Crown & Buckle is one of the best purveyors of quality watch straps and makes some of our favorite leather and NATO options, but they also make two-piece fabric straps, perlons and more. Rarely is a new type of strap invented, however, but Crown & Buckle has managed this feat with the introduction of the new Chevron Strap.
The Chevron, available currently in 7 colors, 2 sizes (20mm and 22mm) and 2 hardware finishes (brushed or polished) for $32 each, is sort of a cross between and perlon strap and a NATO strap. A perlon, as you may know, is a woven nylon one-piece watch strap, and a NATO is a two-piece nylon (or leather) strap with a tight weave and a second retaining piece that prevents your watch from being lost should one of the spring bars fail.
The Chevron is a single-piece strap, like a perlon, but it has an adjustable length and is made with a tight, alternating nylon weave, precise ultrasonic sizing holes, a stitched tip to prevent fraying, and 316L steel hardware in either a brushed or polished finish. Each available strap features a base color with two alternating, slightly contrasting threads, and some feature a center stripe in a vertical pattern. Between the five cut and sealed sizing holes and the adjustable nature of the strap, a Chevron should be able to fit just about any size wrist.
Because a Chevron is meant to be sized to the wearer’s wrist, there’s no “tail” end (as on a NATO) to fold back through the keepers, and because it’s a one-piece strap, a watch will sit closer to the wrist, meaning a less bulky wearing experience.
Sizing one of these isn’t necessarily the most intuitive process, and thankfully C&B has included an awesome graphic to help the wearer do this. If you like perlons but want something sturdier, or you like NATOs but want something less bulky, the Chevron might be the strap for you.