British Military Vintage Nato Straps

This is an 18mm new old stock NATO strap supplied to the British military in the early 1970s.

It is a very rare item, discharged from the British Ministry of Defence.

It predates Phoenix taking over manufacturing, and the manufacturer is unknown. Although it has stitching not found in the specifications (DefStan) issued by the British Ministry of Defence, this is a special detail seen in early 1970s models.

DefStan has been issued several times since 1968, and the 20mm size finally appeared in "DefStan 66-47," issued in 2001. Therefore, 18mm straps may have been used for the Omega Seamaster 300 supplied to the British military in the late 1960s and for Rolex Submariners in the 1970s.

NATO G10 straps are still manufactured today, but the nylon weave and color vary depending on the era.

This early 70s model, with its coarse weave and this Admiralty grey, has a very nice feel and matches vintage watches wonderfully, including 34mm vintage Rolexes.

The hardware is chrome-plated steel and shows some rust, but it doesn't look bad at all; on the contrary, it creates a nice atmosphere.