An Introduction to StrapHabit
Windup Watch Shop - August 24, 2026
In 2025, we launched our first Ride To Conquer Cancer collaboration, which featured a special strap from our friends over at StrapHabit. By this point, we’d already become good friends with Nick and come to realize that he, like us, was a genuine watch enthusiast. After working alongside Nick and being ecstatic about the results, we knew his line of straps would be a welcome addition to the shop. Despite adding our first collection in January and several more, we realized many people may not know about the brand as a whole, and even fewer know about Nick; we needed to correct this. Without further ado, here’s a peek behind the curtain at one of our favorite strap companies and the man behind the brand.
About the Brand
StrapHabit began in 2019 with a simple mission: “To help customers find the perfect strap for their watch; after all, a watch isn’t complete until it has that perfect strap”. Based outside of Columbus, Ohio, StrapHabit stocks straps in-house, which, combined with their central location, helps ensure your strap lands on your wrist as quickly as possible. Through carefully developed relationships, StrapHabit partners with several of the most experienced global watch strap manufacturers to bring a wide range of offerings. Designed to strike the perfect balance between budget-friendly and high-quality, StrapHabit’s offerings let you experiment with various strap combinations without digging too deep into your wallet.
At the heart of it all is Nick Lehner, who can best be described as an “Enthusiast Entrepreneur”. When Nick first started StrapHabit in 2019, he was working full-time as an engineer, shipping orders early in the morning and late at night after his family had gone to bed. Nick often found himself spending any spare time answering emails, creating content, and designing new products, which would often spill into his weekends. After nearly six years of effectively living two lives, Nick made the decision to quit his 20-year career in engineering and work on StrapHabit full time, which he credits to the support of the watch community.
In addition to offering high-quality straps with an outstanding value proposition, StrapHabit actively collaborates with several non-profit organizations to give back to the community through meaningful, impact-driven partnerships. To date, StrapHabit has successfully raised over $75,000 for cancer research, a deeply personal cause for Nick. Having personally overcome testicular cancer and supported his mother through her own battle with breast cancer, Nick remains dedicated to discovering creative ways to support research and patient care. These charitable efforts range from designing custom dedicated watch straps to collaborating on full-scale, limited-edition timepieces.
Why We Like Them
StrapHabit provides an ideal balance of quality and versatility, making it easy to experiment with new styles while meeting essential watch-strap needs. We currently offer four unique StrapHabit styles: tropic, deployant sailcloth, elastic hook & loop, and single pass hook & loop, giving you versatile ways to dress up or casualize any watch in your collection. Across these different lines, core colors like black, blue, green, and orange remain consistent, enabling you to curate a cohesive color palette across a range of different styles. If you’re the type of person who wants a touch of flair, be sure to check out some of the more extravagant options within the tropic straps, like orange camouflage or full lume.
