Kore Essentials Watch Band Review - Is This The Best Watch Strap Ever?
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I never cover watch straps on Ben's Watch Club…mostly because they're normally just not that interesting. Of course, the quality varies from brand to brand, and you can get them in different colors, designs, and sizes, but fundamentally, they all work in the same way. There are holes in the band, and you use the buckle and tang to select the size. Over time, the material breaks in, with some straps lasting and aging much better than others.
But what if that wasn't the only way? What if there was a way to make a strap that was much more adjustable and far longer lasting?
Those are the questions that American brand Kore Essentials is hoping to answer with its new watch collection. This is the Excursion, and it's their flagship quartz dive watch. But, it's what's attached to the Excursion that's got me so intrigued. You see, given the background of this company, I've been anticipating this product for several years.
Kore Essentials was launched primarily as a belt manufacturer in 2013. Unlike most belts, which use holes, the Kore Trakline system foregoes these in favor of a flexible track fitted to the rear. This track works in combination with a spring mechanism concealed within the buckle, allowing the belt to be adjusted in fine increments for perfect precision. The ratchet holds in place so the belt stays secure. This system is quicker and easier to use than a traditional holed belt and can be instantly adjusted using the small lever, so if you've just had a big meal and it's feeling tight, you can loosen the belt in record time. Honestly, these ratchet belts are so good, I haven't worn a typical holed belt in about 6 years now, and because of the friction-free design, they still look almost as good as the day I got them. A complete game changer, which has saved me money in the long run.
While similar alternatives are available, including some that retail for less, I reviewed the main contenders on my old fashion channel and found that on most fronts, Kore Essentials was the best option, with the smoothest mechanism and highest build quality. They later sponsored a couple of videos on that channel, but they are not sponsoring this post, they haven't paid me anything, and I haven't worked with them in that capacity for several years.
Still, when they emailed saying that they had released a watch with a completely new strap type, I knew I had to take a look at it so they sent one over for review.
Watch Review
Here it is, then, the Kore Excursion, which they sent over. They also have the Eclipse, a chronograph version, with a similar all-black aesthetic. Both share the same dive-style cues, with a rotating bezel and a screw-down crown. To be frank, the watch itself is nothing remarkable. I mean, it has the external hallmarks of a well-made watch, with an excellent recoilless bezel action, a heavy, well-cut steel case, and a clean, satin-like PVD body.
The Excursion has other headline specifications, too, including a sapphire crystal and a substantial 200m water resistance rating, for additional reassurance. Overall, there's no doubt this watch could take a beating, just like their belts, but for a price of nearly $300 and with only a quartz Ronda 5 movement inside, combined with limited luminescence, it's far from a price-to-performance leader when the big brands are considered. It looks tactical, that's for sure, but the look isn't particularly to my taste.
Strap
Nevertheless, the Excursion has a secret weapon that the big brands don't. The micro-adjustable strap. As you might have guessed, they've downsized their famous Trakline system to fit straight on a watch band. The setup, though, is a little different. As you can see, the track is baked directly into the rear of the thermoplastic rubber itself, and this time the lever has been moved to the tip of the clasp.
You simply thread the end of the strap through the mechanism and then pull to size. To loosen or release, you activate the lever. At first, I found this a bit slower to put on than my normal straps, but I soon realized that you can quickly yank it into position with the right technique.
So, just how adjustable is this track system? For context, the average gap between holes in traditional watch bands is 8mm. The Kore straps, on the other hand, allow you to adjust the band in 3mm increments, so that's nearly triple the adjustment range, which means you're guaranteed to get the perfect fit.
On-wrist, the experience is as good as you might think. The ratchet holds firmly in place, and the mechanism doesn't add much bulk to the strap, meaning it just looks like a typical watch band, even when close up. It's worth mentioning that the strap also has quick-release tabs, as well as tiny prongs that prevent the keepers from sliding too far down, which is always a nice inclusion.
Alternatives
Now, some other alternatives are out there that rival this adjustment level.
The first that comes to mind is the velcro bands on some lower-end watches, like the Timex Expedition Camper. While those are surprisingly comfortable and technically even more adjustable than this Kore band, the downside with Velcro is that it will degrade and eventually start to look raggy, not to mention its grip will fade over time.
There are also the elasticated Erikas Originals bands, which I haven't tried yet. They also look very interesting, but from the videos I've seen, they aren't nearly as easy to adjust while on-wrist as this Kore option.
There's also this one too from Roland Iten (no idea how to say that one). This one looks clever too, and potentially even more adjustable, though the large, rotating disc looks very funky.
Final Thoughts
The only factor hindering the Kore band is the sheer size and weight of the watch itself. I only have tiny wrists, so the 44mm case size isn't an ideal match-up, though the ratchet does seem to support the weight of the watch better than a regular strap, from my experience.
Luckily for me, these straps can be purchased separately from the watch itself, at a very fair price of $39.95; I'll link it below if you're interested. Currently, though, the selection is very limited, with them shipping only in a 24mm width and with two designs to pick from.
For the money, the quality is right up there, though I'm keen to see how well this sytem ages in comparison to the belts, which have done very well. Use promo code BWC10 at checkout for 10% discount.
