Washington State Photography

Strap Guide by Richard Rhee. See his work at www.washingtonstatephotography.com or @washington.state.photography!

Introduction

Benefitting from multiple iterations over the years, IWC's Mark XX stands out as the finest and most refined model in the Mark series. Its beauty lies in its simplicity and flawless finish. The polished chamfers are sharp, the chromed downward-turned hands are elegant and well-proportioned, and the legibility is excellent—even from 20 feet away.

The black dial allows for adventurous strap pairings that add personality and character to a monochromatic tool watch. Having multiple strap options keeps the watch feeling fresh, and with a 120-hour power reserve keeping the watch running when in a rotation, the IWC receives ample wrist time.

IWC has an anti-reflective coating on both sides of the crystal, and the outside layer creates a strong blue hue to reflections. In most lighting, this can make the watch appear to have a blue dial. Thus, for this strap guide I selected straps in colors that should pair well with both black and blue via a bit of color theory. For this strap guide, I chose colors that are either complementary or analogous to the blue reflections (orange and light blue), monochromatic  (grey on black), or simply because I thought it would look cool (red). Without further ado, let’s see how these choices faired:

Orange Sailcloth Signature Strap

I was eager to try this strap after having mixed results with other sailcloth brands in the past. Due to the materials used, even high-quality sailcloth straps can be both stiff out the gate and brittle over time. Imagine my excitement when Delugs introduced a sailcloth strap made from a more flexible molded FKM rubber. This strap is significantly more pliable, requires no break-in time, and doesn’t seem to risk cracking when bending the tail to thread through the keepers.

As for its aesthetics, the strap is padded just right—too much padding would look weird on such a slim watch. The bright orange adds a wonderful pop of color. In my opinion, this shade would pair well with most watches with white, black, or blue dials.

 Baby Blue Pilot Rubber CTS Strap

Ignoring that this strap’s color is analogous to the sapphire crystal’s AR coating reflections, I knew it would pair well because I already own a IWC EasXchange FKM Pilot rubber strap in this color, and it looks great. In this strap guide, I thought it would be helpful for IWC owners to hear the differences between the IWC and Delugs versions:

• Both look great.

• The IWC rubber straps are 20mm at the lug and taper down to 18mm, while the Delugs CTS strap is 20mm, tapering down to 16mm.

• The Delugs strap is slightly more pebbled in texture.

• Thickness between the two are very comparable, however…

• The Delugs CTS strap is much more comfortable due to the lack of a tail. IWC’s OEM strap with tail overlap results in twice the material between the ulna bone and desk when seated at a computer.

Overall I think the baby blue is a great pairing and I love that it’s more comfortable than the IWC version.

Grey Nubuck Slim Strap

This strap provides a perfect neutral option while adding a touch of fun to the Mark XX. The muted coloring is appealing, as nubuck lacks the shine or glossiness of traditional straps. Additionally, nubuck is incredibly soft to the touch and looks fantastic. With a very short nap, the even texture resembles suede but is much less “furry” than other options like alcantara. Think of it as a great way to try suede without fully committing.

 Red Mosaic Rubber CTS Strap

I’ve been looking forward to this release since the mosaic pattern was first used for a strap made for the MB&F MAD1. I was concerned that the pattern might be too flashy for a tool watch, but I’m glad I took the risk, because this is my favorite pairing in the strap guide. The slightly muted, darker red is stunning and pairs perfectly with the IWC. The mosaic pattern adds unique texture that plays with the light without overpowering the Mark XX.

Orange Saffiano Stitchless Strap

Originally purchased for my Farer Resolute, this strap has seen extensive use with multiple watches in my collection. Like the sailcloth strap, the saffiano pairs well with orange being a complementary color to the blue reflections on the Mark XX dial. Saffiano is a chrome-tanned leather with higher water resistance and less potential for patina, making it an excellent choice for color longevity. While the orange is slightly darker and less vibrant than the sailcloth strap—perhaps due to some patina over the past year and a half—this strap still looks great and makes a statement. Overall, saffiano is one of my favorite leathers for its unique texture, clean appearance, durability, and resistance to patina.

Extra Information

• Reference: IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX IW328201

• Case Size: 40mm

• Lug-to-lug: 49mm

• Thickness: 10.8mm

• Lug Width: 20mm

• All photos are on a 6.5” wrist. 

• The Sasquatch basketball player is a pizza box lid from one of my favorite Seattle pizza chains. Once I saw the new lid design I just had to figure out a way to sneak it into a shoot.