What makes Montreux’s affordable straps ‘Swiss-inspired?’

Buffy Acacia

When a strap company based in Florida described itself as “Swiss-inspired”, I’ll admit it raised an eyebrow. Besides the fact that Switzerland is renowned for its watchmaking and not for its strap fabrication, I couldn’t quite determine any aesthetic qualities that might make for a particularly Swiss strap either. However, after some investigation, it came to make a bit more sense. Montreux straps have the subtle finesse and high quality of a Swiss watch, but they also have something not many Swiss watches do — affordability.

There’s no shortage of cheap watch straps out there. Even beyond the seemingly infinite marketplaces of Amazon and AliExpress, a quick search for straps will have you bombarded with options. Some will be in a price race to the bottom, while others promise luxury and soar well into three figures. But if you know what to look for, you can find the best of both worlds. Montreux is clearly a brand run by enthusiasts because it knows what makes a strap comfortable without relying on design gimmicks. Thinness is the key attribute that sets Montreux straps apart from the rest, and that’s especially notable in its line of FKM rubber straps.

FKM rubber is superior to standard silicone rubber because of its resistance to heat, abrasion, and chemical interaction, which essentially means that it will retain its shape and pliability for much longer. It’s also less susceptible to static charges, meaning it will pick up less lint. But while most FKM rubber straps churned out of factories can feel a bit clunky due to their thickness, sometimes even having bits of flash or seam lines still attached, Montreux rubber straps are finished impeccably. There’s nothing complicated about the design, just a single raised ridge down the centre to give it some structure and avoid being a plain block of colour. The thinness helps it to be as flexible and refined as possible, and there is a slight hollowed-out area below the quick-release spring bars to further aid weight reduction and aeration.

Montreux’s attention to detail isn’t limited to rubber though, as it also carries a range of calf leather straps in a variety of colours. Using French Epsom leather that’s traceable to the Haas tannery in Mittelbergheim, Alsace, Montreux continues its pursuit of luxury through thinness. Granted, sometimes you want leather to feel thick and padded, but the thinness here reduces the need for padding as it’s already flexible enough for comfort. They also come with quick-release spring bars for ease of swapping whenever you feel the whim thanks to the strap monster on your wrist.

All of Montreux’s straps, leather or FKM rubber, are available for US$45 each. It’s a great price point, because there’s a huge jump in quality between something like a sub-$20 no-name strap and something like this, but you’re not going to be spending more on the strap than you would on the watch. Almost all of them are 20mm, which is the most common size for watch lug widths, except for black, red, and navy FKM rubber options in a 22mm size perfect for bigger dive watches.

Montreux straps retail for US$45. There is a wide variety of colours available on Montreux’s website, as well as a selection available from the Time+Tide Shop, both online and in the Melbourne Watch Discovery Studio.