NR01 Review on Watch-Bros.com
 

Author : DannyT


83 Photos in Watch-Bros.com -
http://watch-bros.com/threads/3252-STRAP-REVIEW-Obris-Morgan-Vanilla-Scented-Natural-Rubber-Strap?p=28657&posted=1#post28657


Information from the website:

Classic Vintage Style design. Friendly to match with different styles of watch. Made of Natural Rubber with Vanilla Scent. Soft yet strong and durable. Less dust compared to silicone made straps.

- 9 Colors in 22mm
- 6 Colors in 20mm
- 3 different buckle finishes

Item Description: Vanilla Scented Natural Rubber Strap

Vintage Style rubber strap. Easy to match with different types of Diver watch. Made of Natural Rubber - Soft but Strong.

Tech Specs
- Width 22mm / 20mm
- Length 80mm / 135mm
- Thickness 5mm
- Buckle: Brushed, Blasted, Black

Price: $18.90 USD

Shipping Cost: Free Shipping by registered airmail

Introduction:

There have been numerous threads talking about what the best rubber straps are and Isofrane seems to be the name that the standard is set by. Make no question that I myself wondered what all the hype was about until I tried one. Then it became over a dozen. So enough about that lol.

The problem is that people do not see themselves spending $100+ for a rubber strap whether it is the best or not. There have been a few companies that have stepped in to make an affordable Isofrane style strap that is comparable to the 'original'. So in 2015 Obris Morgan stepped into the arena and has released their version of the vintage style rubber strap being reviewed here. It's no secret that I love straps. I love changing the look of my beloved dive watches since being bitten by the strap bug and accumulating over 100+ straps ranging from rubber, canvas, leather, exotic etc. When asked to photograph and review these straps it was a no brainer for me and I jumped at the opportunity to do so. I would like to thank ‘balad1’ of watchbros.com and to Justin at Obris Morgan for the opportunity to provide my unbiased review of these straps.

Straps photographed

20mm aqua
20mm navy
20mm black
20mm yellow
20mm orange

22mm red
22mm black
22mm grey
22mm dark green
22mm navy blue


Thoughts and Comments:

When I opened the package each strap came in its own small plastic bag taped closed and the individual buckles each in a small Ziploc baggie. The first thing I noticed was the smell of the straps once removed from the packaging. Since there were quite a few of them it was much stronger than just one or two that most people usually order. They did not smell like vanilla. They had a strong smell of tires. I immediately had communication sent back to Justin at Obris Morgan and was advised that the vanilla aroma is added to the manufacturing process. Hopefully the feedback will have initiated some change in the formula to add more vanilla to eliminate/minimize the smell that I experienced and that others have also reported recently. I did let the straps sit for a few days to air out on my photo studio table and the smell did diminish some however still the scent could be noticed while wearing the strap during the photo shoot.

The rubber compound is very good and extremely close to that of Isofrane. The thickness is the same and the OM straps are a touch softer and more flexible than the Isofrane. The Benarus being thicker and stiffer than both and feels a bit more "plasticy". I did notice that the OM coloured straps (red, yellow, and turquoise) felt a touch softer and more pliable than the black, navy blue straps.

The design of the OM differs in a couple of areas from the Isofrane where the rectangle cut-outs are larger and spaced further apart making the OM strap feel and appear much lighter and 'airy'. The buckle hole spacing is also not that of the Isofrane or Benarus. This is the single most important feature that makes the Isofrane fit perfectly on all wrists. The tightly spaced buckle holes allowing for micro adjustments to get that just right fit. For myself I found myself on the OM straps using the last and second last hole on my 7 1/4" wrist (depending on the watch it was on). I also found myself between holes on a couple of watches as well. So for those with smaller wrists 7 inches or below you may be out of luck or have to use the rectangle cut-out as a buckle hole! The straps come with 2 rubber keepers and you really only need one. Putting the tail through the keepers is easier than the Isofrane. I did also notice that the 20mm straps have the ribs molded on the underside of the strap and the 22mm ones do not have the ribs and is smooth on the underside. Both sizes of straps have molded on the underside, the Obris Morgan Logo on the short side of the strap and the website link on the long side which is very well done

The strap finishing is not perfect but decent. The mold lines are visible on the inside of the rectangle cut-outs whereas the Isofrane is a bit more refined and although there, it is much less visible. The strap edges on the OM straps are good and comparable/similar to the Benarus.

The buckles come in 3 finishes - Brushed SS, Blasted SS and PVD. The blasted buckle is a good choice for those who have titanium watches as the buckle has a similar resemblance to titanium finish as well. The PVD coating is a matte finish and appears that is can be prone to scratching and possible fading. The buckle is an RS style buckle and is smaller (shorter) than the Isofrane as illustrated in the side by side pictures. The Obris buckle utilizes a spring pin as opposed to a screw in pin used on the Isofrane. The buckle works as it should and the tail of the strap fits exactly through the buckle with no play/extra side clearance.

Fitment of the straps on the watches used for the photos was great. I used watches with spring pins, and screw lugs. I had nil issues and squeezing the strap at the lugs to expose the shoulders of the spring bars to easily mount and dismount the straps. The screw lugs slide through effortlessly as well. Strapped to the wrist the rubber does bulge a bit where the tang sits in the buckle hole. It does not affect comfort/wearabilty but is just an observation I made when taking the photos.

The thing that made me smile was the variety of colours offered. They are excellent and offer many options for those outside of the basic palette offered by Isofrane and other brands. I really took the extra effort to capture the colours in the photos as my eyes saw them. The photo representation is pretty spot on showcasing the colours of the straps I received. I really like the grey strap. It is a perfect shade and would be a great compliment to many watches. The OD green has a hint of blue to it and not quite Olive Drab green but more of a spruce green as shown in the photos.


Conclusion:

Let's face it; Obris Morgan didn't set out to make an Isofrane strap for $20 nor should they be expected to be better than the Isofrane. What they did was provide an alternative to an iconic vintage strap at a crazy affordable price with an excellent range of colours to choose from. You can't even buy a good quality buckle for less than $20 let alone an entire strap and buckle setup which even includes shipping! So yes the Isofrane still rules the roost IMO, but at a price. For those who are not convinced nor choose to spend the $100+ on an Isofrane, and like the vintage style and colour choices available, then the Obris Morgan straps will fit that niche very well.

Pros:

• Excellent colour palette choices
• Soft/flexible with good comfort on the wrist
• Price!


Cons:

• Smell of the straps has a strong tire smell initially and is not vanilla, but does fade over time.
• The strap requires more buckle hole adjustments for small wrists (sub 7")
• Buckle hole spacing is not as tight to allow for precise micro adjustments for the perfect fit. Possibility of being ‘between holes’ does exist.

I do hope you found this review to be informative and enjoyable. Again I want to express my sincere thanks to balad1 at watch-bros.com for organizing the straps and Justin at Obris Morgan for supplying his product and allowing me the opportunity to review them.

Sincerely,

Danny T


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