22mm is the dive watch size. Seiko put it on the SKX007 and the Turtle, Tudor on the Black Bay 41, Omega on the Planet Ocean 43.5, and between them those four watches alone account for a large share of the straps sold every year. If 20mm is the size of the everyday watch, 22mm is the size of the watch that gets wet, knocked, and worn hard.
That ought to make it easy to buy for, and in one sense it is: there’s no shortage of 22mm straps. The problem is that most of them are built for the wrong reasons. They’re thick because thick looks tough, straight-cut because tapering costs money, and fitted with a buckle that weighs more than the strap. Put one on a Black Bay and the watch looks like it’s wearing a tyre.
Artem Straps takes 22mm seriously enough to do it properly. Here’s what that looks like.
Three mistakes 22mm owners make
The first is buying for bulk. A 43mm case is already heavy on the wrist, and a strap that’s 6mm thick from end to end makes it heavier. The right 22mm strap is substantial at the lugs and slim at the clasp, so the weight sits under the case where it belongs.
The second is ignoring the taper. A 22mm strap that stays 22mm all the way to the buckle looks like a belt. One that narrows to 20mm looks like it was made for the watch. Nearly every OEM strap on a 22mm watch tapers, and the aftermarket should too.
The third is choosing the material by the photo rather than the weekend. A sailcloth strap is the better-looking option on a Black Bay. A rubber strap is the one that survives the sea. Buy the one that matches where the watch actually goes.
What Artem makes in 22mm
The 22mm watch straps collection covers the whole range, with tapers built in.
The Classic sailcloth is the strap that made the brand. Sailcloth grid embossed into a synthetic upper, leather core, natural rubber underside. It’s water-resistant, holds its shape, and comes with a tang buckle in steel or black. In 22mm it tapers to 20mm, and it’s available in black, navy, grey, khaki green and sand beige with a choice of stitching. $112.
The Loop-less sailcloth is the same build, cut for a folding clasp. The keepers are gone, the tail is gone, and the strap fastens in one movement once it’s sized. It tapers from 22mm to 20mm at the clasp end, which pairs with Artem’s own Loop-less clasp or a 20mm Omega deployant. $154.
The Loop-less HydroFlex is the dive strap. Dual-stage vulcanised FKM rubber with the sailcloth texture embossed into it, so it looks like the sailcloth strap from across a room and behaves like rubber in the water. Waterproof, salt-proof, UV-stable, no break-in at all. Thickness runs from 5.4mm at the lugs down to 2.2mm at the tips, which is why it doesn’t feel like a tyre. In 22mm the standard taper is 22/20mm, with a 22/18mm option on select editions for a narrower clasp. Thirteen colour editions, from Dark Matter to Solar Flare. $248.
The Barenia leather turns a dive watch into something you can wear to dinner. French full-grain Barenia in tan, dark brown or black, tonal stitching, built on the Loop-less system. Soft from the first day and made to patina. $189.
The Signature Nylon rounds it out. Artem’s pass-through nylon is cut at 21.5mm to seat cleanly in 22mm lugs, on OEM-grade hardware in polished, brushed or black. Fourteen colourways, including the Bond and NTTD stripes that 22mm divers were practically made for. $76.
Matching the clasp
Artem’s 22mm straps taper to 20mm, so they take a 20mm clasp. The exception is the 22/18mm HydroFlex, which takes an 18mm. Buy the clasp to match the second number, not the lug width. The Loop-less Deployant Clasp is sold separately in brushed stainless steel or black DLC, and one clasp moves between every Loop-less strap of the same clasp width.
Length
Big cases cover more wrist, so 22mm straps are the ones most often bought too long. Artem’s XS, Standard and XL sizing runs from roughly 5.1 to 9.1 inches. Measure before you order; a 43mm Planet Ocean on a Standard strap sits differently from a 41mm Black Bay on the same strap.
Every strap in the collection comes fitted with quick-release spring bars. For Seiko owners whose watches use fat spring bars, Artem sells those separately.
Hardware that matches a dive case
Dive watches are mostly brushed, and the buckles on Artem’s Classic line are brushed through the centre with polished edges, in solid 316L stainless steel. The Loop-less clasp is the same steel. The black DLC versions suit the darker PVD and ceramic cases that have become common on 22mm divers.
Guarantee
Two-year craftsmanship warranty against cracks, delamination and stitching faults. Thirty days to return or exchange if the fit or feel isn’t right.
Conclusion
22mm straps are easy to find and hard to find well. Artem’s range gives a dive watch owner a sailcloth for most days, a rubber for the water, a leather for the evening and a nylon for the holiday, all cut to 22mm, all tapered properly, all sharing the same clasp. Pick the one that matches the weekend, not the photo.
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