Artem and the tale of the perfect FKM rubber strap.
Adelaide, Australia based Artem is one of my favourite strap companies. They are not for all budgets, nor people for that matter, there are many traditionalists out there that go leather and steel only, but I would argue that you get what you pay for if you do venture away from your traditional choice of strap/bracelet.
As you may or may not know, Canvas straps is Artem’s game but a highly popular and rather recent addition was a combination of rubber and synthetic upper material. That meant that you could wear those in any weather and any conditions since they tend to "breathe" and look good. Also, it’s not just watch reviewers that love quick release spring bars that these are generally equipped with, so do watch people that enjoy changing straps regularly. |
On 7 February we welcome a new addition to Artem’s online shop in their brand new Hydroflex™ Collection which are all optimised to the Loop-less strap system, as in their deployant clasp or OEM foldable clasps. These have been ever so slightly slimmed down based on customer feedback which is appreciated. What’s the difference to the current Hydroflex™ straps then? The current classic HydroFlex™ Hybrid straps feature a two-layer formulation, combining premium FKM rubber base with a distinctive synthetic upper material embossed with the signature sailcloth pattern. The new Loop-less™ HydroFlex™ straps are crafted entirely from a single material: advanced HydroFlex™ FKM rubber. This makes them the most flexible and durable straps yet.
Read on for more on these new straps. |
G'day Loop-less HydroFlex™
Zero break-in period. I know, we’ve all read or heard such marketing guff a million times before but trust me, these beauties are super soft immediately.
The straps have been engineered through an 8-hour mixing process and dual-stage vulcanization (which as we all …ahem….know has nothing do with Pompei but is a process of cross-linking rubber molecules chemically with organic/inorganic substance through the action of heat and pressure). They are fully waterproof and all vegan construction so no animal waste here. The team assures me that the end result is the product of months of trial and error to achieve perfection, even to the point where final launch was delayed to ensure that utmost perfection, in the Artem team’s eyes anyway, was achieved. Available Colors:
Specs
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Deployant Loopless what?
Custom made to complement these straps, the Loop-less™ Deployant Clasp enhances the overall look with its sleek brushed and polished comibination showing off the cool Artem logo.
The clasp's operation is simple, thanks to the two pusher button system for easy release and a snap shut mechanism for secure closure, it's small and easy to fit your strap to. The whole idea with these things is to reduce wear on the watch strap when compared to a standard tang buckle which is no doubt why they were chosen exclusively for these new straps, I can imagine rubber holes wearing out quicker. It's all stainless steel construction with these clasps, with a subtle curve to fit your wrist nicely. As you would expect with a luxury product that I believe this is, you get a 2 year warranty. |
Sailcloth Pattern
As you can seem, the sailcloth pattern is embossed into the HydroFlex™ material, creating a convincing weave pattern reminiscent of fine canvas fabric and whilst that line is straight from the press release, it really is almost eerie in person how much like a leather or canvas strap these both look and feel.
Take the brown one for instance, it’s clearly rubber and the white stitching tricks the eye to think leather but this is one of of those straps you can stick on your OTT water resistance pilot watch, traditionally suited for leather and have it look like very close to leather but still feel absolutely comfortable jumping into the ocean and not worry about your strap for a second. On the flip side, you can wear this on your dive watch without being bullied by the traditionalists that would rather sit on a stone fish (and perhaps should) than strap leather to their dive watch. The orange I have here is incredibly vibrant and its the first orange strap I’ve not removed after 30 mins. As you can see, the combination with the Marin instruments, one of my favourite watches still to this day, is at least to me, perfection. |
As you can see, the straps are padded on the wider end much like a classic leather strap and I say padded but it’s likely just how the moulds are formed. That said, due to these straps being stitched together I wouldn’t be surprised if there is some padding there. I could have asked the team of course but somethings are best left to the imagination I feel. All you and I need to know is that they look, feel and wear very well.
The underside is classic Artem rubber with a zig zag pattern that should channel away sweat. |
You might be reading this thinking what is the naming convention with the new versus old rubber straps. HydroFlex™ refers to the FKM rubber formulation used in the straps. It is not the name of the strap. The name of the strap is based on its configuration, so either Classic or Loop-less™
Technically, the current HydroFlex™ range is actually Classic HydroFlex™ and the new range is Loop-less™ HydroFlex™. Clear? No? Never mind - just jump on the website and get yours already. |
Conclusion
So are they worth the [hefty] asking price? Ultimately, this question is one that only you can answer yourself. Do you value incredibly well-made watch accessories from a small, independent brand that take pride in their work? Then yes.
Would you rather buy 8 different colours to work out which one is for you? If you can afford it, then I see no reason not to, but I hope this review and others help you determine which colour(s) to choose since these are some of the finest rubber straps you can buy. They are still rubber straps though which by their very nature are not for everyone. Thanks for reading, if you liked this review then I’d love it if you shared this with your own watch communities. Cheers, Esbjorn |