Hands-On with the Delugs Integrated Rubber CTS Strap for the Tudor Black Bay 54

In case you couldn’t tell, we’re fans of Tudor in these parts. Yeah, yeah, nothing new; everyone likes a Tudor, but man, even in head-to-head combat, it’s hard to find much fault with their watches. Well, I’ll tell you a secret: I do have an issue with them. It’s not a big issue, per se, but it’s not nothing, either. Here’s the deal: when you get one, you choose which strap you want, and that’s it. Want the rubber and the bracelet? You better buy two.

Ok, perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but as far as Tudor’s website goes, you can’t order the straps separately. Maybe an AD can, but who’s got time for all that? Now, hear me out; the other thing is that they make very good bracelets. If you, like me, are prone to the occasional Black Bay purchase, you will choose the bracelet over the other options. But those other options, the rubber in particular, are just so damn nice. What’s a collector to do?

Well, for Tudor Black Bay 54 owners, there’s a new solution from our friends in Singapore, Delugs. Rubber straps are all well and good, but there’s just something special about one meant for your watch. One fitted to the exact shape of the lugs for that modern, integrated look. Introducing the Delugs Integrated Rubber CTS straps for various watches, including the BB54. Delugs was kind enough to send one over for some sweat-errr– road testing, so here are my thoughts.

Despite the setup, I’m actually not a huge rubber strap person. I’m not a huge bracelet guy, either. I really just like nylon and leather, but I’m open to other options when they really suit the watch. The problem with the BB54 is that everything suits it, so as an owner, you just want to try more and more. With that said, when buying a watch, I’ll generally go for the bracelet option if it exists, even if I don’t really want to wear it.

With the BB54, I did actually want to wear it, but the rubber option was really nice, so I’ve always kind of wanted a rubber option for it. When Delugs reached out to me to see if I wanted to try out their new integrated rubber strap, I thought, this is it, this is the opportunity to scratch that rubber itch that’s been there since I first got the watch. The package arrived, and I was met with a daunting task.

CTS means cut to size. Yeah, cut. Last I checked, you can’t uncut something, so I found this a little terrifying. I mean, one wrong snip, and you have a tourniquet, not a watch strap. So, I did the logical thing and just went for it. No research looking for tips from seasoned strap cutters, I just pulled out my scissors and gave it a good eyeballing. Ok, I first installed the strap on the watch, which was easy thanks to the quick-release bars. I put the watch on top of my wrist and saw how it fit and how much was obviously overhang. I cut this part first, four units per side (there are cut lines underneath for guidance, so you don’t cut through one of the springbar slots, I’m calling these the units). Then, I installed the spring clasp (more on that later) and checked the fit.

It was still too big, but close. This is where it got a bit trickier. I probably should have gone one unit at a time, reinstalled the clasp each time, and zeroed it in. Instead, I cut another two off per side based on how it fit, figuring I wouldn’t want one side longer. The result? Perfect, but without much room to spare. I was lucky, but I did make a small mistake. The clasp actually has a two-hole micro-adjust per side. I should have set it to the inside hole, thus, the smaller position, for my baseline fit as that way, on a sweaty day or one with extra wrist expansion, there’d be some room. Though, more on the practicality of that when I get to the clasp.

Anyway, with the strap installed and sized, I put it on, and… yeah, it was very nice. I mean, what else is there really to say? Ok, ok, the integrated lugs give a very clean, modern look. This took me a second to get used to, as the BB54 has obvious vintage styling, but it didn’t clash. Rather, it just brought out the underlying sportiness in the design. I mean, it is a very capable 200m sports watch, so there’s nothing wrong with making it look like it.

The strap’s design is very simple, which is likely for the best. It tapers from 20mm to 16mm, which is ideal, and from 4mm thick at the lug to 3.3mm thick at the clasp, which isn’t visually impactful but likely makes for better flex. It’s light in decoration, but isn’t flat either, featuring what they call a “double ridge design,” meaning there are two raised lines running the length of the strap. While the whole strap is matte, the ridges have a secondary texture, adding a little more personality. Overall, it’s a lowkey but appealing design, neither distracting from the BB54 or really adding more to the party.

The Delugs Integrated Rubber CTS comes with one of their seemingly magical leaf spring deployant clasps. Most clasps feature some type of mechanism that clicks in place, and requires the pushing of a button to release. Nothing wrong with tha, but those mechanisms add bulk. The Delugs clasp just uses tension from a flat spring that is integrated directly into the structure of the clasp, keeping it thin, and secure. But the function isn’t the only benefit, it also has a very reassuring “snap in place” feel to it that sort of needs to be experienced to be understood (and is the”magical” part).

The exposed part of the clasp is fairly discreet and nicely finished with vertical brushing, and wide polished bevels. The bevels meet at the corners creating an attractive detail. It’s great to see this level of attention as obviously the watch it’s going on is well finished and expensive. Having a dull clasp is just a bit of a let down. It appears that Delugs is also offering different finishing options including matte and brushed black, which could also be a nice option with black rubber for an even more seamless appearance. The one hole micro-adjust mentioned earlier is nice in concept, but as it would require removing and reinstalling the clasp to use, not very practical in the middle of a sweaty day.

Besides the moments of fear I had in the cutting process, my experience with the strap has been very good. If you went for the bracelet over the OEM rubber option on the BB54, and don’t want to go the vintage tropical route (or in addition to), I think this is the right choice. It just looks clean, and like it was meant to be. Has it sold me on rubber straps in general? Well, I’ll keep trying it during what is shaping up to be a miserably hot summer in NYC and get back to you on that.

The Delugs Integrated Rubber CTS for the Tudor Black Bay 54 is priced at $185 and is available in black, gold, grey, olive, and white. It’s a fairly expensive strap, though inline with other brand’s integrated options, and does feel made to the standard of the watch itself. Delugs