Everything You Need To Know About Watch Straps

Watch straps don’t typically get much ink, but this certainly isn’t reflective of their role in the realm of horological appreciation. You can’t look at a watch without looking at the part that’s going to keep it on your wrist, and changing the strap can give the accessory – yes, it is ultimately still an accessory – an entirely different look and feel.

Everyone loves variety, and brands are catching on. Some of them aren’t just rolling out multiple additional bands (like Panerai did with 11 new alligator straps in 2014), but making them remarkably simple to switch at home, tools not required. Stylish women’s models like Bulgari’s Serpenti and Hublot’s colourful Big Bang Pop Art One Click are among the early adopters, but this trend isn’t just for the ladies. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Atelier Reverso customisation programme lets clients choose their Reverso straps, while Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas masculine models come with three bands – metal bracelet, leather strap and rubber strap. All held in place, again, by mechanisms designed for easy fitting and removal.

And they can’t just look good; they have to be comfortable. This is especially true for metal bracelets, as links have to be carefully engineered to rest perfectly on your skin. That doesn’t mean makers of leather straps have it easy. An Hermes watch strap, which is made from the same leather as its bags, goes through a 12-step process. IWC and Roger Dubuis have turned to shoemakers Santoni and Massaro respectively for leather and unique designs. Even the workhorse rubber strap has been taken to the next level – Hublot, for one, has jazzed up its versions by combining rubber with unlikely materials like denim and leather.

The possibilities are endless, but here’s a primer on what’s out there.

Second Skin

Leave it to these experts when you need just the right look.

1/4: Atelier du Bracelet Parisien

This family-owned, Paris- based strap specialist offers a staggering number of options for your ideal strap. Aside from the standard calf and alligator skin, Atelier du Bracelet Parisien has leathers made from sea bass, pangolin, toad, and countless other exotic creatures. You get to choose the material and colour of the lining, the amount of padding, the shape of the end of the strap and whether you want it stitched by hand or machine.
2/4: Hughes Low

On our own shores is Hughes Low, who learnt leatherworking at Ecole Gregoire-Ferrandi, a Parisian training school whose alumni include Hermes artisans. Low makes various small leather goods, from cardholders to bi-fold wallets, but watch straps are his bestsellers. And that’s because he takes no shortcuts. There are no paper or cardboard fillers, just 100 per cent leather. The thread he uses is spun by Fil au Chinois, while most of his leather comes from a local tannery – both of which supply to Hermes.
3/4: Camille Fournet

If you’re not exactly sure of what you want, play around with the strap configurator on Camille Fournet’s luscious website. Choose from 16 types of leather in 57 colours, customise the width and even dictate the shape of the holes, then place your order. All orders, whether bespoke or ready-made in design, are carried out at the brand’s leather goods workshops in Tergnier in Northern France, though its very first workshop was established on the rue Vauban in Saint-Quentin, Picardy, in 1945.
4/4: The Strap Smith

Fancy a little novelty for your everyday watch? The Strap Smith has got you covered with a range of unusual themes that use materials from vintage backpacks, footballs and even sports shoes, to name a few. The man behind it, Rob Montana, is the son of a leathercraft instructor and also has a passion for vintage straps (check out those he made using ammo pouches from World War I). Jay Leno counts as one of his many celebrity fans. Custom orders are also available, and all straps are hand-stitched.

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Band Aid

From basic to iconic, these are the bracelets and straps you need to know about.

1/7: Nato

The Nato strap made its first appearance in 1973 and was created by the British Ministry of Defence. Those straps were characterised by 20mm wide double nylon straps with spring bars, in a colour called Admiralty Grey, though their popularity led to the adoption of more colours and a slimmer 18mm version. They are often confused with Zulu straps, which differ from Nato ones by having only one long strap made of thicker nylon.

Above: Omega Seamaster Diver 300m “Commander’s Watch”
2/7: Rally

The perforations in these leather straps – usually three large ones under the lugs on either side, though variations have seen numerous holes across the entire strap – were inspired by old racing gloves and car parts that had holes drilled into them to minimise weight and increase speed. While it’s not necessary in a watch strap, the added ventilation makes them ideal summer accessories.

Above: Chopard Grand Prix De Monaco Historique 2016 Race Edition
3/7: Rolex President

It may not have as long a history as the Oyster or Jubilee bracelets, but Rolex’s President band, introduced in 1956, is the brand’s most luxurious – and is used only for its highest-end Day-Date models. It combines the Oyster’s three-link design with the Jubilee’s semi-circular links, and is only ever crafted in gold or platinum and paired with the Rolex Crownclasp for a smooth, comfortable fit.

Above: Rolex Day-Date 40
4/7: Aviator

Now purely used as decoration, the rivets located below the lugs on pilot’s watches were originally meant to keep the straps together, particularly during the turbulence of air combat. First popularised by the German air force during World War II, this historical detail can still be found on modern pilot’s watches today.

Above: IWC Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48
5/7: Milanese

Derived from Milanese chain mail in the 13th century, the Milanese mesh design now has the less bloody function of keeping watches and jewellery on the wrist. Modern use was pioneered by German strap specialists Staib and Vollmer, and luxury brands like Breitling and Zenith have mesh options in some collections. Omega’s Shark Mesh bracelet, first found on the Ploprof 600 diving watch, features a similar design with larger links.

Above: Breitling Superocean Heritage II 42
6/7: Rubber

While durable and especially suitable for diving, metal bracelets are still a little too heavy and expensive to replace when it comes to serious tool watches. Rubber straps are the obvious answer, and the earliest example is the Tropic, now famous for its basket weave pattern and numerous perforations. Other designs have followed since, such as Seiko’s Waffle strap and Hublot’s fabric or leather- covered rubber straps.

Above: Oris Divers Sixty-Five
7/7: Royal Oak

Audemars Piguet’s audacious Royal Oak made history by selling itself as a luxury sports watch in steel, but we shouldn’t forget that much of that credit belongs to the meticulously manufactured bracelet as well. It shocked everyone how much shine could be coaxed from a steel bracelet, not to mention the time taken to both satin- brush and polish the link edges.

Above: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph