RubberB Swimskin Cuff Strap Review DSSD JC

[TonyD]

I hope you find this review useful. I enjoy using a strap now and then and I had a RubberB for my black DSSD some years ago and really loved it. Its everything they say. The fit is incredible and allowing you to use the DSSD buckle is a huge bonus.

I tried something different this time. RubberB now has what they call the SwimSkin Cuff series which is a bund style strap with 2 layers. I like a big chunky strap look so I took a $300 chance and ordered it. The strap came less than a week later.

OK the elephant in the room..... Yes the Rolex bracelet is a work of art and it pains me to remove it. Yes the DSSD buckle is the best buckle in the world and you can't use it for this strap. Its a bummer but all is not lost. In 5 minutes I can have it back to normal if I want.

I expect a fair number of people to cry sacrilege and call this silly. Its the internet so I expect no less. Have at it Padi!

First the material..... RubberB uses a lot of descriptors to discuss this material and it all seems to be true. The material itself looks and feels like sail cloth or very high end fabric. For all intents it is. BUT its actually just molded rubber shaped to look that way. How they got it to feel like fabric is beyond me. But they did it. Think of is as sail cloth or Nato that will never fray.

The construction is of course top notch. The stitching is superb. The construction is a bit odd to me. The parts are sewn together. On similar straps the inner part is floating and can be removed. Check the first image to see what I mean.

IMG_5080.jpg
IMG_5081.jpg

The parts are sewn together with one row of stitches. The inner part has a velcro closure. This was not made apparent on the RubberB site.

I'm conflicted about this construction. On the one hand the velcro allows you to set the tightness to whatever you want. You aren't really stuck like with notches on a belt. On the other hand when you close the buckle you can end up choosing one notch that is too loose and end up with a gap (see image).

IMG_5082.jpg

The buckle part doesn't end up doing anything. If you go one notch too tight then it can pinch. You have to set the velcro and buckle parts so they work together to give the perfect fit. With a few tries I found this happy medium and it works great.

The next subject is the overall size. There are no sizes, this is a one size fits all strap.

I initially set the strap so the "tail" was on the 6 o'clock side. I got this from my Panerai days. I quite like the tail coming out away from my body. This is my preferred method of wearing a strap. This is also how it is shown on the RubberB website, with the buckle mounted to the 12 o’clock side.

Unfortunately, this did not work out. Have a look at the next sequence of images. The buckle ended up falling right in the center of the underside of my wrist. This is where it always fell naturally. The watch head however was really rotated to one side. I wore this all day and it kept rolling over and I was constantly flicking it to roll it back so I could see it. It looked and felt terrible. I was getting very frustrated and almost took it off.

IMG_5083.jpg
IMG_5084.jpg
IMG_5085.jpg

Before I wrote a $300 scathing email to RubberB I noticed that the lengths were not at all even. I think this is made for someone with much larger wrists than my 7.5” which is relatively average.

I decided to take a shot in the dark and swap it around. Nothing to lose right? Swapping it around was pretty easy. The inner rubber part does get in the way when taking the strap on or off but not anything a little patience and the right tools can’t overcome. How did it come out?

RESULT!!!

Check the images to see the new fit. It now fits PERFECTLY. The head sits right on the center on top and stays there. The buckle is also mostly in the center which creates a nice balance. I’ve been wearing this for several hours now and the fit is now excellent.

IMG_5086.jpg
IMG_5087.jpg
IMG_5088.jpg
IMG_5089.jpg

Side note. I had a million questions before I placed my order. I’m an engineer and a pain in the butt. So I called the number on the website and a very nice person answered. We talked for several minutes and he was very knowledgeable. I had a question he couldn’t answer but immediately transferred me to another guy who did. Top notch front end service for sure.

I do think they left some money on the table with the colors thought. They offer the Cuff in either blue or black. I suggested to them that a half blue/black combination would be awesome. These are all made in Switzerland so no chance of making me a custom strap unless I bought 1000 of them. I hope they consider it though. Think a blue outer and black inner part with contrasting stitching would be fantastic!

So what is the verdict?

Downsides….. obviously some issues with size. It would be better if they offered it in a few sizes. When I talked to them on the phone, they claimed this new strap was unbelievably difficult to produce so they are limiting options.

There are no tubes or reinforcements molded into the spring bar holes. The material does seem durable but the rubber is thin here and could be a weak spot. Since these are molded, I would have made these parts a bit thicker.

On the plus side I would rate this strap very high for comfort and feel. The material is unique and looks and feels great. RubberB is known for durability and I expect the strap to wear nicely. Also, the same strap should fit on a new DSSD, SD43 and even Skydweller.

I think it looks great. The blue is a bit dark so it matches the DSSD JC nicely and isn’t too bright and playful looking. Its definitely more upscale.

Is it worth $300? That is a tough one. I think the value proposition on their normal straps is easy to justify because of the fit and special touches like inserts molded into the lug locations. This one does look and feel like a relatively simple nylon strap. Its only if you dig a bit deeper that you can see what makes it special.

In the end I’m happy that I bought it. Its unique enough that the price is warranted. Straps may not be your thing, but if you’re going to go that route I believe you cannot go wring with RubberB.

And a special thanks to Bergeon for making great tools to make this possible with little frustration.
Attachment 1147139

[synrrgy]

So nice, that looks like such a professional strap for an amazing watch. Makes the DSSD look even more massive. Have you used it in the water yet?

[Jona]

Thank you for sharing that extensive review! I had considered this strap for my new Panerai Submersible but couldn't figure out the construction from the website. And $300...

It seems oddly complex and i can't fathom what the design accomplishes. Seems thick. I bought a blue Panerai rubber strap instead for $170.

[Rashid.bk]

That looks like a lot of material for a purpose I quite don't comprehend. I think a big watch like a Deepsea will just get bigger with that, and it doesn't look good to me honestly, nogo for me.
It seems to serve some purpose for you that's cool, enjoy.

[lamnyc]

That’s a lot of strap material.

[JimBianchi]

I was looking at those today for my Tudor Heritage BB 41. I have the Everest Blue for it, but my 8.5 inch meant I had to boil and stretch it to get another 1/4 inch out of it to wear comfortably, but on the last notch.

I just could not get past the two-part design of the RubberB, so tonight I disassembled my spare Tudor leather with a OEM deployment clap and put it on the Everest. It fit and added another ALMOST 1/4 inch.

Looks good to.