Watch bands by lug width

How to measure lug width

Take the old band off, or measure right next to it, where the spring bar meets the case. Hold a ruler with a millimeter scale across the gap between the inside faces of the two lugs and read the distance. Most watches land on an even number: 18 mm on small and vintage cases, 20 mm on most everyday watches up to about 40 mm, and 22 mm on larger divers and field watches from 42 mm up. A few take an odd size like 19 mm or 21 mm, so measure before you assume. If you can't get a clean reading, check the back of an original strap, where the width is often stamped, or the maker's spec page.

Which width fits which watch

The chart lists popular watches and the width their lugs take. Buy that exact width. A band one size narrower leaves a gap at each side and slides along the spring bars, so it looks loose and twists on the wrist. A band one size wider won't sit flat between the lugs and puts strain on the bars. If you wear a Rolex Submariner made from 2020 on, a Datejust 41 or an Orient Bambino, you need 21 mm, a size many shops skip. Several bands here also come in 19 mm and 21 mm.

Sailcloth: what it is and how it wears

Sailcloth bands use a tightly woven technical fabric with a coated face, the same family of cloth used for sails, bonded to a soft lining and stitched along the edges. The result is lighter than leather, stiff enough to keep its shape, and far less bothered by sweat and rain. It dries fast and doesn't crack or darken the way leather does after a wet summer. Rinse it in fresh water after the beach or the pool and let it dry flat. Sailcloth suits dive watches, field watches and chronographs, and it makes a good second band for a watch that usually lives on a bracelet. The sailcloth bands here come plain, contrast-stitched or perforated, backed with rubber, or with a butterfly clasp in place of a buckle.

Rubber-backed, canvas and nylon bands

A few bands here put a woven top on a rubber or silicone base. You get the look of sailcloth or canvas on the outside, while the rubber underside keeps sweat and water off the weave and never soaks anything up. Pick one of these if you swim, sweat a lot or spend the day outdoors in any weather. Woven nylon is the softer choice: lighter and more flexible than sailcloth, with a casual look that suits field watches and everyday pieces.

Quick-release spring bars

Most bands here come with quick-release spring bars already fitted, and each product page says so. A small lever on the side of each bar pulls the pin in, so you can swap bands in a few seconds without tools. Work over a soft cloth so a dropped watch lands safely. Slide one end of the bar into a lug hole, pull the lever, line the other end up with the opposite hole and let go. Give the band a gentle tug to check that both ends have clicked into place. Your current band may use plain spring bars without levers; those need a spring bar tool to push the pin in, after which the new band goes on by hand. Our fit guide walks through both.

Length and wrist size

Two-piece bands come as a long piece with the holes and a short piece with the buckle. A typical band here has a long piece of about 4.7 to 4.9 in (120 to 125 mm) and a buckle piece of about 3 in (75 to 80 mm), the usual length for an average wrist, and the product pages list the lengths where the maker gives them. Measure your wrist with a soft tape, or wrap a strip of paper around it and lay it flat against a ruler, and compare it with that range.

Other bands

Looking for leather? See leather watch bands. For single-pass nylon straps that thread under the watch, see NATO straps, and for swimming and workouts, silicone and rubber watch bands. Not sure which material suits your watch? Read which watch strap should you choose.

Delivery and returns

Delivery is $6.95, or free on orders over $49. US delivery takes 7 to 16 days. You can return an unworn band in its original packaging within 30 days of delivery. Return shipping is paid by you, unless the item arrived faulty or incorrect. See delivery and returns for the steps.