One of the few horology-specific expressions you may have heard before is someone having a “strap game,” doing “combos”, and “putting new shoes on their favorite watch.” It feels as if watch straps constitute a particularly niche and nerdy side of watch collecting and enthusiasm one gets into a certain time after having joined the community. (As if amassing timepieces wasn’t nerdy enough in and of itself.) Because one first has to find the right watches for him or her and only then start dabbling into the fascinating world that is accessorizing one’s timepieces by way of straps. Leather, nylon of many sorts, rubber of many kinds, one-piece, two-piece, two-layer and one-layer setups—it’s a darn rabbit hole we dig as deep as the one we dug for the watches themselves. (We do dig, nobody else does it for us.) I like tool and military watches, thus I’m always on the lookout for new straps that emulate a certain aesthetic and character that would seamlessly work with my favorite utilitarian and activity timepieces. 

This quest has led me to RSM and its VTG Mil Polycotton straps. 

About RSM 

RSM is not like most strapmakers you know and we’ve written about before. It approaches the process of creating each new collection from the perspective (philosophy) that nobody else has ever created such a strap, thus looking at it from a fresh perspective, jettisoning whatever such and such style of fastening systems typically look like and are known for. It isn’t a matter, for example, of creating a design for a 2-piece canvas strap using the same buckles everybody else uses, and then swapping material to create a new family of 2-piece strap made of leather or rubber. Instead, RSM begins from a material of the highest quality, often rarely used by other strapmakers of its caliber (read: not old shops which manufacture straps for luxurious houses of watchmaking,) for which it designs something new, and a holistic new thing. RSM is driven by a desire to create sturdy straps whose aesthetics perfectly complements the style of watches they are to be paired with in addition to being supremely comfortable to wear for daily use. 

For instance: canvas straps made with Japanese fabric for your sports pieces or calf-leather embossed ones with an alligator grain (and not alligator skin) for your fanciest of timepieces— because the brand is environmentally conscious to a degree—it doesn’t believe that making straps of recycled ocean plastic is necessarily a good thing because they are stiff as hell—I do concur and I stay away from them for this very reason—and will end up where they came from, alas. And RSM’s unique approach to strapmaking can better be explained by studying the man behind the brand: Yiyan Lin, an architect by trade who worked on numerous complex projects throughout his career, each presenting unique parameters and challenges. In other words, no two structures he designed were the same just like no two of his strap collections are the same because different materials for different watches call for different designs and different engineering solutions. In other words, RSM will have a strap for you, I guarantee that, and it has a few for me. 

Specifications & Design 

But this review is all about the VTG Mil Polycotton Straps which have become one of my go-to fastening systems for tool and military watches along with the Haveston Corp. Canvas and Bark & Jack Ribbed Nylon ones. (My loyalty is multi-faceted.) Over the years, and after having bought, used, ignored, trashed, and gifted a few (many) straps, I’ve come to understand that the best ones for such timekeeping devices must come with one of two things: (1) a noticeable texture characterized by the traditional appearance of weaved materials such as cotton and nylon, which appear simple and natural and authentic as well as little old-school; (2) a thin, somewhat supple, and soft fabric which is comfortable to wear for hours and days on end even though I’m not in the military but wear my military watches on a daily basis. While the Haveston’s have that historical look to them and the Bark & Jack straps a more modern aesthetic, the RSM VTG Mil Polycotton Straps strike a unique balance between the two which is why they are so compelling to me. 

At the core of their design is an inspiration that stems from World War II-era cotton, canvas, and nylon straps, and mostly the first two materials which were most prevalent during the conflict and equipped many military timepieces. One of their key features was the single-pass layout which permitted soldiers to wear the straps firmly flushed to their wrists without being stifling, and for them to slide underneath a shirt cuff or jacket sleeve with natural ease. Many of these straps were also infinitely adjustable since a sharp tang could be threaded anywhere through the fabric alleviating the need for eyelets which would eventually weaken the strap. This also meant that these straps could fit a variety of wrists which simplified their manufacturing. In the same vein therefore, the RSM VTG Mil Polycotton Straps come with the brand’s proprietary adjustable buckle which can be configured in one of two ways—either a simple loop which is easier to make but gives in a little bit, or a tight one which requires a longer setup but won’t budge. 

This adjustment makes it possible to position the nine eyelets and the sliding part of the strap—through which you would tuck the tail-end of the fabric—exactly where you need them to perfectly fit your wrist and not end up with extra stuff dangling around. Yes, setting up the strap takes a few minutes but gets easier over time, but once you’ve dialed it in, you’re all good to go. In terms of fabric, RSM uses Polycotton which is a tightly woven mixture of cotton, as many vintage military straps were made of, and synthetic materials to create the perfect combo between the softness and suppleness of the natural material and the durability of the non-natural one. In other words, Polycotton is the most comfortable fabric I’ve ever graced my French wrist along with being quite sturdy: the addition of the synthetic material means the eyelets won’t fray and cotton’s natural tensile strength is improved. The Polycotton RSM uses is about 1.2mm thick, so thin, soft, and robust, just like straps destined for military and tool watches should be. 

Conclusion 

RSM collections come in many variations and the VTG Mil Polycotton Straps (this link only takes you to one variant, so hop around on the brand’s website to see the other ones) do as well. First, there are four colors to choose from—blue, grey, green, and khaki—and several lug widths—18, 20, and 22mm. Then you can choose between a stainless steel buckle or PVD one. In this article I paired an 18mm khaki version with my new favorite field watch, the CWC G10, another 18mm version in green with the tough Marathon OSAR-D in 36mm, and a 20mm grey version with my trusty Vaer C4 Tactical Field Solar.. (All with stainless steel buckles.) Indeed, three military tool watches and I believe they all look quite good with the VTG Polycotton. And in terms of price, they will set you back €48,95/$57 USD which is a fair price to pay for what you get in my book. 

Before I forget: RSM also makes the Polycotton in a 2-piece configuration should that make more sense for you. 

Thanks for reading.