Style · 3 min read
The Cheapest Way to Upgrade Your Watch
Forget polishing, forget servicing - a new strap is the single biggest return on the smallest spend.
A movement service costs hundreds. A polish costs almost as much and can ruin the case if done badly. A strap costs the price of a decent meal and changes the watch entirely.
Why the strap matters more than the watch
You see your strap. You do not see the movement. You barely see the case-back. The strap takes up more visual real estate on your wrist than the dial itself - and yet most people wear whatever shipped in the box.
The £60 transformation
A Moonswatch on the stock velcro is a toy. The same Moonswatch on a red ostrich-pattern strap (above) is a conversation piece. A Casio F-91W on a fabric nato becomes a quietly cool field watch. A Seiko 5 on Shell Cordovan looks twice its price.
Where to start
Pick the watch you wear most often. Buy the strap that is one step dressier than the strap it came on. Wear it for a week. You will not go back.
