standby for years has been a grey Ute NATO strap (formerly Toxic NATOs). Terry’s straps have served me well in all sorts of environments, both on land and underwater. While I have no complaints about Ute NATOs at all, I still find myself itching for a new look from time to time.
Enter, the perlon strap. Light, breezy, and fun, these straps are certainly one of the more poorly kept secrets in watches. Consider them the NATO’s more chilled-out younger brother. When a NATO feels too toolish, a perlon definitely hits the spot.
For years, I’ve exclusively worn the Eulit Panama. This strap is ethereal. The singular dig I could make against the Eulit is the paucity of colors offered. It’s the perfect strap if you like black, grey, or royal blue. This time of year, however, I’m always eager for something a little brighter. Hodinkee’s latest strap, the Logan, presents a compelling offering in the space. They should know as well as anybody: to compete against the best, they better bring the heat.
Speaking of, the bright, warm Marigold color caught my eye immediately. It simply conjures a mid-summer sunset. I’ve currently paired it with my Black Bay 58. This particular shade of yellow amplifies all of the rich golds found on the 58. The color is perfectly in line with the on-wrist feel. Weighing a breezy 72 grams, this setup doesn’t make itself known - that is, until you catch a glimpse of sunshine on your wrist.
Of course, this strap wouldn’t be worth its weight in nylon if it didn’t perform. The appeal of NATOs and these pass-through straps is the alleged security in case of a spring bar failure.
N.B. I’ve only had a spring bar fail on a NATO strap, never on another mount. This is to say that some believe that the NATO itself can cause failures due to the increased rotational force about the lug, compared to a more integrated bracelet or strap. I’m 50/50 on this.
The perlon has the same appeal. Passing through the spring bars, this strap inspires confidence to take a dip in the deep end. It also transitions quite well to summery evening attire. What it lacks in perceived (by me) durability, it more than makes up for in spades with devil-may-care elegance. The weave is neither too tight, nor too loose and it breathes quite well. The material is relatively soft, though not quite as soft as the Eulit. For me, the biggest issue is the excess strap folded back behind the keeper. It has a sharp edge that I haven’t quite been able to melt down. The buckle itself is interesting. It has a lovely, curved shape that alludes to vintage clasps of old. It’s nice enough, but a bit thin compared to the Eulit, if I had to nitpick.
Let’s not forget the $100 million elephant in the room. Hodinkee is certainly a popular website with a large readership. It must also be known that a not-insignificant portion of their revenue surely comes from their e-commerce side. In my limited experience, I have found Hodinkee straps to be relatively high quality, if not a bit expensive. I have tried offerings from Veblenist, B&R Bands, and Bulang & Sons. Their leather straps seem to offer similar quality for a much higher price point. This is all a circuitous route to my point. The Logan strap is a killer value at $20. Other perlons can be had for less, but I have found you don’t get what you don’t pay for. The leader in the space, Eulit, offers their Panama for a fair $24. It’s certainly a higher-quality strap, but they have yet to expand their color offerings. If they did, they would have my money. Until then, in the search for a breezy, colorful NATO alternative, I’m sticking with the Hodinkee Logan.
