# PhenomeNato: The World's Best Nato (In-Depth)



## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

*Review of the PhenomeNato Strap *​
I just received my PhenomeNato today, and have only good things to say. First thing's first, go buy one (or a few) before the stock is gone and more need to be made.

*THE BOX*
This is the first nato I have ever purchased that came in its own little box. It's really quite a neat, tidy, and handsome little thing, and it secures the PhenomeNato in place. The metal keepers are even covered by a plastic protectant to make sure they arrive in prestine condition.

*Box Rating: 10/10 *
*










THE APPEARANCE/STYLE:*
This nato nailed the shimmer that was once unique to Omega natos. The fabric looks incredibly plush and, not surprisingly, it actually is. The rectangular stainless steel keepers look fantastic and are professionally polished. The look of the hardware and fabric work together to create a really sharp look.

*Rating: 10/10 *

*THE FABRIC: *
I've owned quite a few different natos from brands such as Timefactors, Toxic Natos, Amazon no-name natos, Omega natos, and CountyComm Maratac natos to name a few. The PhenomeNato and Omega nato straps are the top two amongst all of these, and this is a no brainer.

The fabric is incredibly soft, yet durable. It is a tight fabric weave that looks very similar to the weave found in seatbelts. The edges are tied off with a slightly thicker fabric to reduce potential fraying on the edges. The end of the strap is cut cleanly and sealed just as well as my Omega nato. The stitching looks impeccable - it is tightly woven and evenly spaced.

The tongue holes are cut very well, and the insides of the cuts are also sealed to reduce potential fraying. The tongue fits into the hole without much tension at all (unlike most natos) which should increase the lifespan of the holes and also reduce potential fraying.

The holes are, perhaps, the one spot in which the Omega outshines the PhenomeNato. I believe the holes on the Omega are a little bit more symmetrical - that is, they are cut in perfect circles. The PhenomeNato holes appear to be not quite as cleanly cut, though still entirely acceptable and better than any other nato I have seen (except the Omega).

*Rating: 10/10 *










*THE HARDWARE:*
This is an easy 10/10. The keeper closest to the buckle is known as a "floating keeper", and this allows one to adjust this keeper when putting on the strap. It makes fitting the strap and un-bunching it in the "tucking site" infinitely easier.

The buckle on this strap is not a springbar buckle, but rather a fixed buckle which is traditionally used for most nato straps. I prefer the fixed buckle over the springbar buckle because it is one less potential week point. On the Omega, the buckle is a spring bar buckle, and in my opinion, this is a negative.

As said earlier, the hardware is finished very well. I have not personally seen a PhenomeNato with a brushed finish, but if it is as nice as the polished hardware, then I would not be disappointed.

*Rating: 10/10*










*CLOSING REMARKS: *
I cannot state this as fact, but I believe that the PhenomeNato is now the best nato on the market for the money. It is beautiful, well-constructed, and functions at a new level with the floating keeper.

PhenomeNatos are priced at $40.00 USD. In every sense (less the tongue holes by a fraction of a point), the PhenomeNato is every bit as good as the Omega nato straps, and for a long time, Omega has been considered amongst many to create the best natos on the market. Omega natos are about $185. That means they are 463% the price of a PhenomeNato ($185 / $40 = 4.625). If someone is willing to pay a 463% price premium for an engraved buckle, then so be it.

@WiZARD7, the entrepreneur behind PhenomeNato, excellent job. I hope this business takes off for you and I think you've just set a new standard (at a realistic price) for the nato industry. Three cheers for PhenomeNato!


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## WiZARD7 (Apr 4, 2012)

Thank you for the fair review 

I'm very sorry, that you've got a piece, that is not perfect (off-center holes). This piece shouldn't have slipped through my quality control. I'll contact you in PM, to solve it.


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## aRe (Nov 21, 2015)

14 days to ship, currently? Is that just a conservative number or will it really take 14 days?


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## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

Took me 14 days. So based off of my experience, yes!


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## bjjkk (Oct 20, 2011)

The straps are shipping from Hungary, i think. From my experience from ordering from overseas ten days or so is about ball park.


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## bigshowrenfro (Apr 27, 2016)

I would have to say for the person willing to spend 40.00 on a NATO with 14 day shipping so be it. 


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## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

bigshowrenfro said:


> I would have to say for the person willing to spend 40.00 on a NATO with 14 day shipping so be it.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Good things come with patience.


