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The watch I ordered is this one.
I’d seen these straps advertised on Instagram, and the poster above mentioned them, so I thought I’d try one out for my black Tudor FXD. I like the OEM Velcro, but I’m not sold on the colours. Ideally, I’d have ordered the dark grey one, but (OFC) they were out of stock, so I went with black/red stripe.
This is just a first impression – it only arrived today – but I’ll update the thread soon when I’ve worn it for a week or so.
It feels good. There are some differences, but there are several close similarities to the Tudor strap. The buckle is very similar (2mm thick metal, the size, even the shape of the holes, although the YWS buckle has the holes oriented the other way)) with two exceptions – the little "tab" is larger, to account, I guess, for the larger logo, and of course, it’s made from steel, not titanium. The brushing is maybe not as fine, but that’s neither here nor there.
The YWS nylon seems a little coarser, and certainly feels a bit more ballistic, and a little less soft. Less like fabric. Not a judgment, just an observation. The YWS strap end is heat-sealed, rather than finished with stitching – a point to Tudor, I think, although you can see that the OEM strap is already fraying a little.
The main way that the OEM scores over the YWS is in the way that the Velcro sections are attached to the nylon. The Tudor is neater, with rows of machine stitching. The YWS does this, then also has fat rows of zig-zag stitching to hold the Velcro in place. The Tudor looks neater. The YWS might well be stronger – belt and braces?
Overall, the YWS strap is an excellent alternative to the OEM. The strap has quickly shaped to my wrist, and the buckle (despite being steel) is a good match for the shade of the titanium watch. The main area where the YWS win is in price, of course. Given that the Tudor NATO and buckle is £250, I imagine that an FXD strap would be the same. This cost me £44 including shipping.
Overall (first impressions, remember?) the OEM is better – it’s a little finer, feels more expensive (which it damn-well should), but the YWS strap is an excellent alternative, and (when the grey comes in stock) I’ll be buying another.
I’ll chip in soon with comments about wear and tear.
