U-Boat Releases Flightdeck Rubber

Finally a rubber strap is available for 50 and 55 mm U-Boat Flightdeck models. Reflecting Italian style, the strap is stitched and looks almost like leather. A great accessory to add to your collection, you will finally be able to take your U-Boat watch to the beach or pool.

The strap fits U-Boat Flightdeck 50 and 55, CAS, CAB, AB, and MB models along with the 50 mm Thousands of Feet models.

This summer I had the chance to stage field studies on how different types of watch bands fare in water. You may own a water resistant watch, but if you don't have the right kind of strap on it you don't want to get it wet.

Organic and synthetic materials are the two types used to make straps. Organics encompass all leathers while synthetics offer a seemingly infinite choice of styles, textures, and uses. For my testing, I chose three of the most common materials. Calfskin leather, vinyl canvas, and rubber.

Representing the organics is my Anonimo Cronoscopio's Kodiak leather strap. Kodiak claims that their treated leather will resist water better then others, so I wanted to put them to the test. I used my watch at the lake over a period of four days. The first few days of swimming went well. The strap looked damaged and stained when wet, but once it dried came back to its original colour and quality. On the last day, however, the leather started to crack a little around the holes and a small stain appeared after the strap had dried. My conclusion is that no matter how it is treated leather should not be used in the water. Water will dramatically reduce its longevity and appearance.

For the first synthetic trial, I equipped my Cronoscopio with a Panerai canvas strap and wore it nearly every day during two weeks at the beach. The vinyl fiber is completely water repellant and the strap looked almost identical on the last day as it did on the first day. There are a few downsides. These straps are designed to be worn over a wetsuit so the strap is quite bulky. The strap is a bit awkward on the average wrist and very hard to wear under a shirt. Furthermore, they take quite a long time to dry, because the woven textile retains water. A wet watch band is about as comfortable as wet socks. A thinner vinyl band like the one that comes with the Bell & Ross Instruments would at least partially solve both these problems.

To test the rubber variety of straps, I brought my Alpina Avalanche Extreme Automatic for a weekend at the lake. This weekend was spent waterskiing (attempting to), tubing, and diving off the dock. These are all activities that increase susceptibility to water damage because of the speed at which you hit the water. The rubber strap is 100% waterproof. It dried extremely fast because most of the water would just roll off. To top it off, the strap actually looked newer at the end of the weekend. Finding a rubber strap that is also comfortable is the best solution if you want to wear your watch in and out of the water.

Note: Neither the Anonimo Cronoscopio nor the Alpina Avalanche Extreme were harmed during these studies!

Summer is here and leather straps will take a beating. Here are some tips to keeping your strap or bracelet to prolong the seasons.

Bracelet/Strap

Leather Fabric
Worn daily, a leather watch strap will be affected by the pH of the wearer's skin and other external factors:

• Water and damp rapidly deteriorate leather
• Light causes fading
• Dust leaves a film of dirt. For these reasons, a watch should be kept in its box when not worn
• A leather strap will normally need replacing every 1 to 3 years, according to use

Steel Titanium/Tantalum
Resilient steel bracelets are intended for intensive and/or sports wear. The most likely signs of wear are to the bracelet's appearance, as steel is easily scratched while knocks may cause dents. Link attachments can work themselves loose over time. The links, which give the bracelet its supple feel on the wrist, are held in place by screws or spring bars that will gather dust.

Yellow gold/ Pink gold/ White gold/ Platinum
A gold or platinum bracelet is prone to scratching and dents that alter its appearance. A white gold bracelet will have a tendency to yellow, depending on the amount of palladium in the alloy and/or the quality of the rhodium plating. The links, which give the bracelet its supple feel on the wrist, are held in place by screws or spring bars which, because they move with the bracelet, are subject to wear. Depending on conditions of use, dust can build up that will abrade or obstruct the links.

