Best Watch Straps for the Imperial Oceanguard GMT — Budget GMT Alternative

The Rolex GMT-Master II costs approximately $10,000 at authorised dealer retail — on a good day, without a wait list. The Imperial Oceanguard GMT costs $599. Both use 20mm lug width. Both have a two-tone Pepsi bezel in red and blue. Both track a second time zone on a fourth hand against a 24-hour graduated bezel. The comparison is not subtle — Imperial Watch Co. makes no pretence of designing for anyone other than the person who appreciates what the GMT-Master II does and would like to own it without taking out a second mortgage.

The Oceanguard GMT is the second release from Imperial Watch Co., following the Royalguard 200 dive watch. Where the Royalguard referenced dive watch heritage, the Oceanguard references pilot and traveller watch heritage — specifically the GMT watches of the 1950s and 1960s that were designed for airline pilots navigating multiple time zones. The custom 24-hour bezel insert with its hand-drawn serif font references the vintage aesthetics of that era directly. The roulette date wheel at 6 o'clock — alternating black and red numerals for odd and even days — is a detail that Rolex has used on its own sports watches for decades.

The movement is the Seiko NH34A — a Japanese-made four-hand GMT automatic with 24 jewels, 21,600vph beat rate, and 41 hours of power reserve. The NH34A is the same movement used in the Timex Waterbury Heritage Automatic GMT and numerous other affordable GMT watches — reliable, accurate, and genuinely GMT-capable rather than a modified three-hand movement with a painted fourth hand. The case is 316L stainless steel with predominantly brushed finishing and polished chamfered edges. The jubilee-style bracelet — solid links tapering from 20mm at the lugs to 16mm at the clasp — is one of the better bracelets in the affordable watch category.

Each Oceanguard colourway is limited to 25 pieces. More may be produced depending on interest, but the initial run makes these genuinely collectible at their price point.

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Imperial Oceanguard GMT Strap Size

The Imperial Oceanguard GMT uses 20mm watch straps lugs — confirmed by multiple independent hands-on reviews and owner measurements. 38mm case, 14mm thick, 47mm lug-to-lug.

Jet Black with Pepsi Bezel — 20mm watch straps. Jet Wash White with Pepsi Bezel — 20mm watch straps. Coral & Turquoise — 20mm watch straps. Fuchsia & Cyan — 20mm watch straps.

The Rolex connection: The Rolex GMT-Master II also uses 20mm lugs. The same CNS 20mm watch straps that fit the Imperial Oceanguard GMT fit the Rolex GMT-Master II exactly. If you are considering upgrading from an Oceanguard to a GMT-Master II — or if you own both — the same strap rotation works across both watches.

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The Four Colourways — Strap Logic

Each Oceanguard colourway has a different colour temperature and a different set of strap priorities.

Jet Black with Pepsi Bezel: Black dial, red and blue Pepsi bezel. The most classic GMT combination — cool black dial against the warm red and cool blue bezel. Same strap logic as the SKX009 Pepsi: warm brown leather creates warm-cool contrast, navy nylon creates tonal coherence, black and red nylon references the red of the Pepsi bezel.

Jet Wash White with Pepsi Bezel: White dial, red and blue Pepsi bezel. The most elegant colourway. The white dial suits a wider range of leather colours than the black dial — brown, tan, navy, burgundy all work well. Black leather creates maximum contrast.

Coral & Turquoise: The most distinctive colourway. Coral and turquoise are warm and cool opposite-temperature tones. Black rubber or nylon creates maximum contrast and lets the bezel colours speak. Tan leather creates warmth that suits the coral tone.

Fuchsia & Cyan: The boldest colourway. Black rubber or nylon — anything else competes with the bezel colours. This is a watch that wants to be the statement; the strap should step aside.

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Best Leather Straps for the Imperial Oceanguard GMT

The GMT heritage — airline pilots, world travellers, precision instruments — connects naturally to leather. The GMT-Master's own most iconic configurations are on leather: brown leather on the black dial GMT is the combination that defines the genre.

Leather watch straps in dark brown flat calfskin at 20mm watch straps — the most GMT-tradition-coherent combination for the Jet Black and Jet Wash White Pepsi variants. Warm brown against the black or white dial creates the warm-cool contrast that defines the vintage GMT aesthetic. This is the combination that makes the Oceanguard GMT look like a watch with genuine heritage rather than a budget homage. Full-grain calfskin develops patina that the factory jubilee bracelet cannot replicate.

Leather watch straps in black flat calfskin at 20mm watch straps — the most formally correct and most minimal combination across all colourways.

Leather watch straps in navy calfskin at 20mm watch straps — for the Pepsi variants. Navy leather creates tonal coherence with the blue half of the Pepsi bezel in a formal register — the maritime and aviation culture that GMT watches inhabit.

Leather watch straps in tan suede at 20mm watch straps — the most relaxed and most immediately transformative combination. On the Jet Wash White, tan suede against the white dial creates a warm, casual combination that reads as far more expensive than it is.

