Today’s strap is from a small custom strapmaker in North Carolina, OleksynPrannyk. It is a custom Apple watch strap with a double band. Like most 3rd-party watch straps, it comes with the hardware to easily put it on your Apple watch.
Check out their Etsy shop or their website for more great custom work including other leather goods like dopp kits, groomsmen bags and of course, watch rolls and watch straps in a variety of leathers for most watches. You can also find more strapmakers on our Custom Strap Maker page.
Today’s awesome watch strap is from a small custom watch strap maker in Spain. Jose Manuel Martín and the shop MANSAREA have some pretty fabulous straps, which of course can be customized for any watch. This particular strap is a heavy duty brown calf leather.
Check out their shop on Etsy if you’re interested in ordering a custom strap. Prices for most straps range from $50 – $100.
What: We handcraft watch straps for just about every brand out there and have a line of leather goods as well that we design and manufacture in house. These items include wallets, belts, handbags, keychains, dog leashes and collars as well as some custom one off items.
What materials do you use in your bands? We mainly use various leathers that range from most of the Horween line of leathers such as Shell Cordovan, Chromexcel, Dublin, Essex, latigo, etc all the way to reclaiming vintage ammunition pouches from the Swiss and French armies. Sometimes we incorporate various new and vintage canvas materials into the straps as well as offering rubber, nylon and Perlon straps too.
What are some of your best selling straps? Our leather military straps are definitely one of the crowd favorites as well as our one of a kind handmade leather watch straps that we individually name and sell in five sizes that include 18mm, 20mm, 22mm, 24mm and 26mm widths. If a client needs a width other than those, then we have a custom watch straps section that they can use to place an order for the strap of their dreams with a very quick turnaround time of 3-8x business days.
What advice do you have for people buying a new strap? It can be a very overwhelming process with all of the various options in the marketplace. Start off by finding out the lug width of the watch which will tell you the width of the strap needed to properly fit in between those lugs and be the correct size strap for the watch. The second main piece of info to need to know is the length of the strap needed. We always say that something around a 115mm/75mm length is a good starting point for most average wrist sizes. If you think you have a “small” or “large” wrist then we can adjust that length accordingly. Beyond that its pure fun on our custom watch straps page as you can select the material and its color, the thickness, stitching preference, stitching color and edge coating or lack of. People love to stand out and what better way than a true one off handmade watch strap!
What style of bands is your favorite to make or wear (personally)? I personally love shell cordovan straps. On my Panerai 233 I use a green Horween shell cordovan military style strap. While on my Rolex Air King I have a vintage ammo pouch strap that is made from a vintage French ammo pouch from the 1960s and we made it a tad thinner to match the case height of the Rolex watch so everything was proportionate. Subtle nuances like that are very important in the overall end result of the watch and watch strap combination.
Do you (personally) have a favorite watch? Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980/1A
DaLuca Straps Women’s Wallet in Dublin LeatherDaLuca Straps Apple Watch StrapDaLuca Straps Handmade Lizard Watch StrapDaLuca Straps Swiss Ammo Stamp DetailDaluca Straps Rolex Milgauss – image courtesy of @owenau89 DaLuca Straps Green Shell Mil Strap Wrist Close Up
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 Freddie Matara and his incredible cuff-style leather watch straps custom made to fit a watch face.
Name: Freddie Matara Website: freddiematara.com (Etsy Shop) Location: New York City Metro What: I specialize in wrist wear. Specifically, custom sizing and design of wrist cuffs, cuff watches and watch straps. I also make belts, Guitar straps and other small accessories.
How did you get into watch strap making? As a kid, I always enjoyed covering my wrists as I have very slight wrists. It made me feel powerful and less self conscious. It started with terry cloth wristbands and evolved into leather. I got tired of buying girl’s cuffs or jury-rigging wristbands that were too large, and began making my own with a few tools and a piece of latigo leather in 2001.
My first piece was a cuff watch for a diver watch face I found at a club in Manhattan where I was tending bar. I was truly in awe at the first piece I created (it was soo bad, really!) I made some for my friends and then their friends started asking for custom pieces. At the time, I was singing in a rock band and supporting it with my bar job. 9/11 happened and the bar biz dried up… My band wasn’t “making money” so my friends suggested I do something with this newfound leather talent… I did!
