G10, Not NATO: The Watch Strap Name That's Been Trademarked — And Why It Matters

Walk into any watch forum, scroll any watch retailer's listings, or ask any enthusiast about their favourite casual strap — and they'll almost certainly call it a NATO strap. It's become one of those terms that feels so embedded in the watch world that questioning it seems almost absurd. It rolls off the tongue. It fills catalogues. It's printed on packaging from Tokyo to Turin.

But here's the thing: the name "NATO strap" is now a registered commercial trademark in the United States — owned not by NATO, not by any military body, but by a private commercial entity. And for independent watch sellers — including us here at Bezel & Hide — the consequences are very real.

Our listings were recently removed from eBay under trademark enforcement action. We're far from alone: sellers across the watch community have reported listing removals and, in some cases, account suspensions — simply for using a term that the entire industry has used freely and in good faith for decades.

So let's talk about what this strap is actually called, where it came from, the three main variants you should know about, and why we at Bezel & Hide have switched to calling it by its proper name: the G10 strap.

Grab a coffee. This one's worth knowing properly.

Section 1: The Real Origin — Def Stan 66-15 and the G1098 Form

The strap we're talking about was born in 1973, out of British military procurement. The UK Ministry of Defence issued a formal specification — Defence Standard 66-15, or Def Stan 66-15 — for a standardised watch strap that could be issued to military personnel. The specification was exacting: strictly 20mm wide, coloured Admiralty Grey only, and fitted with chrome-plated brass hardware. No variation, no personalisation — this was a functional piece of kit, not a fashion accessory.

The practical genius of the design lay in its construction. The strap is a single piece of nylon that passes underneath the watch case between the lugs, meaning the watch remains secured to the wrist even if a spring bar fails. For military use — where losing your watch in the field wasn't an option — this was a significant improvement over conventional two-piece straps.

To receive one, a soldier had to fill out a G1098 requisition form — the standard Ministry of Defence form used to draw military equipment from stores. In the way that soldiers do, the strap became colloquially known as whatever you had to sign for to get it. The G1098, shortened to G10, became the strap's informal name within the British armed forces.

The strap's adoption spread across NATO alliance member nations, and as military surplus found its way into civilian markets through the 1980s and 1990s — and as watch enthusiast culture grew alongside it — the colloquial name "NATO strap" gradually took hold in the wider world. It stuck. It spread. It became, to all intents and purposes, a generic industry term.

But the correct, original name — the one with the historical documentation behind it — has always been the G10 strap.

Section 2: Know Your Hardware — G10, 3-Ring Zulu, and 5-Ring Zulu

Not all nylon through-straps are the same, and the differences matter more than most buyers realise. Here's a proper breakdown of the three main variants, because conflating them is one of the most common mistakes in watch strap conversations. Although these straps are now available in an almost unlimited number of colours and patterns the core design principles remain.

The Standard G10 Strap

The original design used four pieces of hardware: one pin buckle, two flat keepers and a retainer to secure the watch on the strap. The hardware is thin, flat, and rectangular — stamped rather than cast, low-profile, and unobtrusive against the wrist. The nylon itself is very strong, but quite thin, giving the strap a sleek, slim profile that suits a wide range of case sizes.

The pass configuration is dual-pass: the strap runs underneath the watch case and through the spring bars (often solid bars on military watches) and then the watch is secured to the strap via the watch retainer creating the characteristic under-flap that's both the strap's safety feature and the reason it sits slightly proud of the wrist. Once you're used to it, you barely notice it. Until then, it's the detail that catches most new wearers off guard.

The wrist profile is medium — not as flat as a leather strap, not as chunky as a five ring Zulu. Pairing-wise, the G10 is extraordinarily versatile: it works beautifully on vintage watches, field watches, and dressy divers. It has the understated quality of something designed purely for function — which is precisely why it looks so good on so many watches.

The 3-Ring Zulu Strap/Single Pass

The 3-ring Zulu shares the through-lug philosophy but is a very different piece of hardware in practice — and the rings give it away immediately.

Three pieces of hardware: one buckle and two keepers. But where the G10's keepers are flat and stamped, the Zulu's are solid, thick, rounded oval rings — heavy and immediately noticeable side by side with a G10. The nylon runs 1.5mm to 2.2mm thick, and the pass configuration is single-pass — straight through, like a conventional belt, with no under-flap. This gives the 3-ring Zulu a surprisingly low, slim wrist profile despite its chunkier build.

Best paired with massive tool watches and monobloc cases that have the visual weight to carry the hardware. On a slim dress watch it would look absurd; on an oversized diver it looks exactly right.

The 5-Ring Zulu Strap

The most substantial of the three and what we think of as the Zulu strap. Five pieces of hardware: one buckle, two oval keepers and a pair of retainers. Same thick nylon as the 3-ring, but the pass configuration returns to dual-pass with an under-flap — and the result is a very high, very bulky wrist profile. This is not a subtle strap.

The 5-ring Zulu is built for the heaviest-duty dive watches — think Seiko Tunas and similar bezel-heavy instruments where a slim strap would simply disappear. Big watch, big hardware. Match the energy.

