Watch strap making isn’t just limited to major brands and big shops; across the world there are small strapmakers making a living designing unique and custom straps. Our small brand spotlight series interviews these strapmakers to see what makes them tick.

Today the spotlight is on John Glance and his shop, Dangerous9straps.

Name: Dangerous9straps
Website: www.Dangerous9straps.blogspot.com
Location: Munich, Germany
What: I specialize in making custom watchstraps for my clients around the world.

Rolex Submariner on 1967 Swiss Ammo watch strap with Padding at the lugs and our Thick Curved Lug System TCLS

How did you get into watch strap making?

Strap making sprung out of my watch collecting. I had been a hobby leather worker in my 20’s (and selling items as a side business in the The Society for Creative Anachronism – SCA) and when I discovered watch collecting in my 40’s, it wasn’t long before I also discovered the thriving cottage industry of custom/handmade watch straps and decided I would try my hand. So I pulled the old leather working tools out of the garage and went to work.

PAM422 on 1965 Swiss Ammo Watch strap with Vintage Ecru Linen stitching

What materials do you use in your bands?

I currently offer a myriad of standard leathers and exotic leathers such as Alligator, Ostrich Leg, Teju Lizard, Sharkskin, Nile Crocodile, Stingray, etc. as well as leather salvaged from Swiss Ammunition pouches to make the much sought after Swiss Ammo straps.

Bell & Ross BR01 on 1952 Swiss Ammo watch strap with custom bullet cartridge rivets

What is your favorite material to work with?

While I love all of our materials we stock, I would have to say my personal favorites are Alligator, Ostrich Leg and Teju Lizard. Especially with the addition of an exotic leather lining such as out SuperMatte Teju Lizard or Sharkskin. What I most enjoy with my custom strap making is to collaborate with my client to design a strap that fits both the watch and my customer’s unique style and that will bring an extra surge of joy every time they wear their watch.

Omega Planet Ocean on an exclusive Grey SuperMatte Teju Lizard Watch Strap

What style band is your favorite to make or wear?

Of course, that depends entirely on the watch, but my current favorite is Teju Lizard. I just really love the small-scale patters and since we have most of our colors custom made for use, these are among the most exclusive materials we offer.

Cartier Tank Divan Diamonds on Baby Blue Pearlescent Alligator Watch strap with padding at the lugs and Silver Metallic stitching

Do you have a favorite watch?

This is a tough one. I have over twenty watches in my collection and I tend to rotate them based upon what I’m wearing and my mood. I would say that my PAM288, my Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and my Kaventsmann Bathyal are the ones I find that I’m wearing most often these days.

IWC le Petit Prince on Alligator Watch strap with Hand Antiqued finish

What do you like to do outside of watch strap making?

Spending time with my family is what I most enjoy, and traveling with them. I have the great fortune of living just outside Munich Germany, so travel by car to Italy is quite easy and we take advantage of that a couple of times per year. Also, since many of my leather suppliers are based in Northern Italy, I can often combine business with pleasure. I have also recently taken a keen interest in men’s style in general, so have been turning my sartorial interest into more of a hobby of late.

Check out more of John’s work on his website at www.Dangerous9straps.blogspot.com

Classic Breguet 5207 on Black Row Stone Stingray Watch Strap

IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph on SuperMatte Teju Lizard Watch Strap with Double Row Stitching and Red Sharkskin Lining

Grand Seiko Snowflake SBGA011 on SuperMatte Blue Teju Lizard Watch Strap

Tourbe Brune Alligator Watch strap for Vintage Patek Philippe

Looking for a new watch to go with your custom made strap? Support our blog by shopping through our affiliate partner, Jomashop.

Also check out our other guides:

• Safe Places to Buy a Watch Online
• Tools for Replacing A Watch Strap or Band
• How to Pick Out The Right Watch Band For Your Watch
• 5 Tips For Picking Out A New Watch Band Or Strap
• The Complete Guide to the Orient Bambino Dress Watch
• How to Fix A Broken Loop On Your Watch Strap

We are an Amazon & Jomashop Affiliate.

If you’re new to watchbands or looking to buy a gift for that special someone, knowing how to pick out the right watch strap is difficult. We interviewed Thomas Lathrop, CEO of watchband company Crown & Buckle, for some tips on matching up the right band to your watch.

