Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll review a bunch of new straps from the watch accessories label Luffwatchstrap.
Luffwatchstrap specialises in offering affordable fabric straps, though over the years it has also expanded into rubber and leather straps as well. I reviewed Luff’s straps before, but that was 5 years ago. When the brand reached out and asked if I would look at some of its latest offerings, I thought it was a great opportunity to see how far Luffwatchstrap has come. Let’s see if its latest straps are any good.
Luffwatchstrap – Video Review
If you’re interested in seeing some hands-on footage of the straps, do check out my Youtube review of Luffwatchstrap’s latest offerings below:
Luffwatchstrap Review – Heat-welded Mafia Straps
First are the heat-welded mafia straps, currently available in admiralty grey, bond, vintage grey, and jungle green colourways.
What are “mafia straps”? Well, that’s what Luffwatchstrap calls its mil-spec NATO straps, which were popular pairings with vintage Rolex Submariners back in the day. Today, these straps are still best paired with tool watches, such as an Omega Seamaster or a Tudor Black Bay.
Unlike most modern NATO straps, mil-spec NATO straps are much smoother to the touch due to their high thread count. This translates to a silky feel on the wrist, giving it an elevated touch.
The interesting aspect of these heat-welded straps is the lack of stitching, which gives the strap a sleek, minimalist look.
And at just 1.1mm thick, the heat-welded mafia straps lend themselves to vintage-inspired watches, such as my Tudor Black Bay 58. It allows the watch to be worn low on the wrist, unlike some NATO straps that can become a bulky mess.
Luffwatchstrap’s mafia straps have a lovely weave that, when coupled with the stitchless nature, allows for a striking but clean complement to vintage-inspired watches. I paired them on my Tudor Black Bay 58 925 Silver, and found both straps to work like a charm. These straps cost only US$15/~S$20 (after the promo code below), making them great bang for buck.
Luffwatchstrap Review – Signature Canvas Straps
Up next are Luffwatchstrap’s canvas straps, which the brand says are amongst some of its most popular.
Luffwatchstrap’s canvas straps come in three variants: vintage canvas, woven canvas, and honeycomb canvas – the brand sent me the first two to test out. Luff says its canvas straps are meant to pay homage to “the rugged allure of vintage military bags”.
Some canvas straps can feel rough on the skin – I’m pleased to report that’s not the case here with Luff’s canvas straps. The canvas material used here is of quality, and is comfortable on the skin. So far, the straps have been quite durable as well.
The canvas straps come in a variety of colourways, such as natural khaki, grey, and even green. However, I find the khaki/sand colours to be the best – it’s most representative of canvas after all. On the woven variant, the brown colourway allows for the natural beauty of the weave to shine through. As such, I prefer it slightly to its vintage canvas counterpart.
The canvas straps are 1.4mm thick (as compared to 1.1mm of the mafia straps). As such, these straps are more appropriate for thicker watches, such as chronographs or dive watches. Nevertheless, I still find them to pair better with vintage watches, rather than modern timepieces.
Due to their increased thickness, the canvas straps are also slightly pricier than the mafia straps, coming in at US$21/~S$28 (after the promo code below). That’s roughly 40% more expensive than the mafia straps, which is a substantial difference. I believe Luff’s canvas straps are still good value – just perhaps not as much of a steal as the mafia straps are.
Luffwatchstrap Review – FKM Rubber Straps
Last but not least, I take a look at a pair of Luff’s FKM rubber straps – one of its newest introductions.
Luffwatchstrap offers a curation of four FKM rubber straps: the SkinDiver Tropic FKM rubber strap, the Tropic FKM rubber strap, the Waffle FKM rubber strap, and the Bevel Edge FKM rubber strap. The brand sent me the two tropic variants to review, which I believe to be the best two models available.
For the uninitiated, skin divers refer to dive watches with smaller and slimmer profiles. To complement the svelter silhouette, Luff’s SkinDiver Tropic FKM rubber strap tapers aggressively from 20mm to 16mm, giving the watch a sleeker look.
In contrast, the regular Tropic FKM rubber strap features a more gradual taper, tapering from 20mm to 18mm. As such, it’s better suited for chunkier watches.
However, both straps are made from Swiss-grade Fluoro-Elastomer (FKM) rubber, which offers superb durability and water resistance. Luffwatchstrap also states that its FKM straps are “non-toxic, non-marking, non-allergen and does not attract dust”.
The rubber straps were very comfortable on the wrist, being soft and supple with no break-in time required. As such, I believe the FKM rubber straps are great value propositions for just US$27/~S$36 (after the promo code below). They give much more expensive rubber straps a good run for their money, that’s for sure.
Conclusion – so Luffwatchstrap “shiok” or not?
I wanted to see how far Luffwatchstrap has grown in these five years, and it’s clear that the brand has matured significantly. When I first reviewed Luff’s straps in 2019, the straps were decent for the price, but nothing that you can’t find elsewhere. Today, the brand’s curation of offerings is much more thoughtful, and Luff has carved out a niche for itself offering affordable straps for dive/tool watches. In particular, I find the mafia straps to be splendid value for money, while the FKM Tropic rubber straps are some of the best I’ve used as well. If you’re trying to zhng your watch without breaking the bank, Luffwatchstrap is a compelling option.
Those interested in purchasing from Luffwatchstrap can use the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy a 10% discount off all items from its webstore. After the discount, the mafia straps would cost S$20, the canvas straps a mere S$28, and the tropic rubber strap just S$36. That’s very affordable, especially by today’s standards. And as the icing on the cake, Luffwatchstrap has the cutest packaging I’ve seen – a tin box with a whimsical print that reminds me of Bioshock. What’s not to like?
View the Mafia Straps here.
View the Signature NATO Straps here.
View the FKM rubber straps here.
View the full range of Luffwatchstrap’s offerings here.
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P.P.P.P.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or appr