At a Glance

This chart is a guide and the actual straps design can vary beyond these parameters.

Section 3: The Zulu — Origins and a Trademark Warning

Unlike the G10, the Zulu strap has no official military lineage whatsoever. It is a completely civilian, commercial-market creation — a tactical evolution designed to hold modern, oversized tool watches that would visually dwarf a slim G10. The term was popularised and trademarked by the tactical manufacturer Maratac.

Which brings us to something worth paying attention to: "Zulu" has also been registered as a trademark in the United States. Enforcement has been minimal so far — but the watch world has seen this pattern before. Trademarks have a habit of staying quiet until a commercial interest decides the name is worth protecting. Once that calculation changes, sellers could find themselves in familiar territory all over again. For now, Zulu remains in common use — but the safest ground remains the G10 designation: historically accurate, militarily documented, and entirely unencumbered.

Section 4: The Trademark Controversy — How "NATO Strap" Became Someone's Intellectual Property

This is the part of the story that the watch community finds, understandably, infuriating.

The trademark for "NATO strap" as it pertains to watch straps in the United States is owned by International Watchman, Inc. The application was filed in June 2010 — at which point the term had been in common, descriptive, industry-wide use for well over three decades, appearing in books, catalogues, retailer listings, and enthusiast publications worldwide. Many in the industry argue it should never have been granted trademark protection precisely because of its generic, descriptive nature.

Nonetheless, the trademark exists, and enforcement has been active. International Watchman, Inc. has sent Cease and Desist notices to independent watch strap businesses across the industry, with significant consequences. Cheapest NATO Straps — one of the most recognisable names in the budget strap space — famously rebranded its entire operation to CNS Watch Bands after receiving legal pressure. Others, including ToxicNATOs, closed entirely rather than fight or rebrand. Even well-resourced players have adapted: Hodinkee has historically altered product titles to phrases like "Two-Piece Nylon Watch Strap" to avoid legal exposure.

"NATO strap" is not — and never was — a brand name. It is a descriptive term that evolved organically from military procurement culture, spread through surplus markets and enthusiast communities, and became part of the shared vocabulary of watch collecting. The idea that a private commercial entity can own exclusive rights to it is, to many in the industry, a textbook example of trademark law being applied in a way that runs counter to its original purpose.

Outside the United States, the legal picture is meaningfully different. UK and EU sellers operating domestically are in a very different jurisdictional position. But the chilling effect on the global watch community is real — and many independent retailers, including us, are choosing to act proactively in the UK. We have had listings removed recently on eBay for using NATO to describe straps our watches were photographed on. We have also had a previous non watch related account suspended for a completely unforeseeable US trademark breach. It's not fun and cost us a successful 18 year old business and tens of thousands of pounds.

Section 5: How to Write and Sell Safely

We've updated all of our listings to use "G10 strap" instead of "NATO strap" — not reluctantly, but because it's the right thing to do on every level. If you're a seller wondering how to describe these straps safely, here are the alternatives that keep you entirely clear of US trademark exposure:

• G10 Military Strap — the most accurate and historically grounded term
• Dual-Pass Nylon Strap — describes the construction precisely
• British MoD Style Strap — references the origin without trademark risk
• Nylon Pass Through-Strap — simple, descriptive, and completely clean. Note that combined variations of these historical terms are often subject to the same strict commercial restrictions, so stick entirely to purely descriptive phrases.

One important distinction: using "NATO strap" in an editorial, educational, or historical context — as we're doing in this post — is protected. Reporting on the trademark, discussing the history, and naming the parties involved are all legitimate activities under fair use. What carries risk is commercial use in product listings — that's where enforcement has focused.

Section 6: Why G10 Is Every Bit as Good a Term

"G10" is not a consolation prize or a workaround. It's the correct name — and within the watch community, it carries genuine weight.

Enthusiasts who know their history reach for G10 naturally. It signals that the person using the term understands where the strap came from, what it was designed for, and why it looks and functions the way it does. The Def Stan 66-15 specification, the G1098 requisition form, Admiralty Grey, chrome-plated brass hardware — this is a strap with a documented origin story, and G10 is the name attached to that story.

"NATO strap," by contrast, is a colloquial term that stuck for cultural reasons rather than historical ones. It reflects how the strap spread, not where it came from. G10 is the origin. And the origin is always the better story.

We're a small, independent operation. We care about accuracy — in our descriptions, in our photography, and in the terminology we use. If calling a strap by its correct name is the hill we're going to stand on, we're entirely comfortable with that. We'd encourage every independent watch seller to make the same switch.

If you have any questions about a specific piece — the strap, the watch, or anything else — just get in touch. We're always happy to chat.

Legal Notice & Disclaimer: Bezel & Hide is an independent media and retail outlet. "NATO" is a registered trademark of International Watchman, Inc. in the United States. "Zulu" is a registered trademark of Maratac/CountyComm. This article is published exclusively for educational, historical, and editorial commentary purposes to discuss the history of watch strap design and intellectual property trends within the horological industry. Bezel & Hide is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any trademark holders.