Hello Thomas, and thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. We know that there are a lot of different types of watches out there, how does the style of the watch affect which watch band someone should buy?

My first reaction to this question is that you should always feel free wear what you like. Don’t let yourself be constrained by the “norms” for any given type of watch. If you have a dive watch but never get it wet, feel free to wear it on a leather strap. If you have a dress watch but usually wear casual attire, go ahead and pop a colorful nylon strap on it.

This is not to suggest you should ditch the black crocodile strap for a NATO if you are going to a black tie event, but just a reminder that watch straps are a relatively inexpensive, easy, and fun way to mix things up.

Dark Brown Crown & Buckle Leather Strap on Omega Speedmaster

To delve deeper into the issue, there are some practical and stylistic considerations that might make your strap making decisions easier. An easy place to start is: do you need the strap to be waterproof so you can swim or shower in it? If so, you should be limiting yourself to waterproof straps such as rubber, nylon (NATO or Perlon), or even a metal bracelet. There are “water resistant leathers” out there, but they tend to be heavily treated or are simply synthetic materials that are a far cry from real leather.

Normal leather will certainly be damaged from getting soaking wet. However, if your watches only see the occasional splash from washing your hands or a few drops of rain, then you are open to just about any strap material, including leather and exotic skins.

Here are some easy fool-proof pairings to kick start your strap search:

Dive watches: Metal bracelets are traditional, waterproof, and are very versatile from a style standpoint. Nylon NATO straps are waterproof, add a layer of safety if a spring bar breaks, and come in hundreds of colors for a fun twist. Rubber straps are durable, waterproof, come in many colors, and are easy to keep clean. Leather works well with dive watches if you don’t require any water resistance. In general, thicker straps with full stitching tend to look good with dive watches.

Rolex Sea Dweller on Crown & Buckle Black Label Brown Leather Strap

Chronographs: Typically water resistance matters less with chronographs, so leather straps are a good starting point. Consider the complexity of the dial when picking out your strap. The busier the dial, the simpler you’ll want the strap to be as far as the texture, color variance, and stitching. When pairing a chronograph with nylon, you may want to stick to solid colors or just one accent color that matches the watch dial.

Field & Pilot Watches: Canvas and nylon straps match the utility of the watch as well as the more casual style, but leather straps can work equally well here if water resistance is not a concern. Field and pilot watches tend to be clean and highly legible, giving you some room to go a little more wild on the strap. Think vintage distressed leathers, contrast stitching, or striped/patterned nylon straps.

Dress & Minimalist Watches: Exotic skins (alligator, crocodile, snake, lizard, etc.) and smooth, clean leather straps are traditional in this realm. However, if you wear a dress/minimal watch in a casual environment, the strap can be the perfect way to add some flair. Dress watches become highly versatile when dressed down a little with a more casual leather strap, or a nylon strap (Perlon is a great starting point).

Crown & Buckle Black Label Collection – Brown Leather Strap on Nomos Watch

If someone is only planning to buy one new strap, what color do you recommend?

We all tend to gravitate towards a certain color palette, so look towards your typical wardrobe and start with colors that will either match or compliment what you wear. If you wear brown leather shoes/belts, I would stick to brown for your leather straps, but don’t fret too much about going for an exact match in tone & color. If your belts and shoes are black, black leather is the way to go.

The dial color of your watch is a consideration. It’s widely accepted that a brown strap works just fine with a black watch dial. However, I would suggest keeping some contrast. Black dials tend to look best with light to medium browns, and silver/white dials tend to look best with medium to dark browns.

Black/Grey/Monochrome Wardrobes: You can stick to black & grey straps, or add a small dose of color in your watch strap. Any color will do!

Blue/Cool Tone Wardrobes: Light to medium brown is always a safe bet, or matching with blues/navys. Grey will always look good. Purple and green are analogous, while red, yellow, and orange are complimentary.

Red/Warm Tone Wardrobes: Medium to dark brown & black are a safe bet. Yellow and orange are analogous, while blue, purple, and green are complimentary.

Earth Tone Wardrobes: Browns, olive drab, and some earthy grays will all work well. Try adding black or a more saturated, brighter color for some contrast so the entire palette doesn’t appear too washed out. When all else fails, go with a medium brown!

