Marine Nationale 20mm blue Paratrooper Nato bracelet

Blue and red: the Navy's colours

The most recognised combination in the Marine Nationale repertoire. Red cuts against blue to stay legible, including underwater — a requirement, not a fancy. On a Tudor Black Bay or a steel diver, it tells the combat divers' story directly.

A fully elastic strap

This is what sets the Marine Nationale apart from any other NATO strap. It is fully elastic. On impact it absorbs the force instead of passing it to the spring bars: they do not break, the watch stays on the wrist. Once the tension releases, the strap returns to shape.

Tight, and over the wetsuit

The Marine Nationale is worn taut — that is how it was conceived. The tension keeps it in place in the water and absorbs shocks. Its elasticity allows what no rigid strap can: fitting over a neoprene wetsuit. It is a dive strap in the truest sense.

A few 20mm watches: Tudor Black Bay 54, Tudor Ranger, Seiko SPB143, Seiko Sumo, Seiko Alpinist. Measure the gap between your lugs, not the case diameter.

NATO BNO Original logo

This strap carries the NATO BNO Original logo — a mark of authenticity for a reissue faithful to the original spirit. Marine-grade anti-corrosion stainless steel buckle and keepers, 20 mm.

Marine Nationale or classic NATO?

The classic NATO is rigid single-piece nylon. The Marine Nationale is fully elastic: it absorbs shocks without breaking the spring bars, then returns to shape, and is worn tighter. For a classic nylon NATO, see our 20mm NATO straps.

The series has variations: see the khaki and red version or the grey version. The full range is here: Marine Nationale 20mm straps.

A classic across the decades: see the early days of the NATO strap. To match the strap to your watch, follow our strap-choosing guide.