Undressing the Dress Watch

There has been a shift in the past few years in the watch collecting world towards watches other than the sports watches that have become ever more expensive and even more difficult to find; especially in great condition. Early Rolex Datejusts (especially those with mint waffle dials), early 1950’s Big Bubbleback ‘Ovettone’ watches and now the 34mm Oysters are all becoming more prominent in collections and dealers’ inventory. And who can forget the colossal Rolex ‘Day Date Sale’ at Phillips last year, where some of the (admittedly) rarest versions of one of the most common Rolex dress watches sold for staggering amounts of money. We think it’s fair to say…the dress watch is back!

Strap It Up…

At Bulang & Sons we love the idea of mixing and matching different strap styles, colours and finishes for the different adventures you’ll undertake with your watch. Whilst dress watches look amazing on their original bracelet (who doesn’t love a beads-of-rice or tapered rivet-link Oyster!) the range of different leather straps can truly change the feel and vibe of your watch. Putting your watch on a leather strap, or even a nylon nato, can change the feel and emotion of a watch quickly and easily…and the best thing is that if you change your mind after a day, an hour or even a few minutes, it’s a two minute job to switch ti a ‘new look’!

Buckle My Shoe…

Buckle straps offer an almost unlimited range of feels, looks and finishes. A 1950’s dress watch with a buttery soft, edge stitched strap is one of the most timeless looks imaginable. From the slim line and soft traditional classic croc leather straps, to the beautifully finished saffiano leathers, there is a strap for your dress watch when you need to look the part at the gaming tables of Monaco or a black tie dinner at a London club.

When Dress and Tool Collide…

Sometimes you want to dress-down your watch and for this there are many different and cool options. The elegance of the side-stitch leather strap gives any watch the Italian-style look that is now so popular. There are different ways to wear the side stitch strap and the impact of each is very different in effect. A tone-on-tone (where the stitching is the same tone as the leather) finish is a minimalist look that would work perfectly for a weekend coffee with friends in Milan. Or for racing your vintage Porsche 911, why not opt for a contrast side-stitch, where the stitching ‘pops’ and gives a more sporty look. Yes, these are dress watches on leather straps (which traditionally is de rigour) but the fusion of the dress watch with a more informal leather strap is just killer and the look oozes tool watch cool.

The Height of Nato…

For a truly rugged look, a nato strap can take your dress watches into another direction entirely and they are the quickest straps to change to match your mood. One of the most obvious aspects of a nato strap is the fact that your watch is essentially sitting on two layers of strap (leather or nylon), which gives the watch additional height on your wrist. Inspired by the military straps used by defence forces around the world, the nato strap’s utilitarian look will transform your watch in a quickly and easily; essential kit for urban survival. Put your oversize early 50s Oyster on a patinated leather nato for an Everest inspired explorer look or give your Datejust the ultimate tool watch look with a distress leather nato. Nylon nato straps are another exciting way to add interesting flavour to your watch. Bright colours, stripes or cool camo – there is a nato for everyman and every occasion!

Mix and Match…

The dress watch has been around for longer than the tool watches and seems now to be enjoying its time in the spot light. It maybe is the chameleon watch – able to be refined companion one day and the rugged side kick the next. What ever your mood, style, situation or environment there are so many different ways that you can give your dress watch the urban makeover its been craving for. Why not head over to our shop to check out some of our cool straps and accessories and enjoy dressing down your favourite dress watch!