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Annie Brown

You could think of rubber-strap watches as the kind of accessory you can wear to the school run and then later at cocktail hour.
After all, these days, most of us are doing it all. A rubber-strapped watch, especially one in a precious metal and with added gem setting, is therefore the ideal accessory for taking the wearer from day to play – a combination so incongruous as to make perfect sense in our complicated times.

The first luxury Swiss watchmaker to use rubber – a most utilitarian material more associated with, say, hosepipes or flip-flops – was Hublot in 1980.
In the conservative world of Swiss horology, this caused a certain amount of outrage. Understandably, Julien Tornare, CEO of Hublot, thinks the brand was visionary in combining such disparate elements.
“Hublot has been a pioneer and is today one of the few luxury watch brands in the market who masters the art of making precious-material watches on a rubber strap,” he says.

“Back in 1980, under Hublot’s founder Mr [Carlo] Crocco, the brand shocked the watch industry world by mixing these two materials. This audacious spirit gave birth to what we call today ‘the art of fusion’. [It seemed] unlikely that a precious gold watch could fit with a sporty rubber strap, but Hublot showed that this was avant-garde and totally possible.”
As Tornare points out, this spirit of fusion and daring still exists in its collections today. The Classic Fusion line includes pieces with a diamond-set bezel, while Big Bang watches integrate a rubber strap with case materials such as the house’s proprietary Magic Gold, sapphire, carbon and vividly coloured ceramics.
As with most ideas that shake everything up, the luxury rubber strap eventually trickled down. Now plenty of high-end watch brands have a rubber-strap reference, from Patek Philippe – which offers models in “composite” straps – Richard Mille and IWC Schaffhausen, to Chanel and Hermès.

Celebrities are in on the look too. Perhaps nobody more than Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes, who in 2023 matched his Patek Philippe Aquanaut with his khaki swimming trunks for the ultimate summer vibe.
Hermès launched its woman-focused Cut timepiece at last year’s Watches and Wonders. Clocking in at 36mm, the sporty-chic style (which appeals to men too, as tastes continue to align with smaller sizes) comes with the choice of eight brightly hued rubber straps inspired by the Hermès colour chart. The straps can also be interchanged with metal bracelets.
A representative from the maison says the watch was intended to “offer our customers both everyday options and a more elegant style with the gem-set version”.
“Right from the outset, we opted for an everyday watch that could be worn in a variety of ways.”
The model, the brand notes, has been well received.

The thing about a rubber strap is that it works as well for sporty watches – the kind worn when one is thinking about such things as waterproofness and hardiness – as it does a dress watch.
It is a philosophy that IWC Schaffhausen manifests through both its Big Pilot’s watches and its dress watch collection, the Portugieser.
Julian Farren-Price, director of luxury multi-brand watch retailer J Farren-Price, says Hublot’s decision was a “masterstroke”.
“Today almost all brands offer their watches on rubber, from Swatch to Patek Philippe. In fact, coloured rubber straps have become very fashionable, and clients want to match their watch strap to their outfit,” he says.
Or, à la Shawn Mendes, to one’s swimming trunks.

Farren-Price says that some clients acquire a rubber-strap watch as a more utilitarian workhorse, while others might start with a more classic sports or dress watch, and add a rubber strap later.
When it comes to the rubber itself, there can be more to the material than meets the eye, with some involving feats of alchemy. As specialist watch retailer The Hour Glass notes in a post on its website, Richard Mille works with suppliers to inject new materials into its rubber straps, to make them incredibly durable.
For Farren-Price, the Rolex Oysterflex rubber bracelet is a particularly compelling option – and one he often wears with his Rolex Yacht-Master while working, sailing, golfing or at the gym.
“Rolex released the Oysterflex in 2015 on the Yacht-Master model I wear, and it is a complex unit. Made of high-density elastomer, it also contains a titanium-nickel spring for added durability. In addition, it is tiered in its design and has a cushion underneath for a super-comfortable fit. I can say from personal experience, it feels lovely to wear and the best part – no scratches,” he says.

