Strap in black with turquoise stripe, made from recycled fishing nets, with brushed black ceramic buckle and fabric loop.

OMEGA’s NATO-inspired straps have been influenced by some particularly robust and storied ancestors and can trace their earliest origins to the Second World War. Available in a variety of bold colours and materials, the “NATO” straps of today convey the essence of the originals while exhibiting a more contemporary and stylish look… More here.

I love Omega, but their pricing is getting ridiculous. How much for the simple NATO strap above? £410. Yes, that is the price for the strap, not a watch. A strap. £410…

I suspect the high-end watch industry is about to suffer a big crash. You cannot continue to raise prices at such a steep rate against a background of world economic uncertainty and the rise of smart watches.

Crucially, while Omega, just one watch brand example, continue to push their prices up, the cost of grey market (as new and complete) Omega watches is stagnant. The price gap is growing which makes buying new less appealing and so the numbers will continue to drop.

My worry is that another crash could be the final one because so much of the world has already moved on from traditional watches.

Categories: Accessories, Watches