The Oris Divers Sixty-Five is, at least in my mind, one of the coolest retro divers on the market at the moment. With its slim profile and 40mm sizing it leans into the skin diver aesthetic beautifully. Admittedly there are more hardcore dive watches out there if you actually want to go diving as the Oris only has 100m water resistance – enough for a quick dip in the pool only. But if you wear it as a desk diver designed to look good on land, it really comes into its own. Plus, doing so opens up a wide variety of straps that you could wear it on. With this in mind, here are some of our favourite alternative straps for the Oris Divers Sixty-Five from French Maison Jean Rousseau.
Vintage Brown Calf, £130
The Vintage Brown Calf from Jean Rousseau is the closest in style to the dark brown leather strap that the Divers Sixty-Five comes on. It works particularly well with this model thanks to the gradient brown dial and bronze bezel. The primary difference between this strap and the Oris original is that the Oris has black sides while the Jean Rousseau maintains a nice brown leather colouration.
Completing the look of the piece is the vintage texture that makes it look aged. It also has white stitching across the top and tip in the style of vintage straps. That vintage aesthetic pairs beautifully with the retro vibe of the watch.
Alligator Camouflage Green, £320
Well, this combination is definitely one of the more daring choices, as a patterned alligator strap always will be. However, I think it works quite well. The darker black and green tones mirror the black bezel while the tan portions are almost an exact match with the vintage style beige lume. It really helps to make the hour markers stand out, they feel brighter and more impactful to the overall piece.
Compared to the Vintage leather straps, the Alligator is a bit thicker, with slightly more padding and a noticeable taper from 3.5mm at the strap head to 2.5mm at the pin holes. The main benefit of the added thickness, beyond being comfortable to wear, is that it makes the scale pattern more prominent beneath the camo.
Rubber 3.5 Camel, £190
If you’re looking to be active with your Divers Sixty-Five, the Rubber 3.5 Camel is an excellent choice. It’s kind of the halfway point between a leather strap and the robust, waterproof Atlantis strap [LINK TO: https://oracleoftime.com/picking-the-right-material-for-your-summer-watch-strap-with-jean-rousseau/] in that it has the style of the former but is made from rubber like the latter.
It’s the epitome of a strap that’s suitable for any occasion as you wouldn’t even be able to tell that it’s rubber without touching it. Speaking of, to the touch it’s very soft and flexible while having that slight grip that’s common with rubber. It makes it well suited to more strenuous activity as you know your watch will stay firmly in place, while looking good at the same time.
Vintage Green Calf, £130
In terms of structure and design the Vintage Green Calf strap is identical to its brown sibling that we looked at earlier. However, what makes it an intriguing prospect is the colour. Unlike the various shades of brown or dark tones that make sense on a surface level for the watch because they mirror colours already present on the piece, the rich green here sits in contrast to the watch.
Picking out a strap that contrasts with the watch can be a great way to change the character of the watch or emphasise different qualities. For example, the cold tone of the green accentuates the warm tone of the brown. Plus the brown and green combination gives it a really earthy vibe that I like.
NATO Green Cordura, £190
NATO straps are most commonly associated with field and tool watches due to their history in military environments as well as their durability and water resistant properties. Those are also properties that make them an ideal alternative strap for the Oris Divers Sixty-Five. The Jean Rousseau NATO Green Cordura is the perfect example with its characteristic NATO loops and one piece construction – NATO straps are one of the few strap designs that pass between your watch and your skin.
Speaking of touching the skin, this strap has a leather lining so that it remains super comfortable to wear at all times. It’s a slight deviation from traditional NATO style but one that works.
For more like this, check out our articles on alternative straps for the Tudor Ranger and Omega Speedmaster.
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