How to Install and Wear a NATO Strap
INSTALLATION
- Remove the existing strap from your watch using a spring bar tool.
- If your watch has lug holes, you can use the pointed end of the spring bar tool to push one side of the spring bar out of the lug holes.
- If your watch does not have lug holes, use the small, forked end of the spring bar tool by fitting the fork into one end of the spring bar (make sure it’s secured in between the grooves) and pushing inwards toward the center of the spring bar with firm pressure. Once compressed, you will be able to pull/push out the spring bar.
- Repeat for the other spring bar.
- Place back the spring bars into your watch without any strap.
- Fit one end of the spring bar into the lug case hole, then position the other end just on top of the other lug. Once in position, push the unsecured end of the spring bar with the pointed end of your spring bar tool to compress the spring bar towards the center and push inside the lug hole.
- Repeat for the other spring bar.
- Insert the long end of the NATO strap through the top lug of the case and into the bottom lug of the case.
- Make minor position adjustments as needed to center the watch.
- Once the long end of the NATO is tightened with the case, it now needs to enter the loop or keeper of the short tail of the strap. This creates a double layer under the watch case.
- The strap is now properly installed on the watch.
- WEAR
- Place the watch on your wrist and loop the long end around into the buckle and secure with the buckle using the correct sizing hole on the strap.
- For most wrist sizes, there should be excess tail coming out from the buckle. This tail will go in through the two keepers.
- Last step is to take any excess tail and fold it backwards/inwards (either work as preferred) into the keeper(s) one more time. The strap tail should now be tucked in with no excess.
- The watch is now secured on your wrist.