TUDOR: The Fabric Strap

The fabric watch strap was initially worn by soldiers during active duties however, due to the nature of the job, the military sought a tougher and more hard-wearing strap to face the elements. They began to develop and test their own fabric straps, later standardised by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the early 1970s.

Today, the fabric strap is a favourite amongst bracelets within the TUDOR collection. The decision was made to re-format the fabric strap in order to create a stylish accessory for TUDOR’s modern collection of watches in 2009. Alongside the desire to create a beautiful looking strap, TUDOR wanted to make sure that the strap was still just as, and if not more, hard-wearing than its predecessors and perhaps most important of all, comfortable.

The TUDOR Style workshop joined forces with France based manufacturer Julien Faure, who produce some of the world's finest fabric ribbons to redesign the fabric strap for the modern era. TUDOR fabric straps are made by highly skilled artisans using a 150-year-old ‘Jacquard’ weaving technique, enhanced by cutting edge technology to not only create beautifully complex patterns, but ones that will stand the test of time. The ‘Jacquard’ weaving pattern produces a much denser weave compared to other methods, therefore creating a high thread count which ensures the sturdiness and flexibility of the strap. To further enhance durability, TUDOR incorporated small tunnels into the strap which the spring bars of the watch could be inserted in order to keep them fixed firmly in place, rather than sliding the strap through exposed spring bars. The redesigned straps are now adjustable in length and take inspiration from the seatbelt system featured within vintage sports cars.

The first TUDOR watch to receive this newly designed fabric strap was in fact the Heritage Chrono. A strong design featuring either a blue or black base colour with a striking orange stripe down the centre, this watch was, and continues to be, a hit with fans of the brand. Following this success, TUDOR began to introduce fabric straps onto many of their Black Bay and Sport watches. One notable variation is the blue jean fabric used on the Black Bay Chrono, creating a fantastically casual look to an otherwise very smart timepiece. The most recent addition is the Black Bay Fifty-Eight “Navy Blue”, which features a unique blue colour with a faded white pinstripe with pin buckle. Since 2010, fabric straps are available amongst many TUDOR models and offer the ultimate comfort, aesthetic and longevity of wear.

Our Wilmslow and Guildford showrooms both feature TUDOR and act as the perfect environment to explore the brand’s unique heritage, their pioneering creativity and the exceptional models included in their collection. If you would like to learn more about the TUDOR collection, please contact our dedicated team here.