The Story Behind the Strap

In 1973, the British Ministry of Defence set out to solve a problem: standard metal and leather watch straps were failing in the field — cracking in humidity, catching light at the wrong moment, and losing watches when spring bars gave out. Their answer was the G10, a single-piece nylon strap engineered to keep a timepiece on the wrist no matter what. Its genius was in the routing: the strap loops under the watch case and through both spring bars, so even if one fails, your watch stays put.

The "Nxxx" name didn't come from the military alliance — it came from the 13-digit Nxxx Stock Number used to catalog the strap in military supply chains. That small bureaucratic detail gave a legendary piece of kit its lasting name. And the style had already captured the public imagination nearly a decade earlier, when Sean Connery wore a nearly identical striped nylon strap as James Bond in 1964 — long before the MoD made it official.

Over fifty years later, the Nxxx strap remains one of the most trusted and versatile watchbands ever made. At Time-Sublime, we carry on that tradition — bringing you straps built on the same fail-safe principles as the original G10, now available in a range of colors and sizes to complement any watch in your collection.

Size:

These straps are 20mm wide by 250mm (~9.8") for the Green, Gray and Striped bands, and 20mm wide by 280mm (~11") for the black version.

They are made of military-grade nylon, in a ribbed weave for strength and toughness, and feature steel pin/buckle and keepers. Finishing and metal construction varies depending on color:

- Black strap - 4 round steel keepers and round buckle, flat pin, all polished metal

- Green strap - 3 flat metal keepers and flat buckle, flat pin, all in matte metal finish

- Striped strap - 3 flat metal keepers and flat buckle, flat pin, all in matte metal finish

- Gray strap - 3 flat metal keepers and flat buckle, flat pin, all in black-coated metal finish

Note: black strap is 30mm longer, -- Important, if you are looking for maximum size (ie. wear over outer garments, diving suit, etc.)