FAQ

Shipping, Returns & Exchanges

Please refer to our Shipping Policy for more information.

All our products are shipped from Adelaide, Australia.

Whilst we try and offer cost effective shipping solutions to most areas, in some regions it is not practical to ship via standard shipping due to extensive delays. For such countries we have limited the shipping options to express only. We will continue to monitor the situation, and if shipping times return to normal, we may reinstate standard shipping.

We try and offer shipping to as many countries as possible. However, there are some regions to which shipping without extensive delays is not possible, irrespective of the method of shipping selected (standard or express). In addition to the extensive delays, parcels heading to these regions are often also at a high risk of arriving damaged or even getting lost. In such cases, we have no choice but to cease shipments to these regions until further notice.

The transit times advised on our website are an estimate only. Actual times may vary depending on your particular location, weather events, public holidays, customs delays and other circumstances outside of our control.

Logistic networks across the world have also been impacted by the rise in cases of COVID 19. The surge in cases is affecting staffing levels at both airlines and local postal operations, which is affecting transit times. Because this is an issue on DHL’s end, we are unfortunately not in control of any delivery delays or extended processing times on their part. If you have not received your parcel within 21 business days after receiving the tracking email, please contact us and we can launch an investigation directly with DHL.

Please refer to our Returns & Exchange Policy for more information.

Making a Purchase

We accept a variety of payment methods including credit cards (Visa/Mastercard/American Express), debit cards, PayPal, GooglePay and ApplePay.

The prices are displayed in USD by default. You can choose to shop in a different currency by selecting from the dropdown list which is located in the top right hand corner for desktop users and in the dropdown menu for mobile users.

Our prices are not inclusive of any taxes. This means that you may incur taxes or import fees when receiving the item in your country. Please note that all orders with an Australian shipping address will incur GST which will be added to the order total at checkout.

Rest assured we are here to help. You can get in contact with us via our Contact us page. Please quote your order number and describe the issue in as much detail as possible. We may then follow up with more questions and may also request photos to help us better understand the problem.

Product Details & Fitment

1. The Blancpain X Swatch range is compatible with all of our 22mm straps. Note: You must select standard spring bars for the Blancpain X Swatch, not quick release.

2. The Omega X Swatch range is compatible with all of our 20mm straps. You can select either quick release or standard spring bars as your prefer.

If you are still unsure, don’t stress, just contact us and we will help you select the perfect strap for your watch.

Refer to our fitment guide which can be found on the individual product's page. Note that the fitment guide is approximate only and applies to the straps as shown in the images. Differences can occur due to varying wrist shapes and watch case sizes/shapes which cannot be accounted for completely.

When shopping for sailcloth watch straps, people often come to the realisation that most companies are not selling “genuine” sailcloth straps. They produce straps made from a base material which has a sailcloth like pattern embossed on to it. To understand why that is, it is important to first understand what “sailcloth” really is.

History of the sailcloth and what is a ship sail?

Since the inception of ships, sails have been used to harness the kinetic energy in wind and use it for transport. The idea is that the sail has a large surface area over which the wind force acts and imparts its energy. Simply put, the more wind energy that can be captured by the sail, the more energy can be used to move the ship.

What is sailcloth?

The material that sails are made out of are categorised as “sailcloth”. Sailcloth can be made of many different materials which are discussed below.

What is sailcloth made from?

Sails are not only subject to strong wind forces but also have to endure harsh marine environments consisting of salts and extensive exposure to UV radiation from the sun. Hence, sailcloth material is selected to suit the application and conditions encountered at sea.

Initially, sailcloth was made from natural fibres such as flax, hemp and cotton (warp and weft). But due to technological advancements, synthetic materials became the norm such as nylon, polyester, Kevlar, carbon fibre and more.

Why not make straps out of sailcloth?
 

Whilst sailcloth materials are aesthetically pleasing and robust, the way they feel on the wrist and on the skin in general, is not particularly comfortable. So the reality is, that whilst “genuine” sailcloth is excellent for its intended purposes (i.e. ship sails), it is not necessarily a suitable material for high quality watch straps.

So what about Artem sailcloth straps?

Our straps are not made using "genuine" sailcloth. The decision to not use sailcloth was made after extensive research and trialling, which revealed that it lacks the fine, premium texture we were looking for in order to achieve optimal performance and comfort.

What are Artem sailcloth straps made from then?

Our meticulous material section process is what results in our straps' coveted satin sheen, flexibility and ability to be worn in water. The upper side of our straps is made from an embossed synthetic material whereas the underside is a leather base coated with a layer of natural rubber (caoutchouc).