What Is It About Expensive Leather on a Watch?

 

 

Lately, I've been interested in alligator leather, sometimes known as hornback, for watches. As I was looking at this lengthy watchuseek thread about the Hamilton King Pilot 46mm (photos of the appealing black and equally appealing gray dial left me pulling my hair out as I couldn't choose on which one to put on my wish-list), I noticed that someone had put a bracelet on the Pilot, and it occurred to me that the Pilot looked far better on leather. In fact, the bracelet looked gauche. 

Now I'm thinking if I should fit leather, a very high-grade variety, on my Seiko Tuna or Seiko Fieldmaster. 

Comments

[Gary]

I'm not a big fan of leather straps on dive watches, since leather and water don't really go together, although I see people on WatchuSeek do this all the time. I think leather looks better on pilot or military watches. So, among your two choices, I'd put leather on the Fieldmaster, not the Tuna.

[Gary]

Here's a Fieldmaster that comes on a Seiko leather strap.

http://yeomanseiko.com/2010/08/13/seiko-6r15-fieldmaster-sbdc011/

[Angelo]

It's true that the style of the watch has a lot to do with what material might be best for the band. Within the Invicta line---it's interesting to note that my favorite, the Subaqua Scuba, absolutely looks best with a poly/rubber/silicone band. The Venom looks good on that material too---or on a bracelet but not so much on leather. The Bolt Zeus looks great on leather if you can find one. Gary----I agree with you that leather is a natural for a pilots watch---it's the best choice. Aeromatic makes homage pilots styles and they look great on leather. Tauchmeister is the dive style---and I have to say, those look really nice on leather too---and it's a particularly thick leather that's suitable for diving---though you're right that stainless or rubber is probably a more practical choice.

[herculodge]

I agree with Gary. The Tuna would go on the Hirsch Extreme rubber strap while the Fieldmaster would go on Gator Hornback leather.

[jonnybardo]

I'm starting to think that there are "vertical" and "horizontal" qualities of watches.

Vertical qualities are qualitative - the degree of craftsmanship and build.

Horizontal qualities are quantitative - they have to do with diversity and range.

I think some collectors focus more on the vertical, some more on the horizontal - although all include both, just with more emphasis on one or the other. This may explain what I was calling the "refiners" (vertical) vs. "collectors" (horizontal).

I thought of this in response to your mention of the quality of a strap, Jeff, but then Angelo's mention of Invictas, which seemed to veer into the quantitative dimension.

I think the key is, though, that you can't address one with the other. The desire for diversity must be met with just that - a quantitative/horizontal aspect to the collection. The desire for greater quality cannot be met with more or a newer watch that is "horizontal" - you most go vertically deeper (or higher). Hope that makes sense.

[Angelo]

I think the vertical/horizontal explanation hits the nail on the head. Someone like Donald Trump, Brad Pitt...or Tom Brady for that matter (i.e. $$$,$$$,$$$.) can easily have both to their hearts' content. If you're on some sort of budget though, you probably have to deploy the money with more thought and veer down one of the roads. Is one approach better? I think quality is almost always the better approach, vertical. Completing the test of time, 10 high quality wristwatches---impeccable craftsmanship and refinement---will always rate the nod over 100 nice, diverse, but fashion oriented watches that might be perfectly adequate in terms of quality---but not exceptional. Over the years, vertical wins out over horizontal. But that doesn't mean it's the right choice for everyone. Depending on how you approach the hobby and what you want out of it, horizontal might be a better choice in a particular case. You can have elements of both and affix a percentage. Someone with a bunch of really cheap watches from K-Mart and a couple Invictas might be at 15V/85H. Maybe with my Invictas, Tauchmeisters, etc., I'm 50/50 or even over the threshold in relative terms...55V/45H (My watches cost more than the average PERSON spends on a watch and probably about the same as a collector spends---but less than an enthusiast spends.). With your $1000.00-plus watches, you guys are enthusiasts---more at 75V/25H or even better. And the money is no object Hollywood collector might be at 95V/5H (I'm thinking if Giselle is turned on by big bling, Brady might have a Sea Hunter in his collection, dinging him that 5% in comparison to his high end Omegas).

[John Tutolo]

The end to your materialism is coming. Soon.

[herculodge]

Either you mean through spiritual enlightenment or financial doom. In any case, a watch obsession is more than materialism though I'd be the first to concede that I use consumerism as an escape valve from life's every day stresses.

[jonnybardo]

Perhaps financial doom could instigate spiritual enlightenment, or vice versa.

[herculodge]

So we have some kind of omen or prophecy or even curse in the works? Dang, I just wanted to talk about leather watch straps. See the trouble I get into?

[jonnybardo]

Haha. A chapter in your book: "From Leather Straps to Apocalyptic Prophecies of Doom."

By the way, check out Watch Recon for straps - you can find used ones for much less than new.

[herculodge]

Good idea. I don't mind a used strap.

[Angelo]

Materialism is safe and sound. The stock market is near an all time high. Employment rates, while still sluggish, seem to be improving slightly. There still seems to be reason to believe the economic recovery has legs---room for more growth. Tesla is investing billions into factory construction and more research on various fronts. Apple is still healthy as a horse. Radio Shack...well, I guess I should quit while I'm ahead. But we have watch fever and will continue to buy. Personally, my company is in a contract struggle this year----my own situation is precarious because if we're not renewed, I'm going to be on the chopping block---at least there's a possibility of that. Until that time comes, I'm buying watches.

[John Tutolo]

Haha that was just a joke. No omen, no prophecy. :)

[Andrea]

One thing that I have noticed is a slow decline in wrist watches with our younger generation. More and more people are going to their phone for the time! So now I think watches are going to be more about a fashion style than the actual ability to tell time.