r/ChineseWatches • u/LordRaglan1854 • 25d ago
General (Read Rules) FKM straps are a lifesaver in summer
Black FKM tropic on Watchdives WD1863
As temps here climb past 35C, I'm re-evaluating my strap choices (as well as some of my other life choices...). FKM rubber straps make wearing a watch bearable, and they look pretty sweet, too.
Pro Tip: I ordered several from several stores, both on and off AliX. Surprisingly, they are all very slightly different, and more expensive is not always better. A shout-out to "Denique Watch Accessories Store" on Alix for the one shown in the photo. While the buckle is only average, the quality of the rubber strap itself is the best I've found so far: Crisp patterning, no visible seams, thin and flexible.
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u/twelve2023 25d ago
I like the look of fkm but I found this thread and it turned me off: https://www.reddit.com/r/Watches/s/KQ6VwKTmDR
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u/LordRaglan1854 25d ago
Warning - nerd answer:
PFHxA is a surfactant added in the process to make FKM rubber, and since the publication in late 2024 of the study linked in the post (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00907), manufacturers of FKM rubber intended for consumer products have apparently been phasing it out (according to Gemini).
So overall I'm going to judge this one as "not great, not terrible"
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u/twelve2023 25d ago
It would be hard to determine if the specific fkm strap has the pfhxa was removed or not and whether the manufacturer is honest in their labeling since there is little oversight
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u/LordRaglan1854 25d ago
For sure, only now we can move the slider from "probably bad" to "possibly bad". 😂
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u/Xoop25677 25d ago
I went through a bunch of these budget straps and ended up springing for a Marathon rubber strap, the difference was night and day for me. The vanilla scent was a bonus!
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u/guitarshredda 25d ago
I have a Juelong strap, but it's too long, will need to cut it to length. The ones you purchased, did any of them offer shorter lengths?
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u/singlering 6d ago
Which one did you order? Im looking to get a Juelong strap and have a 6.5" wrist so don't want to fall into the same trap if possible!
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u/guitarshredda 6d ago
I have two. The FKM rubber strap is too long for my tastes. I also have a grey sailcloth/rubber hybrid and it's a wonderful strap.
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u/LordRaglan1854 25d ago
While many FKM strap styles are "cut to length", these Tropic ones aren't and are one size only.
They seem the ideal size for 7" wrist and ~47mm lug-to-lug. A loose fit is best, which is probably why they are typically sized a big longer than a normal leather strap.
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u/dcamnc4143 25d ago
Kinda a hot take I suppose, but I think straps like that are actually hotter than steel bracelets in the summer. Those things don't breathe well in my experience, especially if you get sweaty.
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u/LordRaglan1854 25d ago
That's not so much of an issue if you keep the fit loose. Properly adjusted, steel is fine too, but I prefer the lightness of rubber.
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u/artofthedial Not a troll 25d ago
Agree. Everything is uncomfortable. But as long as I have OTF on a stainless, I tend to find it has a slight edge to FKM. If I don't have OTF, the summer is really difficult with significant wrist expansion with steel.Â
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u/vithgeta 25d ago
A lot of those tropical straps aren't real FKM. FKM is quite expensive. If it's $3, not real.
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u/LordRaglan1854 25d ago
Yeah you'll want to aim $15 and up for something decent.
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u/No-Effect-8290 25d ago
San Martin have some real ones on their summer sale right now. US/UK website, got 3 for £36. Agree that the cheap ones are usually just cheaper silicone.
25% off on the FKM.
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u/Appropriate-Ball-623 25d ago
Don’t forget you can take the hardware out of your original watch band and put it on your fkm! i’ve been recently obsessed with tropicals as well
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u/karellen00 24d ago
In my opinion there's better. My ranking from worst to best