Is your bracelet more important than your watch? The watch you wear expresses who you are and what you value. It is an extension of your tastes, your personal brand and demonstrates your values. However, choosing the watch is far more than choosing just the face or brand. An essential part of the brand is the band you are wearing.
It would be difficult to determine whether Rolex would be as popular a brand today if they never came out with the Oyster bracelet. What if they never developed the Jubilee bracelet? These bands have become synonymous with the Rolex brand.
If you want pure luxury, seeing a Jubilee band on your timepiece will boost the overall look of the timepiece itself. No matter what timepiece it is on. The colors pop, not unlike a diamond and the way colors reflect in its crystal.
However, if you want something a bit more sporty, the Oyster band certainly has a more masculine look and feel. It screams that you are ready for a higher form of athleticism.
Why is Your Bracelet More Important Than Your Watch?
Clearly the first thing you do when you look at selecting a timepiece is to select the face and functions you want to wear. Sportscar enthusiasts might like the Roger Dubuis or Rolex Daytona. The divers might select a Panerai Luminor Submersible or Rolex Submariner or Deep Sea. Avid travelers or pilots might go for a Rolex GMT Master II or Skydweller. And if you would want the ultimate in luxury, you might enjoy an Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe timepiece.
However, watches are meant to be worn, and not to sit like a piece of art on a wall. This is precisely what makes the bracelet more important than your watch. The band completes the watch. It introduces a unified connection to your wrist. A band must feel good, look good and perform to the exacting standards of the timepiece itself. It is true, that it is rare that proper homage is given to the bands of the timepieces they adorn. However, it is the band itself that can either sell the potential timepiece owner, or detract them from buying it at all.
The Watch Band Must Feel Good
Comfort is the most important thing to any watch owner. A watch that hurts is one that an owner will either not purchase or one they won’t wear. The band is often the 2nd most important thing a prospective watch owner will look at, after the face of the watch.
Rolex has spent many years enhancing their watch bands with the same kind of care and emphasis that they spend on their movement and cases. They have added the micro adjustment features for standard watches, and the advanced Glidelock clasp for the Sea Dweller models so that it is easy to put the timepiece on top of a wetsuit.
So, comfort is not just initial feel, but the ability to make quick adjustments to a band to make it feel better. Rolex knows that owner’s wrists may expand or contract over time. Perhaps you may feel like a bit tighter fit one day, and looser fit the next. Having to change links in the metal band is time consuming work. So, the 5 milometer adjustment system was a huge hit for Rolex owners. It allows you to make those quick adjustments on the fly in seconds.
Since all of Rubber B’s bands are made of pure Vulcanized rubber, it naturally has a comfortable feel. Vulcanized rubber feels good. It doesn’t get as hot as metal especially when doing outdoor activities in the sun. Since it doesn’t have any metal links, it won’t pinch the skin, or snag the hair on the wrist. And because it is easier to clean, the hypoalergenic properties make it more ideal than metal for people with sensitive skin.
Many Rubber B bands support the original deployant buckles that are offered by Rolex and other brands, so you can still take advantage of the quick release, or dive-watch features. Rubber B also provides Tang buckles which are easy to adjust. And they pioneered the Velcro Bands which are extremely easy to adjust.
The Watch Band Must Look Good
Great bands look great. They hold their shape. They retain their look. And they either complement the watch or enhance the overall look.
Rubber B has invested countless hours identifying complimentary colors to many of the most popular watches from almost every kind of Rolex to Panerai, Tudor, AP, Patek Philippe and now Roger Dubuis.
Color is critically important to watch owners. The first picture in this article is a Roger Dubuis timepiece. Although the watch is exquisite in every way, the red watch band ties beautifully with the touches of red throughout the timepiece. It races off the wrist with tremendous style that is eye candy to any observer.
The above green band on the all black Rolex Submariner gives the watch a more military feel to it. Even if you are not a jarhead yourself, the Pine Green gives the Submariner a toughness you couldn’t achieve with a standard metal band.