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## SimpleWatchMan (Apr 25, 2014)

Great review. |>

Hard to imagine me spending $40 on a nato. But from your review, I just might.


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## WiZARD7 (Apr 4, 2012)

aRe said:


> 14 days to ship, currently? Is that just a conservative number or will it really take 14 days?


Unfortunately I don't have a big stock. I'm trying to buils, but now most of the straps are made by order. So it depends on the order date...

Later when I'll have them in stock, I'll be able to ship faster.


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## the_Dentist (Dec 19, 2008)

Was this review about the regular or the HD version?


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## WiZARD7 (Apr 4, 2012)

the_Dentist said:


> Was this review about the regular or the HD version?


I think it is the regular.


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## interdrama (May 11, 2016)

How is this vs OEM Tudor?


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## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

interdrama said:


> How is this vs OEM Tudor?


I don't have experience handling OEM Tudor. However, I truly believe this is the best nato on the market in terms of a quality-price ratio, hence all of the 10/10 ratings. A comment on my Reddit post mentioned that my review didn't seem honest because of this, but to me, the PhenomeNato is a new benchmark in the luxury nato market.

It should also be noted: the PhenomeNato is one to be compared to luxury brand natos - Omega, Tudor, and Blancpain. You can't really compare these directly to say TimeFactors or ToxicNatos because (1) it's a completely different type of nato and (2) it's in a different price range.

So, going back to your question: I don't know how it compares. However, I do know that it's at least 98% as good for about 1/4 of the price. If that doesn't do it for you, I dunno what will.

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## interdrama (May 11, 2016)

Ffej4 said:


> I don't have experience handling OEM Tudor.
> 
> I do know that it's at least 98% as good for about 1/4 of the price. If that doesn't do it for you, I dunno what will.


My friend how can you possibly say it is at least 98% as good as the Tudor if you've never even touched it? What can you possibly base your opinion on?


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## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

interdrama said:


> My friend how can you possibly say it is at least 98% as good as the Tudor if you've never even touched it? What can you possibly base your opinion on?


Haha, fair and understandable criticism! I'm basing my statement off of pure confidence. This is 99% as good as the Omega, and I've heard time and time again that Omega makes the best nato in the world, so I'm quite sure that the PhenomeNato is 98% as good as the Tudor.

If you see the logic behind my madness, then great, otherwise I can try and explain further. 

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## aRe (Nov 21, 2015)

You've convinced me, my order is in. :-!


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## kuetipp (Dec 2, 2011)

Nice review, I have one in the mail and this makes me excited to test it out


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## GodZji (Jan 31, 2011)

Should I give it a try?


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## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

GodZji said:


> Should I give it a try?


Absolutely.

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## Cosmodromedary (Jul 22, 2015)

Where are these ordered from?


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## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

Cosmodromedary said:


> Where are these ordered from?


PhenomeNato.com.

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## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

I've been consistently wearing this strap and still have absolutely no fraying. I am very impressed! 


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## searunn (May 12, 2016)

I would love to own one as well the only thing holding me back is the price but i guess it's worth it.


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## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

It's totally worth it. I would comfortably say that this is 2-3x nicer and more comfortable than a traditional nato strap, which is really impressive. These straps don't make marginal improvements to natos, they make a tremendous improvement and put a new standard on natos, IMO.


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## Mike123456 (Nov 21, 2014)

Thank you for this thread. I'm a huge fan of NATO straps and thess look like a game changer.

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## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

Mike123456 said:


> Thank you for this thread. I'm a huge fan of NATO straps and thess look like a game changer.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


You're very welcome! And I certainly believe these are. Omega was the game changer, but they were out of most people's price range. These are much more accessible to the general market in terms of price and ease of ordering.

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## Mike123456 (Nov 21, 2014)

Ffej4 said:


> You're very welcome! And I certainly believe these are. Omega was the game changer, but they were out of most people's price range. These are much more accessible to the general market in terms of price and ease of ordering.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Oh, I have multiple Omega straps, but I also have several watches so I can nevet have too many NATO straps 

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## swoley (Apr 4, 2015)

I've been searching and waiting for a significantly better than the average NATO quality but not at the Omega NATO price point, saw a reddit thread on these a few weeks ago and started searching for reviews and the original thread of these being deleted. Glad to see this review here, and it's convinced me to grab a bond NATO for my speedy. Cheers!


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## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

swoley said:


> I've been searching and waiting for a significantly better than the average NATO quality but not at the Omega NATO price point, saw a reddit thread on these a few weeks ago and started searching for reviews and the original thread of these being deleted. Glad to see this review here, and it's convinced me to grab a bond NATO for my speedy. Cheers!


