Summer can be a particularly difficult time for watch straps for multiple reasons. The hot weather makes for sweaty wrists which can damage leather and build up grime on metal bracelets. At the same time we find ourselves outdoors more often, exposing our watches to bumps, scrapes and in the case of dive watches, chlorine and salt. Is there even a watch strap out there that can effortlessly handle such a barrage? Well, yes, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this article. It’s the Artem Straps Loop-less™ HydroFlex™.
The concept behind the Loop-less™ HydroFlex™ was to create a stylish looking strap that is equipped to deal with all circumstances while retaining comfort and convenience. That’s a tall ask. However, Artem found the solution by developing their own proprietary FKM-rubber compound produced over an eight-hour mixing process with dual-stage vulcanisation at extreme temperatures, called HydroFlex™.
The resulting rubber is extremely durable while also being soft and supple, giving you optimal comfort from day one while also being resistant to sweat, salt water and sun. While there are lots of rubber straps that offer similar capabilities, what sets the HydroFlex™ apart is its equally immaculate sense of style. It’s been designed with a fabric texture that emulates the surface of a sailcloth strap, which is the foundation Artem Straps was built on. Most rubber straps are flat, modern, sporty things in lurid colours but Artem’s has the genuine look of a fabric strap – almost like an illusion. That’s what provides it so much versatility because you can wear it in the boardroom and no one will notice that it’s rubber.
I briefly mentioned colour above and the Artem Straps Loop-less™ HydroFlex™ is available in a wide selection, each with a cool moniker inspired by space. For your more traditional sailcloth aesthetics you have Dark Matter Edition and Event Horizon Edition, which are black with either black or white stitching respectively. There’s then your classic grey and brown with Lunar Ash Edition and Nebula Dust Edition. You can also opt for one of the bolder, more colourful choices such as Cosmic Tide Edition (blue), Blood Moon Edition (red), Orbital Moss Edition (green), Nova Light Edition (white), Solar Flare Edition (orange), and Titan Dune Edition (beige).
We’ve talked about what HydroFlex™ is and the variety of colours, but there’s one more thing in the strap’s name that needs addressing. What does Loop-Less™ mean? In short, it refers to the fact that these are deployant clasp straps rather than your typical pin buckle. We actually recently published a complete guide to types of clasp if you want more information on the wealth of styles out there.
A deployant clasp essentially takes a folding clasp of the style you commonly see on a metal bracelet and presents it on a fabric or rubber strap. It means there’s no fiddly keeper loops (hence Loop-Less™) and once you set the size to your preference, you simply slide the watch onto your wrist, shut the clasp and away you go. Artem create two styles of clasp that can be fitted to the Loop-less™ HydroFlex™, either in exposed steel or with a DLC coating. Alternatively, it’s compatible with deployant clasps from existing watch brands with Artem giving the example of the OEM Omega clasp.
The Loop-less™ HydroFlex™ is also available at six different sizes to fit lug widths of between 18mm – 22mm with varying tapers. It also comes with quick release spring bars, making swapping the straps onto your watch easy. All that remains is the price, £187. That’s around what you expect for a premium watch strap that should last you a lifetime with sensible use. Artem’s customers evidently thinks so as the brand have had to implement a two straps per customer limitation due to their popularity, to ensure a fair chance for everyone to purchase one.
More details at Artem Straps.