Brown Sunburst Style Custom Watch Strap by Freddie MataraCustom Brown Leather Watch Strap by Freddie Matara
What materials do you use in your bands? I use European undyed vegetable tanned leather for the majority of my collection. I also use goat, kangaroo and recently started experimenting with Alligator leather.
What is your favorite material to work with? As stated above, I really enjoy working with Euro veg-tan. It’s so malleable and much lighter in color than traditional North American veg-tan. I enjoy the process of dyeing, forming and finishing leather myself.
Custom Black Leather Apple Watch Strap by Freddie Matara
What style of bands is your favorite to make or wear? I lean towards a wider cuff style in my personal collection. I really like a 2.25″ width on my own wrists. It’s a substantial look and I typically offset it with a skinny bracelet on the opposite wrist.
Custom Black Leather Cuff Watch Strap by Freddie Matara
Do you have a
favorite watch?
I rarely wear a watch these days but If I had the funds I’d like an Omega
Bullhead!
What do you like to do outside of strap making? Singing is really my first love but music is a tricky business…There’s nothing like writing a great song, melody and lyric! Alas…if I can’t get in their ears, I’ll get on their wrists!
Black Freddie Matara Custom Leather Watch Strap for a Rolex Daytona
Hello everyone, and welcome to the 2018 edition of the Basic Bands Watch Strap & Accessories Gift Guide! We’re here to help you find that perfect someone (or yourself) the perfect gift this holiday season.
We’ve divided the guide up into sections, so skip ahead to the one that interests you most. First we have perfect combos, the strap and watch match-ups we’ve seen this year that just work great together. If you’re looking for a watch & strap package, this section is for you. Whether you’re buying a first watch for a teenager or making a big investment, we’ve got some excellent options. Related Guide: Safely Buying a Watch Online.
After that we’re showcasing our favorite straps of the year from our favorite custom strapmakers. There are a lot of talented leather workers out there ready to make you a watch strap, and we’ve featured some of the best of them. If you’re looking to spice up a watch or get a new strap made to replace a broken band, this is the place to go. Don’t forget to check out our guides on watch strap style, tips for picking out a new strap, tools for changing a strap, and how to fix a broken watch strap loop.
Lastly, we’re covering watch strap accessories for those of you who already own all the watches and watch straps you need. But where to put them all? We’ve got some great ideas on watch pouches, watch winders and more. Related: Recommended Watch Storage, Winders & Cases on Amazon.
Great Watch and Watch Strap Combos that Caught our Eye
2018 was a great year for watch straps. Brightly colored silicone seemed to go with almost everything, especially diver watches. Canvas straps were a big hit on our Pinterest boards all year long, and high quality leather seemed a match made in heaven for luxury watches. Here are some of our favorites in various price ranges.
Watch & Watch Strap Combos: $100-$300
Clockwork Synergy Autumn Brown Suede Leather Band on a Seiko SNK 809 Watch
Clockwork Synergy Autumn Brown Suede Leather Band on a Seiko SNK 809 watch. You can usually buy both on Amazon for under $140, but sales on the watch often bring that down to closer to $110. All the Seiko SNK models make great starter watches for kids and teenagers and beater watches for adults.
Barton Band Leather Quick Release Watch Strap on Timex Weekender
B&R Bands – Oak Classic Vintage Watch Band on a Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Watch
B&R Bands Oak Classic Vintage Watch Band on a Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Watch. Combo runs just over $400 with sales, without sales the band will be about $80 and the watch about $475. The Hamilton watch is basically the go-to watch when it comes to field/military watches.
Custom Gray Perforated Apple Watch band by Etsy seller O2Leather. The watch is obviously an Apple Watch. If one of those is on your purchase list this year, keep in mind that there are a lot of strap options out there besides the ones offered by Apple. Custom straps are generally pretty easy to fit to all models of Apple Watches. Check out our list of custom watch strap makers and our Apple Watch strap collection on our Basic Bands Amazon recommendation list.
Luxury Watch & Watch Strap Combos: over $1500
Tag Heuer Carrera Watch on Brown Hirsch Speed Alligator Strap
Brown Hirsch SPEED Alligator Watch Strap on a Tag Heuer Carrera watch. Both the strap and the photograph are courtesy of the awesome guys over at Watch Obsession. Blue dials are a match made in heaven with dark brown and tan leather watch straps. Strap costs around $260, watch around $2,000.