Heck yeah! Don't forget to post pics when it arrives!

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## Watches503 (Mar 7, 2013)

Best NATO ever. Rocking the grey long today. 
Cloudy day so can't really show how beautiful it is. 

































Adding a few more shots from the old place. Last day ever here.


































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## mesaboogie18 (Jul 18, 2013)

How long did shipping take for you guys? Mine was shipped 2 weeks ago and according to the tracking was sent abroad on 12 November, but I haven't received it yet.


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## Watches503 (Mar 7, 2013)

mesaboogie18 said:


> How long did shipping take for you guys? Mine was shipped 2 weeks ago and according to the tracking was sent abroad on 12 November, but I haven't received it yet.


I'm not trying to be insensitive here but just sharing my experience with international orders.

I learned to just pay and forget it. Best advice I can give you.

I've ordered from China, and received it in 5 days (with the cheapest option) but have also ordered from different China seller and received 3 weeks later.

Ordered straps from Portugal that took 8-9 days while some other people I know received them 3-4 weeks later.

Ordered from Singapore and received 7 days later but other times 2 weeks.

I'm not into paying extra for faster shipping so I just pay and forget it. Then it's a pleasant surprise when they arrive, even if it's a month later.

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## Watches503 (Mar 7, 2013)

Going for bike with the newly arrived Sharkey Tuna and grey phenomenato showing some sweat 

I'll be washing it shortly.

























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## mesaboogie18 (Jul 18, 2013)

mesaboogie18 said:


> How long did shipping take for you guys? Mine was shipped 2 weeks ago and according to the tracking was sent abroad on 12 November, but I haven't received it yet.


Actually received my strap yesterday


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## Watches503 (Mar 7, 2013)

Awesome ! Congrats ! 


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## Jallen82 (Jul 24, 2010)

I've never been a NATO guy but that does look really nice


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## ltcopley (Jan 31, 2009)

Got mine yesterday (Bond HD 20mm) but its too long! I guess Im right in between wrist sizes. Beautiful strap though and well worth the money. I already ordered a short version and have posted the other one for sale in the strap forum for anyone that wants theirs without having to wait a few weeks.


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## Crezo (Apr 3, 2012)

These look fantastic! The dark blue will be perfect for my blackbayish blue! They look like they are a much softer material than the nylon/plasticy standard natos, can anyone confirm?

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## Crezo (Apr 3, 2012)

Just ordered the dark blue, comes in at £40 Inc vat and postage, but does look superb. Will drop some feedback once it's arrived.

Thanks for the headsup about these.

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## zaratsu (Jul 27, 2013)

ltcopley said:


> Got mine yesterday (Bond HD 20mm) but its too long! I guess Im right in between wrist sizes. Beautiful strap though and well worth the money. I already ordered a short version and have posted the other one for sale in the strap forum for anyone that wants theirs without having to wait a few weeks.


What wrist size are you? I'm 6.5, right on the borderline, and unsure which size to get

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## blurred (Jul 7, 2009)

These look great, going to have to order some up


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## WiZARD7 (Apr 4, 2012)

WhiteRain said:


> What wrist size are you? I'm 6.5, right on the borderline, and unsure which size to get


It depends on the watch also, for a smaller watch I think maybe the short is enough, for a bigger, thicker watch maybe you should choose the long one.


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## dhtjr (Feb 7, 2013)

WhiteRain said:


> What wrist size are you? I'm 6.5, right on the borderline, and unsure which size to get
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


My wrist is also 6.5 and I got the short. Still enough strap to tuck back, and the sliding keeper makes all the difference. I suppose the long would work too, but I didn't want too much tail to tuck back. The strap is really nice and worth every cent of the price.


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## Crezo (Apr 3, 2012)

Mine just arrived today, and blown away. This feels more like a fabric strap than your typical nylon plastucy natos.

almost like the tudor one, but a much smoother weave - and not made by French master weavers that make things for the Vatican 

Really impressed with quality, I've got a just under 7" wrist and went for the short. I usually cut the excess off and re seal the ends on natos so it just sits snuggly under the end keeper, but this is way too nice to cut, and just has a couple of cms to ruck back under.

By far the nicest nato I've ever had. Huge thanks to the OP for the review and making me aware of these. Perfectly matches the blue on by custom BBish.



























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## Crezo (Apr 3, 2012)

Well i couldn't resist and cut the underflap off and much prefer the sleeker look.



























