Rolex Sport Watches Strap Guide [Best Rolex Straps]

The Nylon Pull-Through strap is one of the most popular strap options on the market today. The nylon pull-through strap is stylish, practical, and is easy to mix and match with your timepiece. When many Rolex owners consider which type of strap they should use on their Rolex watch, they end with the nylon pull-through strap. But with so many different nylon straps on the market to choose from, it can feel a bit overwhelming to know which you should choose. In this article, we are taking a look at some of the best nylon pull-through strap options for Rolex watches. But before that, let’s go into the details about nylon pull-through straps and what you should think about when making your pic.

Military single-piece strap – background and history

Specifications and dimensions of a classic military nylon strap

The strap has its beginning in 1973 when they become a British Ministry of Defence Standard. Unlike what many people believe, the name has nothing to do with the intergovernmental military alliance known as The North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Instead, the straps were issued to soldiers who requested one. To request receiving one, the soldier had to fill out a requisition form known as a G**. The strap has a close connection with military use, which obviously has a lot to do with its performance. Nylon straps are tough, durable, can handle water, and ensure the watch remains on the wrist even if one spring bar fails. If you want to know more and in detail about Nylon straps, their history and different examples check out our in-depth article “All you need to know about Nylon (pull-through) Straps“.

Nylon pull-through straps for Rolex watches

One of the reasons why nylon pull-through straps are so popular today is that they are so versatile. They work exceptionally well for most types of watches and also for most occasions. Whilst nylon pull-through straps have, by nature, a slightly sporty style and personality and thus naturally tend to work best for sports watches, the fact that they come in so many different styles and designs have made it possible to wear them with virtually any type of watch. Whilst a nylon strap will work extremely well together with a Rolex Submariner (which is one of the most iconic nylon pull-through strap pairings there is), it will also work well with a Datejust or a Yacht-Master if you want to achieve a more casual and versatile look. Two huge benefits of the nylon pull-through strap are that they are affordable and come in an endless selection of designs. This is great news because it means you can build a collection of nylon pull-through straps and then change them depending on your mood, watch, outfit, and occasion. As a matter of fact, switching to a nylon pull-through strap is one of the most effective ways to give your watch a new style and look if you’re ever starting to get bored of your watch.

The classic Bond Nylon strap

Rolex Submariner 116610LN paired with a Bond style nylon strap

The nylon pull-through strap has, as you can see, existed for a long time. But the nylon strap wasn’t widely used by the public until some decades later. It is only in the last decade or so that the nylon strap has become a go-to strap for watch brands and watch enthusiasts looking to give their watch a versatile and stylish look. One major event in the history of the nylon strap that helped popularize it was when James Bond, played by Sean Connery wore a nylon pull-through strap on his Rolex Submariner reference 6538 in the movie Goldfinger in 1964. However, it’s worth pointing out that this wasn’t a true nylon pull-through strap, instead it was a Nylon strap/cord without the signature ”double fold” function of a nylon strap.  The original James Bond nylon strap was black and had 2 green stripes with Burgundy borders. Today, the nylon strap with the same design is referred to as a ”Bond strap” or ”James Bond strap”. Other nylon pull-through straps have also been used in the James Bond movies, and in recent times, another strap that is associated with James Bond is the black nylon strap with two grey stripes. This strap was also used for the Omega Seamaster 300 Spectre Limited Edition watch that was also seen several times in the movie. Today, all nylon pull-through straps with two lines, with or without borders are often referred to as Bond straps. The nylon pull-through strap works absolutely best on a Rolex Submariner but is also a great choice for a sporty look regardless of which Rolex watch you have.

Single-color straps

Rolex Submariner 16610 with a brown bezel insert paired with a Heavy Duty Nylon Strap – Brown | WB Original

You can never go wrong with a single-color nylon strap for your Rolex watch. Single-color nylon pull-through straps are available in essentially any color you can think of. Here, the colors are rather self-explanatory and don’t need much of an introduction, but if you want a more toned-down and sporty look, opt for a classic and toned-down color like black, grey, or dark blue. At the same time, you also get the opportunity to give your Rolex watch a bold and eye-catching look if you decide to go for a colorful and bright strap such as yellow, red, pink, or orange. The color of your strap depends, to some extent on which watch you have, but also its purpose. For example, a bright orange strap on a Submariner when you are at the beach can be a really nice combination. However, a bright red strap may not be an ideal combination on a blue-dial Datejust that you wear with a suit. Therefore, always think about your watch and how the strap will pair with it, as well as the purpose and occasion. It’s always a nice pairing to match your strap with the color of your dial. Or, a colorful detail of the dial of your watch, for example, a red strap matched with a red seconds hand.

