Lost my Rolex on the golf course, it was miraculously found 2 days later!!

[David cote]

As I’m reading this I’m looking at my wrist!

At least it was found in his back on your rest where belongs...


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[24 nights]

congrats, happy for you

[cda555]

Very nice ending. Glad you got your watch back.

[R. Francis]

Nice save!

[asiparks]

I'm glad your watch came back intact, you said it slipped out of its hole, but for clarity, did the buckle pin actually break ?
If so, than let's throw any other pin buckled band out with the NATO bathwater while we're at it, as that was the point of failure.
Looking at the photo though with the two creases in it, it looks like there's plenty of strap to loop back through the keepers, so my guess is if it "slipped out of the hole" you did a half arsed job of putting it on this time ?

[lhawli]

Wow! Super happy for you. You must be a good man, cause karma did a full circle with you

I would like to say a thing or two about NATO straps. From your picture, I can see you had a generic NATO brand and doesn’t seem to be seatbelt materials.

These straps are more secure than bracelets or rubbers, but you need to get the quality ones.

The obvious answer is the Omega NATO but you can also get quality seatbelt NATO from PhenomeNato. I own both and it is a very close second.

The issue with cheap NATO is the material stretches and also mend, especially at the buckle. In addition, the buckle with cheap NATO use cheap spring bars, which warp and have lots of play, which I trust is exactly what happened in your case - the pin went around your tang buckle.

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[asiparks]

Originally Posted by lhawli

Wow! Super happy for you. You must be a good man, cause karma did a full circle with you

I would like to say a thing or two about NATO straps. From your picture, I can see you had a generic NATO brand and doesn’t seem to be seatbelt materials.

These straps are more secure than bracelets or rubbers, but you need to get the quality ones.

The obvious answer is the Omega NATO but you can also get quality seatbelt NATO from PhenomeNato. I own both and it is a very close second.

The issue with cheap NATO is the material stretches and also mend, especially at the buckle. In addition, the buckle with cheap NATO use cheap spring bars, which warp and have lots of play, which I trust is exactly what happened in your case - the pin went around your tang buckle.

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there are no shortage of quality, well made NATO's for well under $20. Those made by Timefactors in the UK are especially good. In the US, toxicnato are very well regarded

[Cru Jones]

Wow! What a story.

But, I'm now nervous about NATO straps....the buckle seems like the weak link.

[watchmavan]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

Wow! What a story.

But, I'm now nervous about NATO straps....the buckle seems like the weak link.

Are you serious!


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[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by watchmavan

Are you serious!


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Compared to a Rolex bracelet clasp, yes.

[socalwatchcollector]

Originally Posted by jguerra04

FYI, Mexicans can also drink non-Mexican beer.

Instantly thought the same thing when I read that.. My buddies who are hispanic give me hell every time I open a corona.

[watchmavan]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

Compared to a Rolex bracelet clasp, yes.

Better stop driving then. You may run out of petrol.


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[hart23]

lucky you, glad you got it back.

[benvh]

What a relief! And good on the gent who found it.

It reminds me, I found a man purse on the sidewalk the other day. Wallet, car keys, everything. Went through it all and found no phone number so I brought it to the nearby police station. A good reminder, put contact info in your wallet!

Ben

[ecaman]

Originally Posted by cdmorenot

Relax, if a man shows up at my job with (nearly impossible to find) Colombian beer, I'd hug him.

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^+2


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[1William]

Great story and an even better outcome.

[lhawli]

Originally Posted by asiparks

there are no shortage of quality, well made NATO's for well under $20. Those made by Timefactors in the UK are especially good. In the US, toxicnato are very well regarded

I think you may have missed my point. I’m not trying to publicize and market all brands, merely using them as an example to make my point and establish the baseline to good “seatbelt” NATO straps.

But you are correct, the ones your mentioned have good word on the street (forums), but my personal experience is with Omega, PhenomeNato and WatchGecko.

Cheers
L


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[douglasf13]

Originally Posted by lhawli

Wow! Super happy for you. You must be a good man, cause karma did a full circle with you

I would like to say a thing or two about NATO straps. From your picture, I can see you had a generic NATO brand and doesn’t seem to be seatbelt materials.

