To date, Feynman Watches has focused on just that–watches. But the brand has pushed into production the FKM rubber strap that they debuted on their second model, the Cove Diver. After I assume good feedback on the straps, the brand decided to make them available separately.
As I just learned from Dr. Google, “FKM is the ASTM designation for a class of fluorinated, carbon-based synthetic rubber, commonly known as fluoroelastomer.” (As if you needed to be told.) FKM rubber features high chemical stability, resistance to aging and weather, and most importantly, doesn’t attract tons of dust and dirt like other rubber straps.
If this picture doesn’t make it clear, the Feynman FKMs are best paired with chunkier watches. When it arrived on the decidedly dressy Cove Diver I had for review, I swapped it out immediately. The lack of taper (in width or thickness) makes it ill-suited for slim pieces, in my opinion.
Chunky.
Chunky.
Chunky. One bonus was the lack of wiggle on the Seiko. Usually, standard spring bars (quick-release or otherwise) are too small for the lug holes on Seikos, which have the shoulderless jumbo lugs. The Feynman FKM nested securely, somehow.
There is a growing number of FKM straps out there, mostly unremarkable and generic. But the Feynman have a bit of flair with a central channel featuring a wave motif borrowed from the Cove’s dial.
The textured back is nice for a bit of grip, but do you notice anything else? I didn’t until I attached the strap. I’m so used to the quick-release tab being on the right side that the left side tabs here threw me off for a second. Not an issue, just something I noticed.
Custom branded buckle? Check. 
As you can tell above and below, the straps sit easily and comfortably on the wrist. If you wear your watches on your wrist knuckle, the strap will contour itself to one side, but this won’t affect comfort.
I’ve handled FKM straps before (you may have too, even if you didn’t know it), and not having a million dust particles on your strap at the end of the day is pretty nice. Add the little wave flair and the textured back and the new Feynman straps offer a bit more than the competition. But do they offer enough to justify the $96 price tag? Personally I struggle to rationalize spending close to $100 on leather straps, much less rubber. But keep in mind some of the other rubber options: straps from Rubber B cost $250, from Everest cost $240, and from Horus cost $140. (You can argue that those all have fitted end for high-end watches, but then you’re arguing that fitted ends justify a $45-$155 price difference. And you know that’s a ridiculous argument.)
I spoke to Feynman at length about these straps and the price. They stood firm. The price is based on the high quality of the straps (a higher grade of FKM than most, and developed after buying rubber straps from competitors to see what worked and what didn’t) and the current market. Tacitly, they seemed to be acknowledging that they are positioning themselves in the higher tier of rubber straps and that price comfort is highly subjective. They acknowledged my point of view though, and went as far as to encourage me to be honest with it in the review. So here we are.
But that wasn’t all I was told. In my conversation with the brand, they also informed me that if you sign up for the Feynman Facebook group, you can get 50% off the straps for a limited time. The straps are offered in green, brown, and black, and only come in 20mm (given how well they pair with thicker watches, a 22mm option wouldn’t be a bad idea). The straps are available now, in limited quantities, on the Feynman website.⬩