Crown & Buckle Tan Kangaroo Leather watch strap on Nomos Orion Watch
Going custom – getting a new custom watch strap made just for you
We featured a lot of artists this year on the blog, you can check them out on our custom watch strap maker list. Dan’s canvas strap was one of our most visited pages all year, consistently getting hits from Pinterest (Dan is the owner of Red Rock Straps). High end leather was insanely popular, especially for luxury watches, such as the Horween leather straps from Jones in Tokyo. Exotic leathers also made an appearance, with some great work being done in string ray, crocodile and lizard leather.
If you’re buying a watch for a person who knows and loves watches but still want to keep the price reasonable, custom is the way to go. Even if you don’t want to give away your gift giving plans by asking about a watch size, make or model, a custom strap maker can probably find out the size from a quick snapshot and get you something that special person in your life will love.
One of our favorite leather crafters, Jones in Tokyo’s work always looks exquisite. Pictured here is his French calf tan/brown watch strap. If your special someone is the owner of a luxury watch, chances it will look amazing on a strap from his shop.
Omega Planet Ocean on an exclusive Grey SuperMatte Teju Lizard Watch Strap
Want to go exotic? Dangerous9 straps is the place to drool over crocodile, lizard and other exotic leathers on insanely amazing watches. Shown here is an Omega Planet Ocean on a Grey SuperMatte Teju Lizard Watch Strap.
Watch accessories: or what to get for the person that already has a nice watch
If you’re not sure about strap size or don’t know what style your gift recipient will like, there are other gift options. You can buy some inexpensive watch tools to make strap changes easier, like a strap change tool or spring bars, or delve into the wide world of watch cases, winders and storage. With prices as high as a few thousand dollars for some winders, there is a lot of room for every gift buyer.
Since a lot of watch cases and pouches are made of leather, you can also have one custom made.
Choice Cuts Industries valet tray and single slot watch roll with a Timex Expedition Scout and custom strap, all in English Tan leather
Choice Cuts Industries valet tray and single slot watch roll with a Timex Expedition Scout and custom strap, all in English Tan leather. Valet tray – $40. Strap $60, Timex – $40.
We are an Amazon, Etsy & Jomashop affiliate, and a few other jewelry stores listed on our about page. We do not get paid to promote any brands, nor are we an affiliate for any watch strap brands directly, only through the stores named above. Thanks for reading our guide and we hope you have a great 2019!
A common question we get is where to buy watch straps, who is reputable, and how to chose among the different options. On this page we have listed the major strap companies and brands, divided by category. Most places ship internationally, but we have listed out companies that are outside the U.S. if you’re looking for faster service or to avoid shipping fees. We are an Amazon, Jomashop & Etsy affiliate. Check out our guides for picking out a watch strap and tools for changing a watch strap to get started.
Amazon
Amazon is the go-to choice for very cheap straps and for when you quickly need a strap to do the job. They also sell popular third-party straps like Hirsch, Colareb Roma, Bonetto Cinturini & Eulit. We have created lists of popular categories to help you find something fast.
These companies sell their own branded straps or popular third-party brands. Most of them also sell tools & hardware (buckles & spring bars) and watch cases.
ABP (Atelier du Bracelet Parisien) (High end straps in France, E.U.)
We’ve listed custom watch strap makers out on a separate page, along with pictures and our interviews with them. We highly recommend you check out the craftsmanship and beauty that goes into a custom strap. They are usually cheaper than you think and you can get them customized, embossed or even made from a piece of leather with personal significance.
Watch Websites
These website mainly sell watches but also have large collections of watch straps. Many sell privately branded or popular third party brands, like Hirsch, Colareb Roma & Eulit.
These brands provide straps to the major websites. Keep an eye out for: Hirsch, Hadley-Roma, Colareb Roma, Eulit (perlon straps), Bonetto Cinturini (rubber straps), & Fluco. We’ve linked to Amazon, but you can buy them many places and they’re popular.
Bracelets
Check with the manufacturer first. The major seller and most popular supplier of third-party bracelets is Strapcode. For Seiko watches, check Strapcode & Uncle Seiko. If buying an expensive watch, it is recommended you always buy the bracelet with the watch, as bracelets are hard to come by later. The original bracelet increases the resale value.