Leather watch straps in burgundy calfskin at 20mm watch straps — a distinguished formal alternative for the black and white Pepsi variants.

Thickness note: The Oceanguard GMT is 14mm thick — suits flat to moderately padded leather at 2-3.5mm.

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Best Nylon Straps for the Imperial Oceanguard GMT

Single-pass nylon — Original at 20mm watch straps with the CNS solid buckle. Most appropriate Oceanguard GMT colourways:

Pepsi variants (Jet Black, Jet Wash White):

• Navy — tonal coherence with the blue half of the Pepsi bezel
• Black — the most minimal, most contrast-maximising choice
• Black and red — referencing the red half of the Pepsi bezel directly on the strap
• Black and grey — the most understated collector combination

Coral & Turquoise: Black — maximum contrast. Olive — warm earth tone against the coral accent.

Fuchsia & Cyan: Black only — the bezel needs no strap competition.

Marine Nationale elastic at 20mm watch straps — the most comfortable Oceanguard daily wear option. The French Navy aviation and maritime heritage connects directly to the GMT complication's own pilot watch origin story. Navy for the Pepsi variants.

RAF single-pass nylon at 20mm watch straps — for the most specifically aviation-heritage combination. RAF pilots were among the earliest users of dual time zone watches — the same operational context the Oceanguard GMT references.

Canvas at 20mm watch straps in olive — for a vintage expedition traveller character on the Pepsi variants.

Paratrooper elastic at 20mm watch straps — the most comfortable daily option.

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Best Rubber Straps for the Imperial Oceanguard GMT

The Oceanguard GMT is water resistant to 200m — suitable for active wear.

Classic FKM rubber in black at 20mm watch straps — the most practical active combination across all colourways.

Tropical style FKM in black at 20mm watch straps — for the Pepsi variants. The vintage basket-weave texture references the 1960s professional watch culture the Oceanguard's bezel design draws from.

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The Rolex GMT-Master II Comparison — Straps

Both the Imperial Oceanguard GMT and the Rolex GMT-Master II use 20mm lugs. This means:

Every CNS strap recommended for the Oceanguard GMT fits the GMT-Master II exactly. The same brown leather that transforms the Oceanguard works on the GMT-Master II. The same Marine Nationale elastic that suits the Oceanguard suits the GMT-Master II.

The strap rotation developed on the Oceanguard at $599 transfers directly to the GMT-Master II at $10,000. It is a genuine advantage of buying a watch that shares its lug width with one of the most popular watches in the world.

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Recommended Combinations

Most GMT-tradition-coherent — leather watch straps in dark brown flat calfskin at 20mm watch straps — the combination that makes the Oceanguard read as a genuine pilot's watch.

Most formally correct — leather watch straps in black flat calfskin at 20mm watch straps.

Pepsi most coherent nylon — black and red single-pass nylon at 20mm watch straps.

Most aviation heritage — RAF single-pass nylon at 20mm watch straps.

Most comfortable daily — navy Marine Nationale elastic at 20mm watch straps.

Jet Wash White most relaxed — leather watch straps in tan suede at 20mm watch straps.

Coral & Turquoise most coherent — black FKM rubber at 20mm watch straps — let the bezel speak.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What size strap does the Imperial Oceanguard GMT take? 20mm watch straps — confirmed by multiple independent hands-on reviews and owner measurements. 38mm case, 47mm lug-to-lug.

Is the Imperial Oceanguard GMT a good Rolex GMT-Master II alternative? Yes — the Oceanguard GMT shares the GMT-Master II's essential design vocabulary: 20mm lug width, Pepsi red and blue bezel configuration, four-hand GMT movement, jubilee-style bracelet. The movement is a Seiko NH34A rather than Rolex's in-house calibre, and the price is approximately 1/17th of a GMT-Master II. For someone who appreciates the GMT complication and the Pepsi aesthetic without the budget or desire for the genuine article, the Oceanguard GMT is a legitimate and honest choice.

What movement does the Imperial Oceanguard GMT use? The Seiko NH34A — a Japanese-made four-hand GMT automatic with 24 jewels, 21,600vph, and 41 hours of power reserve. The NH34A provides genuine GMT functionality — the fourth hand tracks a second time zone independently against the 24-hour bezel. It is the same movement used in several other well-regarded affordable GMT watches and is widely considered the best value GMT movement available.

Can I use the same strap on both an Imperial Oceanguard GMT and a Rolex GMT-Master II? Yes — both watches use 20mm watch straps. The same CNS strap fits both exactly. Any strap rotation developed on the Oceanguard transfers directly to the GMT-Master II.

How many Imperial Oceanguard GMTs were made? Each colourway is limited to 25 pieces for the initial run. Four colourways — Jet Black Pepsi, Jet Wash White Pepsi, Coral & Turquoise, and Fuchsia & Cyan — for a total initial run of 100 pieces. Additional production may occur depending on interest.

All CNS straps for the Imperial Oceanguard GMT are available at 20mm watch straps. Standard delivery worldwide. 30-day returns.