Rubber/Acrylic
These supple straps are less prone to scratching and dents but can tear or alter with use.

What Roger Dubuis has done in its relatively young existence, is to position itself amongst the industry's oldest, most luxurious, and best known manufacturers. Since the company was founded in 1995, it has been braking the mold that companies like Patek Philippe had implanted for super-high end watches. Roger Dubuis founder Carlos Dias' fixation with quality, functionality, and style is well represented by the S.A.W (Sport Activity Watch) collection.

The Easy Diver is a staple in the S.A.W series. The look of the watch is an infinite array of immaculately crafted details that are present on every facet of the watch. All the engravings are deep, with extremely defined edges and making use of multiple finishing styles. The bezel, crown, and case back look like they have been sculpted in marble by a student of the Classical period. The case back is especially intricate with multiple layers of embossed patterns. The case is accented with sporty carbon fiber inserts that juxtapose the elegant finishing process.

The manufacturing quality is apparent when considering the 300m water resistance rating, and the way all the parts fit together seamlessly. Using the watch reveals much more. The crown of any watch is a great indication of quality. On the Easy Diver the crown feels like it has a tight grip on the case even when it is unscrewed. When screwing it back in, only very slight pressure is needed. This is evidence of the precision of manufacturing.

The Roger Dubuis Caliber 57, 25 jewel, in-house movement is a masterpiece. The finish is impeccable, displaying cote de Geneve and perlage as well as a solid gold insert in the rotor. Beautiful details like the gold-lined Geneva Seal and swan-neck regulator emerge upon closer inspection.

If one had to use one word to describe the Roger Dubuis Easy Diver S.A.W 46mm, it would be 'rich.' This is because the Easy Diver looks rich, feels rich, and will hold its own against any other sport luxury watch in the world.

Montreal is a well known summer destination for travelers from around the world. It is because the city offers a fantastic array of festivals and activities for visitors to enjoy. This weekend the parties kicked off with the advent of the F1 Montreal Grand Prix. Starting on Thursday, at least four principal Downtown streets have been closed to traffic to allow pedestrians to enjoy a plethora of activities.

Car enthusiasts are often also lovers of mechanical watches. Both of these items are incredibly complex and functional art. For this reason, the Grand Prix weekend is a great chance for us to meet collectors and to educate curious passers-by. Often we will get glimpses at some extraordinary watches on the wrists of visitors. The Azimuth Gauge Chrono or the Ferrari Fer0001 are perfect examples of how motor-sports and luxury watch-making go hand-in-hand.

As the summer progresses, the world renowned 'Festival International de Jazz de Montreal,' the biggest of its kind, will bring hundreds of world-class musicians to the city. Other happenings include the Just-For-Laughs comedy Festival, several international film festivals, and NASCAR.

There is a reason for anyone to come to Montreal during the summer. For information on events contact us via phone or email.

• Subscribe by RSS Feed
• Be a Fan on Facebook
• Follow Us on Twitter

admirals cup   alpina   alpina visit 2010   avalanche extreme   azimuth   baselworld   baselworld 2010   bell & ross   bell & ross   bell ross visit 2010   br 03   br-s   br01   br02   br03   bridal   calgaro   canada   carbon   cars   catalog   celebrities   celebrity   ceramic   challenge   chronograph   classico   competition   concord   contest   corum   designer   facebook   fc visit 2010   flightdeck   frederique constant   gem   gift ideas   gmt   gold   golden bridge   graham   hamilton   hamilton visit 2010   history   hydromax   italo fontana   jewelry   manufacture   marvin   mens   michele   military   mothers day   movement   new model   news   omega   orbita   pandora   phantom   photo   pianegonda   poker   pre-owned   preowned   previews   quartz   rebecca   reviews   ring   rolex   romvlvs   ron hami   sports   style   switzerland   tides   tips   titanium   tourbillon   u-boat   u-boat watches   video   videos   watch straps   watches   white ceramic   winders