Crown & Buckle Perlon Watch Straps

Should someone match the band to their belt, shoes or handbag?

In short: yes, but it’s easy to go overboard. In my opinion, it’s enough if all the leathers are brown (or black). Don’t pull your hair out trying to get leathers that all match one another perfectly.

What else should people avoid when it comes to buying a new watch strap?

Keep in mind the big picture when picking out a watch, strap, and outfit pairing. For instance, if you have a three-register chronograph with a slide rule bezel and day/date function, let the watch dial do the talking and keep the strap subtle. You don’t want to create a visual overload by adding a 4 color plaid strap to an already busy watch.

Another thing that hasn’t been touched on yet is the thickness of the strap. There are times when a strap may be too thick or too thin to look appropriate for the watch. If you have an 8mm thick dress watch, a 5mm thick leather strap will silly on it. Conversely, a vintage style 2mm thick leather strap isn’t going to look right on an 18mm thick 2,000 meter dive watch. Keep it proportional!

Lastly, it’s traditional to match the buckle/hardware on the strap to the finish on the case of the watch. A polished dress watch would use a polished buckle. A black PVD watch would use a strap with black PVD hardware. In some cases, a watch will have both brushed and polished surfaces. In that case I personally lean towards using brushed since it’s more low key, but you can safely use either finish for the hardware/buckle.

Crown & Buckle Phalanx Navy Canvas Watch Strap on Halios Watch

I’m buying a new watch strap for my significant other/important person in my life; how do I find the right size watch strap?

If you know the brand and model of the watch, you can do a search for “BRAND – MODEL lug width” and/or “BRAND – MODEL strap size” which should turn up ample results. Check the top 3-4, and if they coincide, you should be safe with that. If you are unsure on the details and don’t want to risk it, try to sneak a photo of the watch and send it in to a strap company. They should be able to help you identify the proper size quickly and easily!

Any other watch band advice?

If you plan to change straps regularly, it’s worth investing in a nice spring bar tool, and keeping some spare spring bars around for when you inevitably lose one in the carpet. Remember to have fun and don’t overthink your strap choices!

Thomas Lathrop is the founder and CEO of Crown & Buckle, a watch strap company located in Palm Beach, Florida. You can find the straps pictured in this article along with a wide variety of straps on their website, www.crownandbuckle.com.

You can also check out a collection of inexpensive watch straps on the Basic Bands Amazon Shop page.

Interested in changing watch straps on your watch? Check out our other guides:

• Safe Places to Buy a Watch Online
• Tools for Replacing A Watch Strap or Band
• 5 Tips For Picking Out A New Watch Band Or Strap
• The Complete Guide to the Orient Bambino Dress Watch
• How to Fix A Broken Loop On Your Watch Strap
• Basic Bands 2017 Watch Strap And Band Gift Guide

We are an Amazon & Jomashop Affiliate.

Name Orient Bambino
Price Range: $100-$325 (depending on version and color combination)
Style: Dress watch
Type: Automatic
Watch Size: 40.5mm (42mm for V4).
Lug width (size of strap where it meets the watch): 21mm (22mm for V4)
Website: https://www.orientwatchusa.com/collections/bambino
Best Place to Buy: Amazon or Jomashop (search for Orient Bambino in the search bar).

Pros:

• Great price, frequently on sale from watch sellers even when full priced on the Orient website.
• Fantastic color and style combinations; you will get compliments on this watch.
• Keeps good time for an automatic.
• Orient is a well-regarded watch manufacturer.

Cons:

• Occasionally hard to buy online in the popular color and style combinations. Earlier generations no longer sold directly from the manufacturer’s website.
• 21-mm strap size of the Orient Bambino Versions 1-3 and Small Seconds is not that common, narrowing down your watch band options. The Version 4 has a more common 22-mm strap size.
• Very confusing naming convention, making picking out a watch at some online stores a hit or miss.

Orient Bambino Review

Simply put, the Orient Bambino is probably the best affordable dress watch out there. A fantastic option for your first watch, it takes a movement from a reliable watch company and puts it in an incredible looking package. Earlier generations can be bought for just over $100, while the most popular style from the new generation will be closer to $300 (although it frequently goes on sale).