Stripes or Solids, Choosing a Nylon Strap Color That Works on Your Watch

Nylon is the one strap material where color does most of the work. The construction is the same from one strap to the next, the hardware is the same, and the only real decision is what color goes under the watch. That decision splits into two. Stripes, or solids.

Here’s how to choose between them, and which to pick once you have.

When a solid is the right call

A solid nylon strap is the quiet option. It adds texture without adding a second color, so the watch stays the point. Solids suit watches with busy dials, watches with colored bezels, and anyone who wants the strap to disappear under a cuff.

Black is the one to own first. It works with every dial and every case and it’s the strap you reach for when you don’t want to think. Navy is second and does the same job with slightly more warmth. Gray is the choice for silver and slate dials, and for anyone who finds black too heavy on a small watch.

Khaki green is the field watch strap and the one that makes a diver look like it’s been somewhere. Burgundy is the solid that surprises people. On a black dial with cream lume it looks vintage and expensive. Sandstone is the summer strap and the one for bronze and gold cases.

All six are in Artem’s nylon watch straps collection, on hardware in polished, brushed or black.

When a stripe is the right call

A striped strap is a decision to add color. It suits watches with plain dials that can take it, which usually means black, white or blue dials with simple markers. The stripe does what a colored bezel does on a diver. It gives the eye somewhere to go.

The classic is the Bond, navy with gray. It’s the most recognizable strap pattern in the hobby and it works on nearly any black or blue dial. The NTTD is a more recent variation with warmer tones that suits brown and khaki dials. The Vintage Bond leans faded and suits older watches and anything with cream lume. The Blue Bond and Summer Blue are brighter and belong on white dials in warm weather. The Commander adds red and suits any dial with a red accent. The Atlantic Blue is the deep blue option for blue dial divers. There’s also an orange pin stripe for watches with orange on the dial.

The rule for stripes is simple. One of the stripe colors should already be on the watch. A Commander on a watch with a red seconds hand looks deliberate. The same strap on a plain gray dial looks like a guess.

Matching the hardware

Nylon hardware shows more than hardware on other straps because the buckle and three keepers are all visible. Match it to the case. Brushed steel suits most sports watches. Polished suits watches with polished cases and dress leaning pieces. Black suits PVD, DLC and ceramic cases and gives any strap a stealthier look. Artem offers all three across the range, and the choice changes the strap more than most people expect.

Pairings that reliably work

Black dial diver with a Bond. The classic for a reason.

Blue dial on a navy solid. Quiet and correct.

White dial chronograph on a Summer Blue or Blue Bond. Fresh without being loud.

Field watch on khaki green. Looks issued.

Black dial with cream lume on burgundy or Vintage Bond. The vintage pairing.

Bronze case on sandstone. The only nylon that warms a yellow metal.

Any watch with a red accent on a Commander.

Pairings to avoid

A stripe on a stripe. If the dial or bezel already has a pattern, go solid.

Bright stripes on a dress watch. The proportions are wrong before the color even comes into it.

Black nylon on bronze. Too cold. Use sandstone or khaki instead.

Owning more than one

The honest answer to stripes or solids is both. Nylon is the strap material built for swapping. It goes on and off without touching the spring bars, so a solid for the week and a stripe for the weekend costs about a minute of effort. Artem’s straps are cut in three sizes, 18mm, 19.5mm and 21.5mm, that between them cover lugs from 18mm to 22mm, so one set of straps serves most of a collection.

Where to start

If you own one watch and want one strap, buy black or navy. If you want two, add a Bond. If you want a third, let the dial choose. Every strap at Artem Straps carries a two year warranty and thirty day returns, which makes trying a stripe you’re unsure about a small risk rather than a big one. Most people who try one don’t send it back. They buy another.