# Haveston Straps Review – The NATO for Non-NATOers



## kritameth (Oct 11, 2015)

_To preface, this particular write-up will only focus on Haveton's Service Series (Enhanced A2, Non-Enhanced A2, and Gen. Service Straps) and Corp. Canvas Series. However, for a more comprehensive look at their much more expansive offerings, both from within the two aforementioned series and others (Parade, HAV-IVA, and Squadron Leather Series) please check out their site, Welcome to Haveston. For those in the US, they are also available through Holben's and Windup Watch Shop._

When strap-junkie me was recently on a mini crusade to changeup the [admittedly amazeballs] bracelet on my GADA Pelagos for a strap, a lot of options crossed my mind. Rubber was an obvious choice (and some may recall I ended up going with the Crafter Blue, a fantastic option for Pelagos owners out there), but pretty soon after, I began to itch for a textile strap. Having had a few of such straps over the years I had a general idea of what I wanted for the Pelagos; I knew I wanted a passthrough to protect against spring bar failure (which ruled out straps like the NMD Hook Strap, even though I find them comfortable), but because of the Pelagos' slightly thicker case profile I wanted a single-pass layout, as opposed to the "double-pass" with most traditional NATOs. Entered Haveston, a brand which, surprising to me, has flown entirely below my radar up until very recently, and which ticks all the right boxes and then some.

Four things about Haveston really stand out to me. Firstly, while these straps may, on the surface, appear similar to traditional NATO straps, they are, in fact, quite unique in design, something which attracted me to them in the first place. They are textile passthrough straps, but that's essentially where the similarities end. It's been ingeniously re-engineered such that the buckle now sits towards the center underneath your wrist (as opposed to on the outside of the wrist as with most NATO straps), and the length is shorter such that the tail is secured by the [floating] keeper underneath the wrist like a normal leather strap, let's say, without needing to loop back on itself on the side of the wrist like with traditional NATO straps (something I only realized I never really cared for after having the Haveston). Secondly, the colors and designs are strongly military-inspired, with the inspiration behind each one presented on their respective product page; I find that very cool. Thirdly, from a quality standpoint – from the strap material, to the hardware, to the packaging – these are downright a bargain in my book; the strap that comes closest in terms of meeting the criteria is much more pricey Erika's Original MN, but, having owned a few, I actually prefer Haveston, and I think that's saying something. And fourthly, the sheer amount of options is a welcome sight, and not just the different colors/designs, strap series, or sizes, but Enhanced vs. Non-Enhanced, and Polished vs. Brushed vs. PVD hardware.

Let’s kick things off with the Carrier A2, which was the strap that introduced me to Haveston after seeing this photo of it on a Pelagos. The Carrier A2 is a "vintage Naval Aviation inspired pattern, based on the 1943 USN Tri-Color camouflage scheme found on carrier based aircraft in the Pacific Theatre of WWII." It's exactly what I was looking for, it's very comfortable, thin but rugged at the same time, and the design/colors complement the Pelagos beautifully IMO.








































Within the A2 Service Series you may also have to decide between Enhanced and Non-Enhanced versions, depending on the particular strap and size. Here is an Enhanced Fortress-B A2 paired with my Orange Monster. Something to note, on watches with tight clearance between the case and spring bars the Enhanced version may require the spring bars to be removed for installation, and that's because the leather additions that further fortifies the end of the strap and around the holes also add some thickness; not a big deal by any stretch, just thought it’s worth mentioning. Though I personally quite like the stripped-down look of the Non-Enhanced version, I must admit, the Enhanced version does have a slightly more upscale/refined look and feel to it.

























Also within Service Series are the awesome General Service straps, which I feel could even be a series in and of itself. “Constructed of traditional ballistic nylon, the Gen. Service Straps feature a captive (no springbar) bead blasted Zulu steel buckle for greater water resistance, pad reinforced hole settings for extra durability, floating fabric secondary keeper for easy tail stowage and retention, and unique subdued designation markings.” Roughly translated, and do pardon my French, it’s badass. From the beadblasted Zulu hardware to the heavier-duty ballistic nylon, these complement the tool-ish vibe of the Pelagos to a tee. The reinforcement gusset around the holes and heavy-duty printing along the strap are cool touches. They've been my default go-to when the going gets rough. The Admiralty Grey pairing in particular is a testament to the keen eyes of Alex - Haveston Straps’ founder and creator, and a serious watch enthusiast - who specially handpicked it for my blue Pelagos. If you can’t decide on a color or design, shoot Alex an email, I know he’d be more than happy to share his insightful thoughts.

















