Leather Straps and Dive Watches: A Surprisingly Good Match

Dive watches are built for the very condition that ruins leather straps: being underwater. By that logic, putting a diver on leather could be seen as like putting ranch dressing on pancakes—strange, unappealing, and borderline blasphemous. Plenty of watch forum dwellers will tell you just that.

And yet, the pairing lives on. Not only does it live on, it thrives. And in many cases, it actually makes sense. Because dive watches have evolved quite a bit over their nearly 100-year history, let’s split this conversation into two parts: vintage and modern.

Leather Straps on Vintage Dive Watches

Everest Universal Leather Strap

While leather certainly has its place on modern divers (more on that in a minute), I think it shines on vintage ones. Downsized proportions, warm patina, and often-dubious water resistance ratings make vintage dive watches surprisingly well-suited to leather—both visually and practically.

Take the watch pictured above: a 1960s diver that’s 36mm in diameter, less than 12mm thick, and realistically has no business getting wet. Functionally, it’s a dress watch. Its diving days are over. It’s retired. And its brown leather strap? That’s the horological equivalent of a Hawaiian shirt and linen shorts.

Of course, vintage divers can be resealed, pressure tested, and taken swimming. But personally, when it’s time to jump in the water, I reach for something modern.

Image Source: Menta Watches

That’s why I treat my vintage divers like tougher, casual-leaning dress watches—perfect canvases for leather. Matching the strap to the dial patina is especially satisfying, since both tend to fall somewhere between off-yellow and brown. Just look at this tropical-dial Tudor Submariner 7928 (found at a Goodwill) on a rich brown leather strap. Tell me that doesn’t work.

Leather Straps on Modern Dive Watches

Modern divers are a different story. They’re big, overbuilt, and designed to go deep. They’re also almost never sold on leather. So are we back to ranch-on-pancakes territory? Not quite.

The reality is, most modern divers spend their lives dry. Plenty of Submariners have never seen the inside of a pool, let alone a coral reef. The beauty of watch straps is that they're interchangeable.

So if you love the look and feel of leather, there’s no reason not to enjoy it day-to-day. When it’s time to swim, just swap in a rubber strap, NATO, or your bracelet of choice. With the right tools, the change takes less time than brushing your teeth. A Submariner on leather might never be sold that way from the factory—but it still wears beautifully.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a stranger on the internet to tell you what strap to wear. But if you’ve always steered your divers away from leather, consider giving it a try. It’s often a great look—and you simply can’t beat the comfort of a well-made leather strap.

You might just find your perfect pairing.

Do any of your divers live on leather? Or do you avoid the combo at all costs? Let us know in the comments—and if you’re looking for a leather strap for your Rolex (diver or otherwise), check out our full selection here.