Montreux Straps FKM Watch Strap Review

Introduction

Montreux Straps was founded by a watch enthusiast for watch enthusiasts. They’re based in Florida with a goal to create the best-wearing watch strap on the market without costing an arm and a leg. With that said, these are not your typical FKM rubber straps. They’re engineered to look, feel, and wear differently. Now, let’s see how far they have achieved that goal.

What is FKM Rubber?

FKM rubber is not new but is taking the strap world by storm.

FKM is a premium fluorocarbon-based synthetic rubber. Though very similar to silicone in specific scenarios such as weather resistance, FKM and rubber generally offer an advantage in abrasion and corrosion resistance and tensile strength. Unlike most silicone straps, high-quality FKM rubber will stay clean by not attracting dust.

Price

The price is one of the main reasons to consider. Priced at only $45 USD at the time of posting, it’s a fraction of the cost of more expensive yet non-FKM rubber straps.

Packaging

The packaging is simple yet functional. The box is very sturdy, with simple branding and a magnetic closure. Inside, the strap is surrounded by a dense foam.

Though the magnetic closure is nice, I prefer alternatives such as velcro closure. Magnetism is not a watch’s best friend, and avoiding any possible contact is ideal. Of course, this won’t be an issue if your watch has anti-magnetism properties.

Quick-Release

The strap is fitted with a quick-release spring bar, which is ideal. It makes swapping straps a breeze. I had no issues grabbing it as well.

Buckle

The buckle is made of 316L stainless steel and engraved with the Montreux logo.

Quality

I’ve worn this for a couple of weeks and felt no fatigue on my wrist. The strap is light and supple, so it doesn’t need any break-in period. With straps that need a break-in period, some may experience discomfort due to the tightness on the sides. You won’t get that with FKM rubber straps.

The strap is thinner than a lot of FKM straps in the market. This is more evident towards the lug sides partly due to design. Some FKM straps are fitted to specific watches, limiting your options on where to use them. Some are also catering for more oversized watches. Montreux straps found a sweet spot of being thin and looking great for watches of all sizes.

The underside is very clean, with just the Montreaux logo stamped.

The lug holes are slightly angled so that the strap holes will sit flush with the tang buckle hook’s back side.

The length of the strap is a standard 125 x 65mm, which should fit most wrist sizes from small to large. I have a 6″ wrist and use the second to the last hole on a Moonswatch.

Keepers are just as supple, and one has a cross mark to symbolise the Swiss flag.

Recommendations

Do I recommend the strap? It’s an easy yes. For the price and quality, it’s a good strap. Have they achieved their goal? I believe so.

Where to buy

You can purchase the straps from Amazon, their Facebook or Instagram page, or the website.