The black General Service is lethal. One thing to note about the General Service straps, due to the wide single keeper, on my 7 1/8" wrist the tail just about makes it through the keeper, so it might not look the best on upper-7" wrists. That said, in all the straps I'm just about in the middle of the holes, so they will accommodate a very wide range of wrists.









Last, though certainly not least, is the Corp. Canvas Series; more specifically, the M-1944C Canvas, “a rugged cotton canvas strap based on the shade ref. OD No.7 found in US field equipment in 1944 service.” The Corp. Canvas Series is perfect for those looking for something a tad thicker, and I find it suits the winter months perfectly. It has a slightly more substantial feel compared to the A2 Service Series. Fortunately the added thickness is imperceivable on-wrist. It did have a break-in period of around two or three wears before it became pliable and conforms nicely to the wrist. On my particular version the keepers are also canvas, which is a neat look. Though these would pair even more excellently with field and pilot watches (something I'll be sure to put to the test if/when I get my IWC), I think it still looks the part on the Pelagos.

















So there you have it. If you’ve been on the fence about NATO/NATO-style straps, perhaps because of the added thickness, the bulky-ish look, etc., I highly recommend taking a look at Haveston, you won't be disappointed.


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## Stelwick (Nov 6, 2020)

Fantastic review! My cousin swears by Haveston; it's the only NATO he wears. I may have to give them another look.


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## JodyDavis (Nov 19, 2019)

Great review! I really like their canvas straps, which go great with pilot/field watches. Will now have to try the nylon straps you reviewed. 











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## AFG08 (Mar 31, 2010)

I’m a fan of Haveston as well. I cut the keeper strap off on the parade series to turn it into a single pass strap. I particularly like the shorter 270mm length so I don’t have to fold the tail back under the keepers. These are good looking straps and very comfortable.


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## dberg (Jan 7, 2014)

I would love to see some of these in 2-piece designs. I like the convenience of a one-piece strap, but hate how it makes the case ride taller.


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## Bonzodog (Oct 31, 2019)

Another Haveston fan here,both nylon and canvas are great value imho.


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## Nokie (Jul 4, 2011)

Really nice review Krit. Excellent pictures as well.

Nice job.


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## bigvic (May 15, 2010)

dberg said:


> I would love to see some of these in 2-piece designs. I like the convenience of a one-piece strap, but hate how it makes the case ride taller.


There are different ways of wearing a NATO so that it doesn't go under your watch, no right or wrong way despite what some folks say. I wear a NATO both ways depending on the case size.


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## chimin (Oct 7, 2017)

Haveston rules and deserves more reviews like yours, thank you. One of mine (where draw the line?!) says hello.


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## GrouchoM (Jul 11, 2013)

bigvic said:


> There are different ways of wearing a NATO so that it doesn't go under your watch, no right or wrong way despite what some folks say. I wear a NATO both ways depending on the case size.


How do you wear a (standard length) Nato without it going under your watch? 

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## bigvic (May 15, 2010)

GrouchoM said:


> How do you wear a (standard length) Nato without it going under your watch?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk


I should've said one pass under the watch instead of two, it does make quite the difference and the case sit better on the wrist.


https://watchient.com/nato-straps/


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## K42 (Jun 22, 2009)

Awesome review. I'm definitely a non-NATOer. Glad to see they offer 18mm width.


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## Xerxes300 (Jul 3, 2017)

General service for me. I love that you can buy all four colors in one shot.











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## jpet1919 (Oct 6, 2021)

I've got my eyes on the General Service, thanks for the PSA about Haverston, haven't seen them before! I've a Marathon GSAR and if using a NATO will only use single pass ones, as double pass makes it that much taller on the wrist.


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## SimpleWatchGuy (Jan 23, 2020)

The A2 and canvas straps 😍😍


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## Roningrad (Aug 2, 2018)

Thanks for the review. Love the 1943 USN tri-color. Would love to try one of those.


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## Xerxes300 (Jul 3, 2017)

Love the parade ‘51 series and the general service 











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