# Artem NATO Straps



## kritameth (Oct 11, 2015)

I recently got in Artem’s newly released NATO G10 style straps and wanted to share some pictures and quick first impressions. Having been very impressed with their sailcloth range I was excited to see Artem expand their offerings; I, for one, would love to see more offerings in the strap world with Artem's quality standards. I was also excited it gave me a mighty fine excuse to finally wake up the sleeping Orange Monster!









If you’ve handled Artem’s sailcloth straps before the quality of these NATOs will be of no surprise. As far as this style of NATOs go, e.g. Omega, PhenomeNato, BluShark AlphaPremier, Cincy “SB”, these are the closest to Omega’s - which is often regarded as the industry standard - out of all the ones I’ve handled. The design wasn't just copied over, however, and Artem have actually taken the time to research and address common areas of complaints; namely, the
metal keeper loop of the 'underlayer' is sewn-in and covered by nylon on the underside, whereas on Omega's it is exposed and can dig into the wrist, causing discomfort. 

The weaves are tight and smooth with a slight sheen (with reenforced edges to prevent fraying), the stitchwork is neat and tidy, and on the wrist it’s about as comfortable as a NATO gets. The SS hardware is beautifully polished with no sharp edges/corners, with "ARTEM" neatly engraved on the 6 o'clock keeper loop, the holes are perfectly cut, and the tail is nicely rounded and sealed. These are premium NATOs, no two ways about it, and while that does reflect in the pricing, I believe they offer a compelling value proposition, considering how favorably they compare to Omega's and how much more those go for. 

These are currently offered in 20mm only, but I was told more sizes will be available in the future. The length is ~303mm (without buckle), and on my 7 1/8” wrist there is just about enough material to tuck the tail; by my estimation they should wear beautifully on wrists under 7”.


The NATO G10 STYLE NTTD pays tribute to the NATO strap introduced on the NTTD SMP. If, like me, you love the design, but find your eyes watering at the ~$350 price tag, do yourself a favor and check out Artem's. I’ve been known to entertain OEM strap pricing from time to time, but in no alternate universe could I see myself able to justify the nearly $300 price premium.









The classic/iconic black and grey stripes NATO G10 STYLE BOND needs no introduction.









A surprising favorite of mine, this NATO G10 STYLE RGB with the blue, grey and red stripes is as vibrant as it is fun!









Last, but certainly not least, the NATO G10 STYLE ORANGE PIN STRIPE complements the Orange Monster beautifully. 









It looks absolutely sensational on an Ultraman Speedy in this picture from Artem's Instagram.


----------



## WizardofWatch (Dec 12, 2018)

Those look great! Thanks for the review K!
Do you think they will work for 7.5” wrists, without having to tuck in the tail?


----------



## kritameth (Oct 11, 2015)

WizardofWatch said:


> Those look great! Thanks for the review K!
> Do you think they will work for 7.5” wrists, without having to tuck in the tail?


My pleasure! 

I did think about that, anything below 7" is peachy, but then there must be a very narrow range above that you where you could get away with not having to tuck at all. I can't answer definitively, but if I had to guess, going off the fact that it just about tucks on my 7 1/8" wrist, I would say your wrist size is probably it, but it'd be a different look for sure.


----------



## Nokie (Jul 4, 2011)

Very nice Krit. Love those colors. Looks great on your Monster.

Enjoy!


----------



## ThaWatcher (Feb 20, 2016)

Very informative review, thank you for that. I wasn't aware that they made nato straps. Just recently found out that they have a blue sailcloth available.


----------

