Sailcloth Watch Straps: What They Are and How They Compare with Leather

A sailcloth watch strap is a strap with the fine crosshatch look of the fabric used for boat sails. It gives a watch a sporty, casual feel and is most often worn on dive watches, chronographs and field watches. The name describes the look, so what the strap is actually made of varies from one maker to the next.

Our sailcloth straps are rubber. The sailcloth pattern is on the rubber surface, and the strap is lined with Zermatt calfskin from Tanneries Haas as standard, or with rubber if you prefer. We make them in our Padded style in six colours: navy, brown, grey, olive green, orange and white. Below we explain what the name means, how a sailcloth strap compares with leather, and which watches we think it suits.

What "sailcloth" means on a watch strap

Sailcloth is the tightly woven fabric that sails are made from. On a watch strap, the word usually refers to that look: a fine, regular grid with a matte surface, like the sails on a yacht seen up close.

Straps sold as sailcloth are not all made the same way. Some are textile, while others are rubber or leather with a sailcloth pattern on the surface. If the material matters to you for comfort, care or how the strap copes with water, check the product description before you buy, since the name alone does not tell you.

Our sailcloth watch strap: rubber with a sailcloth pattern

Every Cernir sailcloth strap has a rubber outer with the sailcloth pattern on its surface. Underneath, there are two lining options, with Zermatt calfskin as standard:

• Zermatt calfskin from Tanneries Haas, the same soft lining we use on our leather straps. You get the sailcloth look on top and leather against your skin.
• Rubber, as an option, for a strap that is rubber on both sides.

All six colours are made in our Padded style, with a raised, cushioned centre that is 4.5mm thick at the lugs and tapers to 2.0mm at the tail. Each strap comes with a stainless steel pin buckle and two quick-release spring bars fitted, and you can add free initials or a short name of up to 10 characters on the lining. Like our leather straps, they are made to order in our Da Nang workshop.

The close-up above is the navy sailcloth padded strap. To our eye the grid reads as a quiet texture from a normal viewing distance and only shows its detail up close. You can see all six colours side by side in our sailcloth watch straps collection.

Sailcloth vs leather watch strap

The choice is mostly about mood and how you use the watch. This is how our rubber sailcloth straps compare with our leather straps day to day.

Visually, we find leather the better match for a shirt cuff or a jacket, and sailcloth the more natural fit for weekends, travel and sports watches. If you like the idea of a strap that records its wear, a vegetable-tanned leather strap will do that in a way rubber typically does not.

Keep in mind that with the standard Zermatt lining, the side against your wrist is leather and needs the same drying time as a leather strap. Neither lining makes the strap suitable for swimming.

Which watches suit a sailcloth strap

We find sailcloth works best on watches with a sporty or tool-watch character. These are the pairings we have photographed:

• Dive watches. Brown and orange on a vintage Rolex Submariner and a Tudor diver, and olive green on an Omega Seamaster Professional 300m. To our eye the matte texture sits comfortably beside a rotating bezel.
• Chronographs. Grey on an Omega Speedmaster Professional, where the cool tone stays close to the colour of the steel case. Our Speedmaster strap guide compares it with leather options on the same watch.
• Sports watches. White on a Rolex Explorer II with a white dial, and navy on an Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch.
• A dressier sports watch. Navy on a Grand Seiko with a white textured dial, a more relaxed alternative to the leathers in our Grand Seiko strap guide.

We have not photographed it on a field watch yet, but to our eye the casual look suits one well, especially in olive green or brown. For colour in general, we find navy, grey and brown the easiest to wear every day, while orange and white make more of a statement.

Thickness matters as much as colour. Divers and chronographs often have visually substantial cases, and the 4.5mm Padded build gives the strap enough body to balance them. On a small, thin watch the padding can look heavy; our guide to padded vs thin watch straps explains the trade-off.

How to choose the best sailcloth watch strap for your watch

The best sailcloth watch strap for you comes down to four choices.

1. Lug width. Measure the gap between your watch's lugs; our guide on how to find your lug width shows how.
2. Length. The watch strap sizing guide explains our S, M and L lengths, and the strap length finder works from your wrist circumference and the watch's lug-to-lug length.
3. Lining. Zermatt calfskin, our standard, if you prefer the feel of leather against your skin; rubber if you want a strap that is rubber on both sides.
4. Buckle finish. Silver, yellow gold, rose gold or black, all at the same price. Silver blends with most steel sports watches, and black gives a darker, more utilitarian look.

If you would like to see one colour on its own first, the olive green sailcloth padded strap pictured on the Seamaster above is a good place to start.

Caring for a sailcloth strap

The rubber surface is easy to wipe clean with a soft cloth, slightly damp with plain water if needed. Pay attention to the grooves of the pattern and the area around the buckle holes, where dirt tends to collect.

The lining decides the rest:

• Zermatt calfskin lining. The strap is not made for swimming. The leather lining is not waterproof: wipe off moisture promptly and let it dry naturally at room temperature, away from a hair dryer, radiator or strong sun. Our leather strap care guide covers the lining in more detail.
• Rubber lining. Wipe it clean in the same way. The strap is still not made for swimming.
• Either lining. Keep alcohol wipes, solvents and household cleaners off the strap, as they can damage the surface, and store it out of strong sunlight.

Frequently asked questions

Is a sailcloth watch strap made of fabric?

It depends on the maker. Some sailcloth straps are textile; others are rubber or leather with a sailcloth pattern. Ours are rubber with a sailcloth-pattern surface, lined in Zermatt calfskin as standard, or rubber.

Can I swim with a sailcloth strap?

No. Our sailcloth straps are not made for swimming, whichever lining you choose. Take the watch off or fit a different strap before you swim.

Is a sailcloth watch band more casual than leather?

Visually, in most cases. The matte grid pattern reads as sporty, so we would pick leather to wear with a suit and sailcloth for weekends, travel and sports watches.

Can I add initials to a sailcloth strap?

Yes. Free initials or a short name of up to 10 characters can go on the lining.