Hot on the heels of its Loop-Less collection, Australia’s Artem Straps has added another model to its sailcloth stable, the HydroFlex. This one mates Artem’s sailcloth to an FKM rubber base. I sampled a couple for this review.
In my humble opinion, FKM is the only rubber or rubber-like material worth buying. I find most others, even the vaunted vanilla-scented natural rubber, to be a bit stiff and uncomfortable. Silicone feels better but attracts even more lint and fibers than the real stuff. FKM fluoroelastomer rubber, on the other hand, is soft and supple but also manages to stay clean, and it feels great on the wrist. Because it is waterproof, it offers a significant advantage over leather lining as well.
The HydroFlex starts with an FKM layer and tops it with the same embossed sailcloth pattern synthetic material it uses on its other strap lines. You can see the molded black rubber right on top, where it forms a black border around the sailcloth. This top is bonded to the base and finished with full stitching. A channel on the underside keeps the stitches clear of your wrist.
Artem currently only offers the strap in one size, 20mm 75/115 tapering to 18mm at the buckle.
Two rubber keepers secure the tail. One is floating, the other locked in with tiny molded flanges near the buckle. Artem offers the strap in black, of course, but I think the FKM/sailcloth pairing is quite attractive in contrasting blue, khaki green, or gray colorways.
The buckle is Artem’s usual brushed, polished, and signed hardware. It’s a versatile, low-key choice that matches a wide variety of watches. You can also pair it with Artem’s RM-style deployant, a $73 option.
Pretty as they may be, sailcloth and rubber straps are generally destined for tool watches, so a bit of thickness is in order. The HydroFlex measures just over 5mm at the head and 3mm at the ends, giving this otherwise trim and dapper strap that little bit of heft necessary to carry off a diver, be it the trim 12.5mm Traska Freediver or the burly 13.8mm Dievas Maya Mk III.
The most remarkable thing about the HydroFlex is its comfort. Artem has billed their straps as “zero break-in,” and that is pretty accurate, but both the original and Loop-Less models I sampled exhibited some initial stiffness near the lug ends. This is partially due to my small wrists, which require my straps to bend a touch more at that point.
Such was not the case with the HydroFlex. It hugged me like an old friend. Zero break-in has been unlocked.
At $218, the HydroFlex is the most expensive product in Artem’s line and by a considerable margin, but you see where that money went. These are exceptionally high-quality straps. They also qualify for complimentary express shipping.
Granted, I own watches that cost less than this one of these straps, but I think the Artem HydroFlex may be among the best-looking, most comfortable, and most practical waterproof straps I have found.
You can order the Artem HydroFlex collection directly from artemstraps.com.