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## ariksokol (Aug 3, 2015)

This is a great review, I'm also looking for the best nato.


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## Crezo (Apr 3, 2012)

ariksokol said:


> This is a great review, I'm also looking for the best nato.


I'd say this is about as good as you'll get without going oem for triple the price. I can HIGHLY recommend them!!

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## Watches503 (Mar 7, 2013)

Blue phenomenato on today









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## SimpleWatchMan (Apr 25, 2014)

Watches503 said:


> Blue phenomenato on today
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow, you got the Cascais so early?

Btw, nice shot.


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## Watches503 (Mar 7, 2013)

SimpleWatchMan said:


> Wow, you got the Cascais so early?
> 
> Btw, nice shot.


Thanks a lot but it's a prototype. They're being produced right now.

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## SimpleWatchMan (Apr 25, 2014)

Watches503 said:


> Thanks a lot but it's a prototype. They're being produced right now.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ahh I see. Thanks for the clarification.


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## Beckosis (Sep 7, 2016)

Well, I can confirm that the quality *is *there. And it is high quality. Fabric wise and concerning hardware the best nato I've ever had the pleasure to wear.

But I have a 7.6 inch wrist size and went for the long version, which seems to be kind of a lousy compromise because there still is too much tail to fiddle around with. This band is so well made that I struggle to cut it. I guess I'd have to live with that, 'cause the short version might even not fit.

Kind regards
Beckosis


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## larkja (Mar 29, 2016)

Just pulled the trigger and ordered one for my 43mm Ball Skindiver II. Hope they're as good as everybody is writing.


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## Watches503 (Mar 7, 2013)

Beckosis said:


> Well, I can confirm that the quality *is *there. And it is high quality. Fabric wise and concerning hardware the best nato I've ever had the pleasure to wear.
> 
> But I have a 7.6 inch wrist size and went for the long version, which seems to be kind of a lousy compromise because there still is too much tail to fiddle around with. This band is so well made that I struggle to cut it. I guess I'd have to live with that, 'cause the short version might even not fit.
> 
> ...


It's easy to cut it down a little with good quality scissors using a coin to cut around it. Then seal it carefully with a lighter.

Check this short video: 





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## Watches503 (Mar 7, 2013)

Went with the grey today

















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## Kanokus (Jan 27, 2016)

Crezo said:


> Mine just arrived today, and blown away. This feels more like a fabric strap than your typical nylon plastucy natos.
> 
> almost like the tudor one, but a much smoother weave - and not made by French master weavers that make things for the Vatican
> 
> ...


That is a beautiful color combo!!!!

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## Crezo (Apr 3, 2012)

Watches503 said:


> Went with the grey today
> 
> 
> 
> ...


WOW!! I'm digging that borealis! Beautiful watch, and looks great on the strap 

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## Watches503 (Mar 7, 2013)

Crezo said:


> WOW!! I'm digging that borealis! Beautiful watch, and looks great on the strap
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


Thanks a lot ! I liked the green so much that I had to get a black one and it arrived yesterday. I love it !

























But yeah, phenomenatos make me feel disappointed whenever I try on a different brand like this one next. Great look but not the same look and confirm.










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## zaratsu (Jul 27, 2013)

dhtjr said:


> My wrist is also 6.5 and I got the short. Still enough strap to tuck back, and the sliding keeper makes all the difference. I suppose the long would work too, but I didn't want too much tail to tuck back. The strap is really nice and worth every cent of the price.


Thanks for the help dhtjr. I just received the short version and it fits very well on my 6.5" wrist. There's about an inch of tail to tuck back, perfect!

The material on this strap is definitely a cut above any other NATO I've owned or handled (I haven't experienced an Omega OEM yet though).

Thanks OP and Phenome!


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## 1984JPS (Jan 31, 2017)

Wish I knew about these before I ordered random straps from all over and wasted cash on bad straps! hahhh


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## Cycletroll (Jul 3, 2016)

Just received a grey one and a black one both in 20mm. Will try them on my black Bond SMP as well as the Sumo and report back. Can confirm that the strap material is quite nice and overall execution seems top notch! Took just about exactly a month to get stateside from Eastern Europe.


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## Ffej4 (Mar 19, 2014)

*POST UPDATE:*

As seen in the review, my _only_ qualm with the strap was the alignment and cut of the holes--however, as minor as it was, Wizard (Ákos) extended a very generous offer to me to make up for any amount of dissatisfaction with the hole alignment.