These straps are more secure than bracelets or rubbers, but you need to get the quality ones.

The obvious answer is the Omega NATO but you can also get quality seatbelt NATO from PhenomeNato. I own both and it is a very close second.

The issue with cheap NATO is the material stretches and also mend, especially at the buckle. In addition, the buckle with cheap NATO use cheap spring bars, which warp and have lots of play, which I trust is exactly what happened in your case - the pin went around your tang buckle.

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FWIW, you don’t want a strap like Omega’s NATO, because it uses a buckle with a pin. Part of the point of a NATO is getting a buckle that’s a single piece, because pins are a point of failure.

[lhawli]

Originally Posted by douglasf13

FWIW, you don’t want a strap like Omega’s NATO, because it uses a buckle with a pin. Part of the point of a NATO is getting a buckle that’s a single piece, because pins are a point of failure.

All buckles use a pin. I think you meant to say spring bar. I see your point, and there is some truth to it. The OP buckle used a spring bar and the failure was the pin!

Same could be said to all watches with leather straps and buckles. And let’s not forget that the lugs use spring bars also.

Lastly, the single piece NATO is not more secure if the material of the NATO stretches and tends. In addition the single piece buckle is bent into a closed loop, where the ends meet around where the pin is (to the left or right of it). That is within itself a week point if not soldered together.


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[douglasf13]

Originally Posted by lhawli

All buckles use a pin. I think you meant to say spring bar. I see your point, and there is some truth to it. The OP buckle used a spring bar and the failure was the pin!

Same could be said to all watches with leather straps and buckles. And let’s not forget that the lugs use spring bars also.

Lastly, the single piece NATO is not more secure if the material of the NATO stretches and tends. In addition the single piece buckle is bent into a closed loop, where he ends meet around where the pin it (to the left or right of it). That is within itself a week point if not soldered together.


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Whoops! Yeah, I meant spring bar, but had pin buckle on the mind. That’s exactly my point. NATOs with a single piece buckle allow for a spring bar failure without losing the watch, which normal straps and bracelets don’t allow for. Using a buckle with a spring bar defeats the purpose of a NATO.

[lhawli]

Originally Posted by douglasf13

Whoops! Yeah, I meant spring bar, but had pin buckle on the mind. That’s exactly my point. NATOs with a single piece buckle allow for a spring bar failure without losing the watch, which normal straps and bracelets don’t allow for. Using a buckle with a spring bar defeats the purpose of a NATO.

We are violently in agreement


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[hdrazor251]

Congratulations on getting it back. And good for you for giving out generous rewards for those involved in the return.

[dh116610]

Great story for the watch. Glad you found it.

[douglasf13]

Originally Posted by lhawli

We are violently in agreement


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[Ubiquitous1984]

Massive credit to the guy who handed it in. Many others would not have done. Great news on the happy ending!

[Nick time]

Awesome story! Lucky for you. Hats off to Miguel for saving the day!

[regnant]

Nice story and I'm glad you found your watch. Kudos to everyone who was involved in helping finding your watch. I dislike such straps and it comes down to saying that it's not safe to play golf with a nato strap attached to the watch ⌚
Happy

[watchmavan]

Originally Posted by regnant

Nice story and I'm glad you found your watch. Kudos to everyone who was involved in helping finding your watch. I dislike such straps and it comes down to saying that it's not safe to play golf with a nato strap attached to the watch

Happy

There are many different brands and quality of NATOS. Saying they're unsafe on a sample size of one is a bit far fetched. I've used them for 20 pdf years and owned hundreds or them without ever experiencing a problem.


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[douglasf13]

Originally Posted by regnant

Nice story and I'm glad you found your watch. Kudos to everyone who was involved in helping finding your watch. I dislike such straps and it comes down to saying that it's not safe to play golf with a nato strap attached to the watch ⌚
Happy

Naw, the whole point of a NATO is that it is more secure. This sounds like a freak accident or failure.

[Andrés G]

Originally Posted by franzy

I meant no disrespect at all. I got him a case of Victoria and he absolutely loved the gesture! I’m German and mostly prefer German beers (and German soccer!).

I always find amusing when people assume that all latinos are Mexican. Miguel could very well be from a totally different country, like many Miguels are.

I’m glad you found your watch.