Deployant Clasps: MyWatchmaker (looks sketchy but it’s not)
Apple, Garmin, Fitbit & other smart watches and trackers
Its best to go back to the original manufacturer, but many places now sell straps and bands for fitness trackers and smart watches. In the case of Apple, the new strap you buy will also come with the hardware to attach it to your watch. It’s very easy and a popular way to afford straps (example). Fitbits are the same and it can be incredibly cheap to replace the strap (example).
Other options
Most watch companies now also sell replacement bands. So if you’re looking for the original strap or bracelet, new end links or extra bracelet links, check out the watch company first.
International buyers
Most companies ship internationally. If you’re looking for a local business, check out the list of custom watch strap companies mentioned above as the artists are located around the world.
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 Joel and Kerri Mills and their small strap making shop: Choice Cuts Industries
Name: Joel and Kerri Mills Website: https://www.choicecutsind.com or Amazon. Location: Charlotte, NC What: Horween leather straps and leather watch accessories
How did you get into watch strap making?
We met at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC as graphic design majors. We recognized each other as creative equals and our romance and partnership grew from that.
We got married in 2010. We tried our hands at lots of different hobbies as a way to spend time together, and sometimes make money. We originally set up an Etsy shop for items we screen printed in our garage and, through that, learned a lot about handmade items and selling online.
The idea for selling watch straps came when Joel wanted a new strap for a watch he had gotten for Christmas. He couldn’t find exactly what he was looking for and decided to try to make one himself. It seemed to us that leather items were either really expensive and over manufactured (sanded, painted, smoothed, and sewn) or really cheap junk. We wondered why a leather band couldn’t be simply made using high-quality leather and simple, quality construction. Why did all those other watch band manufacturers make such complicated bands that were still poorly constructed? Why can’t leather look like leather, and show its age and rustic natural beauty?
Slowly, one step at a time, we learned about leather and shady manufacturing practices and all the pitfalls of mass production. We also discovered how many talented, small strap makers there are. But at first, we simply wanted to make great watch bands.
Watch straps by Choice cuts Industries
What materials do you use in your bands?
We use American tanned leather, primarily from the famous Horween Leather Company. We are kind of obsessed with their leathers so we use lots of different tannages, including Shell Cordovan, Chromexcel and Cavalier, Dublin and Essex. We use thick 5.5-6oz cuts of leather, which makes them really durable but really flexible. We also use solid brass and stainless steel hardware and waxed linen thread which is always hand stitched.
Omega Speedmaster on an English Tan strap and our 3 slot watch roll – Choice cuts Industries
What is your favorite material to work with?
Any leather that has great pull up and character, particularly the Horween Dublin leathers.
What style of bands is your favorite to make or wear?
We consider ourselves designers first before being “leather workers” or “strap makers” and good design philosophy is to simplify. The truth is, the more you cut or punch leather, the more vulnerable it is to breaking. It’s critical to think through the shape, the cut of leather, the way it’s punched and stitched. We try to create styles that will last, use materials that have inherent beauty and make the aging process a part of the aesthetic. As a result, our bands are really minimalist.
Choice cuts watch straps in production for a wholesale order
Do you have a favorite watch?
Like all watch collectors, we are always buying and selling watches. Right now, Joel’s favorite is his Farer Lander GMT and Kerri’s is her Sinn 656.
Sinn 656 with a Horween strap in Butterscotch Cavalier by Choice cuts Industries
Farer on a Brown Nut Dublin strap by Choice cuts Industries
What do you like to do outside of strap making?
We do a lot of home DIY and woodworking projects, Joel loves to fish, Kerri loves to cook and we both enjoy exploring whenever we can. But, most of our free time is taken up by our daughter (who is almost 4), our schoodle Oliver and our extended family. But we are lucky to have a family beach house on Seabrook Island, SC and we escape there to fish, bike, swim and relax as much as possible.
Choice Cuts Industries – hand stitching watch straps
Choice cuts English Tan strap on vintage Seiko
Looking for a new watch to go with your custom made strap? Support our blog by shopping through our affiliate partner, Jomashop.
Clover Straps Denim Watch Strap on Seiko Orange Monster
Today’s strap is from one of our favorite custom watch strap makers, Patrik from Clover Straps. You can find more pics and a link to his website and our interview with Patrik on our Custom Watch Strap Maker Page. The strap is a custom denim strap with orange highlights custom made for a Seiko Orange Monster Watch.
