Hip Hop rubber watch bands?

[cash76]

My Father repairs watches as a hobby and has been looking for a brand of watch that was popular in Europe in the 80s called Hip Hop. He told me that the watch face was interchangeable with different bands. does anyone have any info on this? I have searched all over Google, Ask, Bing, and a few other search sites with no luck. any help would be appreciated.

[aerome]

I remember reading about this recently. Seemed like the watch head was just popped into a rubber bezel/band combo. Swatch keeps coming to mind but I really don't recall the manufacturer.

[CHIP]

Sept 18, 2009 5:40:04 GMT -6 aerome said:

I remember reading about this recently. Seemed like the watch head was just popped into a rubber bezel/band combo. Swatch keeps coming to mind but I really don't recall the manufacturer.

Al, you might be thinking of the Omega Dynamic, which was built around the concept you describe above.
For decades, they were the forgotten Omega but lately they have been gaining popularity.

[Warren]

Those Omegas are different, I do kind of like them. The one peice strap concept is interesting to say the least.
I found this link with a bunch of pics for anyone that's curious.

www.heirloom2.com/omega_dynamic.htm

[aerome]

Well, I found the periodical that I saw the Hip Hop straps. It was the August 2009 issue of WatchTime. They only showed a pic and captioned that they were popular in Italy in the 80's.

Seems that Italy's Binda Group brought them to market in the early 80's. The movement was enclosed in a type of can and could be inserted into various rubber straps. This was only marketed in Italy and after 2 million sold, the group went under. Couldn't complete with a new company called SWATCH!

[cash76]

Thanks for all your help I will see what i can dig up

[atomic]

Wow, I had a watch like this that I got in 1986 when I worked for Coca Cola one summer. I got two rubber straps that were like regular straps, connected to a rubber 'case' that the entire movement/dial was in and snapped in from behind.

Because it was a 'coke' watch, it came with a red strap/case adn a white strap case. Damned if I know where it went though... but everyone thought it was a Swatch when I had it.

[louis]

I´m sure you´re talking about this one :

1975
FORTIS set the pace in watch fashion with the "Flipper quartz leader" model, a great success in more than 40 countries the following years. This watch range incorporated the original FORTIS Container System, allowing the movement and bracelet to be interchanged within seconds.

1982
The "Flipper quartz leader" provides besides steel and 18 ct. gold bracelets a wide range of colorful straps and thus made this FORTIS design a hit in the early 80s, worn for example by The Rolling Stones, Roman Polanski, Leonard Bernstein, etc.. The "...aristocrat of the plastic watches"..V. Philbert, Europa Star.

Regs

louis

[klio]

they are back on sale in italy.... I just brought one for 29 euro.
They are made of perfumed rubber which i am hoping will wear off, because its like having chewing-gum on your wrist. They come with a black or white inside and whole set of bright colours, mine is bright aquamarine, they are an 80s icon, waterproof, and very cheap and cheerful :-)
wow I sound like an advert... Clem :-)
www.hiphopwatches.it.