Military green nylon pull-through straps for a sporty look

Rolex Submariner 116610LN paired with a Premium Nylon Strap Green – Brushed | WB Original

Military green nylon pull-through straps tend to work particularly well for vintage Rolex watches as well as Rolex sports watches. If you have a vintage Rolex watch and want to put it on a nylon strap that goes well with its personality, a military green nylon pull-through strap is a great choice. The same goes for if you have a modern Rolex sports watch, such as a Submariner or GMT-Master 116710LN. The military green strap will tone down its elegant look and give it a much more sporty and casual occasions which can be an ideal style for certain occasions.

Rolex GMT-Master II 116710LN paired with a Two-Piece Strap Green | WB Original and Premium Nylon Strap Green – Brushed | WB Original

Grey Rolex nylon pull-through strap for a true original look

Rolex Submariner 116610LN paired with a Premium Nylon Strap Grey – Brushed | WB Original

The original G10 straps were only available in one color – grey. With that said, grey nylon pull-through straps are a great choice for creating a connection to the past and giving your Rolex watch a classic, military-inspired vintage look. Similar to military green straps, Grey straps tend to make the watch look really tool-like which is, therefore, a great pairing when you have a vintage Rolex watch or a sports watch. But the benefit of grey nylon straps over military green ones is that they are true to the original, which is appreciated by watch nerds and those who enjoy the historical connection it brings.

Rolex GMT-Master II 116710LN paired with a Two-Piece Nylon Strap Grey | WB Original

Consider the lug width of your Rolex watch

The lug width of the Rolex GMT Master II 116710LN is 20mm

The good news is that most Rolex watches have a lug width of 20mm, which is also the standard size of most straps, including nylon pull-through straps. But some Rolex watches have other lug widths, where the most common are 21mm and 22mm. With that said, check the lug width of your watch and then choose a nylon strap in the same size for a perfect fit.

How do I take the oyster bracelet off my Rolex?

To take the bracelet off your Rolex watch, you’ll need a spring bar tool with a special 1 mm fork that fits in the openings of the Oyster bracelet, for example a Spring-Bar-Tweezer or the Bergeon 6767 spring bar tool. In the pictures below you can see how the Bergeon 6767 is used:

In the picture on the left you can see, how you hold the watch during the change between your thumb and your finger. Hold it tight and with tension, so that when you’re done with one side of the spring bar, it does not slide back, when you’re working on the other side.

On the right picture you can see, how to use the fork of the Bergeon 6767 spring bar tool best to get to the spring bar in the openings of the end-links. It is best to place a soft microfiber cloth underneath, for example.

How to change the Rolex Oyster bracelet: How you hold your watch (left) and how to use the spring-bar tool best

How to install a nylon pull-through strap on your Rolex

The picture below shows you how a the strap is installed on your Rolex. In the picture you can see, that the watch lies with its dial down. Starting to install the strap, the buckle is always at 12 o’clock. From there you take the longest part of the strap and pull it underneath your watch through the spring bars. Then you pull the strap through the last stainless steel loop and finish the installing process.

A thing you should know about Rolex cases

Most Rolex watch cases have a heavily brushed, or rather not finished, case surface behind the lugs. This rough surface is a stress test for every watch strap and maybe it was the intention of Rolex engineers *conspiracy theory intensifies*.

Behind the lugs: Rolex GMT Master II Case engraving ORIG. ROLEX DESIGN with the reference number 116710

For that reason, we can’t really recommend vintage leather straps, if you don’t have curved spring bars (currently we work hard on it to source high quality curved spring bars for you). The leather surface will be scratched and damaged by the rough surface of the rough oyster case surface. Another reason for that is, that the space between case and spring bars is quite narrow. Suede leather straps are rough already, and it doesn’t make such a big difference, if the case will rough it up more.

The most resistant straps are with no doubt nylon pull-through- and Two-Piece bands. Because of the mentioned narrow space between spring bars and case, the double layered two-piece nylon strap sits very tight, it’s even better, because the two-piece nylon strap can’t move a lot and so it won’t scratch off so easily. Nylon bands should have a thickness of 1,2 mm like our Premium Nylon bands to fit best between spring bar and case, while pulled through them, yet you need to be careful.

The 0,2 mm thicker Heavy-Duty Nylon straps should not be pulled through between spring bar and sharp case edge, otherwise you will most likely destroy the surface of your Heavy-Duty Nylon. If you want to use a Heavy-Duty Nylon, you should remove the spring bars, lie down the Nylon strap on your watch and press in the spring bars again.

On the second place of durability is the Canvas strap, because we made it thinner and without leather, if fits quite perfectly between spring bars and Rolex oyster case.

Life hack: If the strap might scratch off a little after a long time of use and it looses some nylon- or canvas fabrics, you can easily remove them with a fabric shaver.

Thank you for reading!

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Photos were taken by our brand ambassadors @gulenissen, @swisswristshots and @gmtfanatic. Thank you for the awesome pictures of our straps on your watches!

Please note: Any watches pictured in this blog post are for illustration purposes only and the watches are not included in our strap offers. Straps may vary slightly from those pictured.