If you’re a strap nerd, chances are you would have stumbled upon Crown & Buckle watch straps. Founded in 2010 and currently with a warehouse facility over at Florida, they have been churning out quality straps over the years. I can attest to that having bought multiple NATO straps from them that lasted for years.
After adding the Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Mechanical to the collection, I wanted another two-piece strap that I could switch around with the default nylon NATO strap. Having had good experience with Cordura fabric straps, I was planning to add another one which should pair well with the utilitarian look of the Pilot Pioneer. That was until I saw the Crown & Buckle Phalanx canvas strap.
It comes in multiple colors and sizes including the 18mm strap width of the Pilot Pioneer. Personally I think the dark olive green suits the watch the best. Coming with a regular length of 120/75mm, I wished they had a shorter version but this still works for smaller wrists. Stitched in olive drab thread, it creates a much richer and rugged look overall compared with the Cordura strap. It actually pairs very well with the dial of the Pilot Pioneer.
The strap tapers down to 16mm with a quality brushed Thumbnail buckle that has a wide tongue. The sewn-in keeper and another floating keeper keeps the strap firmly in place. There’s also padding that is contoured from 5mm at the thickest and tapers down to 2.5mm at the edges. With a black leather lining, it wears comfortably without the need to break-in. A light olive side stitching completes the look together with the well constructed edges.
There’s a lot of details going on in the Phalanx strap to admire. It’s extremely well made and I have no doubt that it will last a long time. While this is not a water resistant strap because of the leather lining but the outer canvas material should be able to handle the occasional splashes just fine.
Selling for $36, I highly recommend this strap for anyone looking for a rugged utilitarian look for that field or pilot watch.
Check out the strap at Crown & Buckle.