Now, I am an even happier PhenomeNato owner with 3 additional straps in my possession: a black 20mm w/ polished hardware, a dark blue 20mm w/ polished hardware, and a Bond HD 20mm w/ polished hardware. Maybe it's some sort of placebo effect, but these seem to be even better than my first PhenomeNato. The holes are aligned perfectly and cut just as crisp as the Omega natos I have compared them to. Pics will be added soon.

Thanks so much, Ákos! You have a lifetime customer, my friend. I hope all is well.

Jeff


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## minoli (Nov 13, 2012)

The quality of these PhenomeNato straps is incredible. I received mine last week. My wrists are 7.25 - 7.5 in, and I opted for the Bond HD longer strap. I think I could've gone with the shorter one and still had enough room. Otherwise, these are very nice. I hope to see more HD (thicker) versions in the near future. I appreciate the added thickness for my 45.5 PO.


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## WiZARD7 (Apr 4, 2012)

minoli said:


> The quality of these PhenomeNato straps is incredible. I received mine last week. My wrists are 7.25 - 7.5 in, and I opted for the Bond HD longer strap. I think I could've gone with the shorter one and still had enough room. Otherwise, these are very nice. I hope to see more HD (thicker) versions in the near future. I appreciate the added thickness for my 45.5 PO.


I think with the shorter you wouldn't have enough length to tuck back. 

Unfortunately I don't plan more HD versions now.


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## Jephen (Feb 14, 2014)

WiZARD7 said:


> I think with the shorter you wouldn't have enough length to tuck back.
> 
> Unfortunately I don't plan more HD versions now.


I've read a number of reviews comparing these to Omega straps which I own myself. Which version (standard or HD) is most similar to the Omega natos in terms of pliability/thickness?

Let me know and I'll gladly put in an order for a couple straps!


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## WiZARD7 (Apr 4, 2012)

Jephen said:


> I've read a number of reviews comparing these to Omega straps which I own myself. Which version (standard or HD) is most similar to the Omega natos in terms of pliability/thickness?
> 
> Let me know and I'll gladly put in an order for a couple straps!


The HD is similar in thickness to the Omega, the standard is similar in softness/pliability.

I prefer the standard


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## slammjack (Mar 25, 2012)

Oh man, this review sold me


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## Hj3lm (Jun 24, 2015)

Great review. My wrist is exactly 6.5 so I'm gonna go with the short version when I order 

From Sweden with love.


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## douglasf13 (Aug 17, 2013)

I'm loving these reviews! Can anyone comment on how quickly these things dry? That's the main thing that usually sways me towards perlon, but these look unique. Thanks!


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## Watches503 (Mar 7, 2013)

douglasf13 said:


> I'm loving these reviews! Can anyone comment on how quickly these things dry? That's the main thing that usually sways me towards perlon, but these look unique. Thanks!


If you go swimming and leave it hanging tonight, it'll be dry way before you wake up.

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## Sherhan (Jun 16, 2016)

thanks for this review.
deciding which NATO to go with for my incoming SMP and this really aids me making my decision!


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## donnytron (Feb 12, 2017)

I agree that these are the best on the market (that I have seen). Downsides are (1) lack of options and (2) long shipping. 

For comparison, I just got a Worn & Wound ADPT strap. Very different - the ADPT is much stiffer and rougher (although high-quality). I prefer the Phenomenato.


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## jfwund (Jan 13, 2016)

Thanks for this review. 

I've had my eye on these too - but I have several BluShark Alpha straps that I'm not wearing much, because they lift the watch off the wrist quite a bit, which seems to amplify how top-heavy my Sumo is.

Are the Phenomenatos that much of a step up in quality from the already high-quality Alpha Sharks? And, more importantly, do they lift the watch up off the wrist less drastically than other natos?


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## Forever8895 (Oct 12, 2014)

Hey, just want to chime in here with the photo of my Phenomenato after 1 year of usage!










As you can see, there is no fray or distortion happened around the hole or the side of the strap. Apart from the folding lines coming from the watch (I put it on the same watch, wear at the same hole), it looks almost as new, no discoloration, no stretching, nothing. It is really the best nato strap I have ever had!


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## donnytron (Feb 12, 2017)

I did not write the review but have 3 phenomenato straps, 2 'normal' and one 'HD.' I much prefer the normal versions - much thinner and more supple. But it's a matter of personal taste.


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## wolfie1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Looks nice, an pick of the strap mounted and on the wrist?


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