The Journey of Rubber Straps - From Diver’s Favourite to Luxury Fashion Must-have
In the beginning, when rubber straps were first introduced five to six decades ago, they were only about fundamental performance. Unassociated with style and luxury which conventional stainless steel bracelets were known for, rubber bands won the hearts of watch enthusiasts with being waterproof, lightweight, durable even in salt water, scratch-resistant and easy to clean, non electrically conductive plus resistant to UVA radiation, flexible in terms of expandability, securely fitted for dive suit, and last but not least … for being available at low cost.
As rubber straps become more readily accessible over the years, they are perceived as the practical choice for their versatility in unisex appeal, numerous color combinations, and wide range of rubber materials which offer all sorts of rubber textures and flexibilities. It is no surprise that more and more brands in the watch industry are providing rubber straps for their clients.
And when the luxurious Swiss watchmakers began to incorporate rubber bands into their dive watches in the 1950s, it was a total game changer. One that could not go without mentioning was the introduction of the Tropic strap by Rolex in their popular Submariner series - it was simply bold and stunning.
And as the Japanese diver watch representative, Seiko followed suit in 1965 with the debut of 62MAS-010 - Seiko’s first 150m dive watch with a 38mm case, watch resistance up to 492 feet, an automatic movement that operated at a frequency of 18000bph, and of course - a rubber strap.
It was not long before everyone observed the multiple benefits of using rubber for a dive watch strap and soon, all brands caught up. Hublot, the famous luxury watch brand that is known for its rubber bands, first introduced a dress watch with a black rubber strap that caught the eyes of many at the Basel World International Watch & Jewelry show in 1980. Since then, rubber straps are not just confined to professional dive watches anymore. While Chopard innovatively imitated racing tires’ marks on rubber bands for their motor racing watches, Breitling creatively developed signature rubber straps for their pilot watches. And most recently, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master has successfully re-introduced the hype of wearing the rubber strap.
At StrapXPro, we are dedicated to bringing the joy and benefits of wearing rubber to watch lovers by developing and bringing forth the best-looking yet affordable rubber straps out there.
In July 2020, StrapXPro partnered with the market-leading rubber manufacturing team to create the Premium Series for our Seiko lovers. Unlike most flat end universal straps that one may easily find on the market, StrapXPro’s tailor-designed straps fit perfectly with each and every watch; our goal is to achieve a gapless design for every watch and allow the rubber strap to unify with the watch perfectly.
Our design team adopts 3D rendering model techniques as well as 3D printing. This allows us to save money on sampling costs while still producing high-quality designs, and all designs are tested hundred times before manufacturing. Thanks to the effort of our design team, the StrapXPro Premium Series is a creation that craftily offers a 3D bracelet design and provides an ergonomically comfortable fit.
As rubber straps become more readily accessible over the years, they are perceived as the practical choice for their versatility in unisex appeal, numerous color combinations, and wide range of rubber materials which offer all sorts of rubber textures and flexibilities. It is no surprise that more and more brands in the watch industry are providing rubber straps for their clients.
And when the luxurious Swiss watchmakers began to incorporate rubber bands into their dive watches in the 1950s, it was a total game changer. One that could not go without mentioning was the introduction of the Tropic strap by Rolex in their popular Submariner series - it was simply bold and stunning.
(Image from: Bulangandsons magazine)
And as the Japanese diver watch representative, Seiko followed suit in 1965 with the debut of 62MAS-010 - Seiko’s first 150m dive watch with a 38mm case, watch resistance up to 492 feet, an automatic movement that operated at a frequency of 18000bph, and of course - a rubber strap.
It was not long before everyone observed the multiple benefits of using rubber for a dive watch strap and soon, all brands caught up. Hublot, the famous luxury watch brand that is known for its rubber bands, first introduced a dress watch with a black rubber strap that caught the eyes of many at the Basel World International Watch & Jewelry show in 1980. Since then, rubber straps are not just confined to professional dive watches anymore. While Chopard innovatively imitated racing tires’ marks on rubber bands for their motor racing watches, Breitling creatively developed signature rubber straps for their pilot watches. And most recently, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master has successfully re-introduced the hype of wearing the rubber strap.
(Image from: Hublot)
(Image from: Chopard)
(Image from: Rolex)
At StrapXPro, we are dedicated to bringing the joy and benefits of wearing rubber to watch lovers by developing and bringing forth the best-looking yet affordable rubber straps out there.