He points to the advent of interchangeable strap systems as another example of getting bang for your watch buck.
“A good example of this is the Vacheron Constantin Overseas. Their bracelet models also come with rubber and alligator straps that make it three watches in one. In less than a minute you can change the bracelet [and so] change the look to suit the occasion.”
The contradictory appeal of rubber straps paired with precious materials works especially well at Chanel too, where Arnaud Chastaingt, the inventive director of the Watchmaking Creation Studio since 2013, recently paired the elegant diamond-set Première Ribbon watch – its dial inspired by the stopper of a bottle of Chanel No 5 perfume – with a slim rubber strap.

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel famously loved to mix costume jewellery with her real pieces, and made the little jersey dress into a must-have luxury item. It’s easy to imagine the ultimate in elegant contrarians adoring a rubber-strap watch.
As Chastaingt said in September 2022 as he relaunched the Première watch, a timepiece the maison debuted in 1987, “This creation is our DNA, and a Chanel code through and through. Far more than a watch, the Première is a lesson in style.”
Another lesson too is that a rubber-strap watch can stretch one’s ideas of stylish attire – and how it can be worn.


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Timepieces

Luxury meets practicality in rubber watch straps: Hublot started the trend, now Hermès, IWC, Richard Mille, Chanel and more have their own takes on this blend of casual and high-end

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Hublot Big Bang Unico Red Magic 42mm. Photo: Handout

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Shawn Mendes matches the strap of his Patek Philippe Aquanaut with his swimming trunks while on holiday in Ibiza. Photo: SplashNews

Hermès Cut watch in steel and rose gold with diamonds. Photo: Handout 

IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Photo: Handout 

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 42. Photo: Handout

Chanel Première Ribbon watch. Photo: Handout

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The distinctive style of the RM 43-01. Photo: Handout

The RM 43-01 in Carbon TPT. Photo: Handout 

The RM 43-01 in titanium. Photo: Handout 

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton wearing the RM 43-01. Photo: Handout 

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Lady Arpels Heures Florales Cerisier watch from Van Cleef & Arpels. Photo: Handout

 Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux watch by Van Cleef & Arpels. Photo: Handout

Gem setting at the Bulgari watch manufacture in Saignelégier, Switzerland. Photo: Handout 

Eternity Wisteria by Tiffany & Co. Photo: Handout

Serpenti Tubogas watch by Bulgari. Photo: Handout

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Peacock feather marquetry at Bulgari's watch manufacture in Saignelégier, Switzerland. Photo: Handout

Delicate craftsmanship undertaken at Bulgari’s manufacture in Saignelégier, Switzerland. Photo: Handout 

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Catherine Holstein founded the luxury brand  Khaite for women struggling to build a wardrobe of quality pieces that will stand the test of time. Photo: Handout

Khaite autumn/winter 2025 show in New York, in February. Photo: Handout

Khaite pre-autumn 2025. Photo: Handout 

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Khaite autumn/winter 2025. Photo: Handout

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Khaite autumn/winter 2025 collection. Photo: Handout

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Style

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Watches

When Shawn Mendes matched his Patek Philippe to his khaki trunks, he showed that the rubber watch strap, once considered merely utilitarian, can be luxe too


When Shawn Mendes matched his Patek Philippe to his khaki trunks, he showed that the rubber watch strap, once considered merely utilitarian, can be luxe too.


Luxury meets practicality in rubber watch straps: Hublot started the trend, now Hermès, IWC, Richard Mille, Chanel and more have their own takes on this blend of casual and high-end

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}When Shawn Mendes matched his Patek Philippe to his khaki trunks, he showed that the rubber watch strap, once considered merely utilitarian, can be luxe too

When Shawn Mendes matched his Patek Philippe to his khaki trunks, he showed that the rubber watch strap, once considered merely utilitarian, can be luxe too