In July 2020, StrapXPro partnered with the market-leading rubber manufacturing team to create the Premium Series for our Seiko lovers. Unlike most flat end universal straps that one may easily find on the market, StrapXPro’s tailor-designed straps fit perfectly with each and every watch; our goal is to achieve a gapless design for every watch and allow the rubber strap to unify with the watch perfectly.
Our design team adopts 3D rendering model techniques as well as 3D printing. This allows us to save money on sampling costs while still producing high-quality designs, and all designs are tested hundred times before manufacturing. Thanks to the effort of our design team, the StrapXPro Premium Series is a creation that craftily offers a 3D bracelet design and provides an ergonomically comfortable fit.
Distinguishing StrapXPro from other rubber straps brands, our Premium Series offers a two-tone colour design.
StrapXPro Premium Series is your smart choice of rubber band for the Seiko SKX007, SKX009, SKX011 and Seiko 5 Sports (5KX).
(StrapXpro SX1A for Seiko SKX007, SKX009 & SKX011, New 5 Sports "5KX")
PREMIUM
(DT01U) 20mm/22mm Quick Release Universal Cut To Fit FKM Rubber Strap (Flat-Ends)
FEATURE: Apart from tailormade curved end rubber straps, StrapXPro also designs and manufactures universal flat-end rubber straps. By using the same quality vulcanized rubber, StrapXPro offers the 20mm and 22mm universal rubber straps that fit most dive watches, which allow...
from $50.00
PREMIUM
(SBG01 & 02) STRAPXPRO Premium Solid 316L Stainless Steel Double-Lock Button Diver Clasp, Brushed & Polished Edge
Feature: We proudly present StrapXPro, the first in-house designed Premium Double-Lock Button Diver Clasp (SBG01 & SBG02; registered design). The design concept for crafting this signature premium diver clasp was an artful and ergonomic timepiece. Beyond aesthetics, we envision an...
from $38.00
(LXC01) STRAPXPRO Premium 316L Stainless Steel Deployant Clasp, Brushed
FEATURE:StrapXPro design team never settles for less until they reach their utmost optimal for each watch part. By using an ultimate buckle to strap ratio, StrapXPro presents our high-quality watch strap depolyant clasp LXC01. All StrapXPro watch clasps are manufactured...
from $36.00
PREMIUM
(SRX1A) Rubber Strap for Seiko Prospex Samurai Series (Curved-Ends)
FEATURE: High-quality vulcanized rubber is used for all StrapXPro rubber straps. The rubber formula was scientifically developed for StrapXPro, it is tested and fine-tuned to its maximum performance. StrapXPro rubber watch straps are strongly resistant to sweat, dust, odors, and...
from $62.00
PREMIUM
from $60.00
(SPX1C) Rubber Strap for Seiko Prospex 62MAS Modern Reinterpretation SPB/SBDC Series (Curved-Ends)
FEATURE: The StrapXPro Premium Series boasts a creative, distinct, revolutionary, and sophisticated arsenal for the latest Seiko 62MAS reinterpretation (such as SPB143). StrapXPro premium rubber strap (SPX1C) brilliantly complements the vintage appeal of the original 62MAS watch with the integration of StrapXPro’s...
from $60.00
PREMIUM
(SX1A) Rubber Strap for New Seiko 5 Sports GMT Series (Curved-Ends)
FEATURE: High-quality vulcanized rubber is used for all StrapXPro rubber straps. The rubber formula was scientifically developed for StrapXPro, it is tested and fine-tuned to its maximum performance. StrapXPro rubber watch straps are strongly resistant to sweat, dust, odors, and...
from $58.00
PREMIUM
(SX1A) Rubber Strap for Seiko SKX Series (Curved-Ends)
FEATURE: High-quality vulcanized rubber is used for all StrapXPro rubber straps. The rubber formula was scientifically developed for StrapXPro, it is tested and fine-tuned to its maximum performance. StrapXPro rubber watch straps are strongly resistant to sweat, dust, odors, and...
from $58.00
PREMIUM
(SX1A) Rubber Strap for New Seiko 5 Sports Series (5KX/SRPD)(Curved-Ends)
FEATURE: High-quality vulcanized rubber is used for all StrapXPro rubber straps. The rubber formula was scientifically developed for StrapXPro, it is tested and fine-tuned to its maximum performance. StrapXPro rubber watch straps are strongly resistant to sweat, dust, odors, and...
from $58.00
