TechSwiss Black Padded Leather Strap in Black
April 4, 2018
I grew up mostly in the south. I moved all over the country due to my father being in the military but for the most part, grew up saying things like “Y’all come on over” and “Bless his heart”. To be more specific, a large portion of my youth was spent in Louisiana, the state I still refer to as home to this day. It is in Louisiana you will find the best food in the country (by a country mile) and probably the nicest people you will ever sit across a picnic table from. It is also where I learned an appreciation for the simple things in life and that one of the biggest secrets to happiness is to be happy with what you have, not unhappy about what you do not have. So while all of that is fascinating, what does any of this have to do with watch straps and in particular, this Tech Swiss strap with the very unfortunate name of Padded Leather Watch Band in Black? That is a fair question, and my answer to you is this. Jiffy Corn Bread.
Few things in life are as wonderfully simple and well done as Jiffy Corn bread. I mean to some (me included) that simple inexpensive boxed corn bread mix defines what corn bread should taste and smell like. I have had many different versions that are cheesier and fancier, but none that eclipsed the pure nostalgic happiness of the plain corn bread I grew up eating with a dab of butter. The Tech Swiss Black Padded Leather Watch Band (seriously that is the name it was given by Tech Swiss) exemplifies the same sort of ‘only what you want and nothing else’ formula as Jiffy. Fancier straps are made, with better materials with more exotic hides and tanning processes and stitching but if you look at what the basic ingredients for a quality strap, Tech Swiss has them nailed with this strap.
Tech Swiss was a company that was founded on creating stylish luxury organizers like jewelry boxes, tie boxes, humidors, and valet trays, but discovered the watch community had an unending appetite for quality made goods as well, and they branched out into watch repair tools, watch boxes, watch winders, and yes, watch straps.
I always include a brief bit of text from the manufacturer describing their strap. Tech Swiss offered the following from their very own website:
Length: 3 1/2″ on the buckle side including the buckle 4 3/4″ on the other side
Pair of stainless steel spring bars included
6mm thick. Less padding closer to the buckle for comfort and flexibility
Heavy duty stainless steel buckle Hypoallergenic nubuck lining
And that is about it. They are not wasting any money on marketing that is apparent. So let us take a closer look at this Jiffy Corn Bread of Watch Straps and see if the key ingredients are present.
DIMENSIONS
The Tech Swiss Black Padded Leather Strap I am reviewing is 20mm (also available in 18mm, 22mm, and 24mm) so all measurements are based on this model as it is being worn on a Hamilton Khaki Field 38mm watch. On my 6.75” wrist the watch is on its very last adjustment hole when I get that just right fit of not too lose or too tight. At the lugs the strap is an as advertised 20mm wide and tapers down to 17.3mm on my calipers. As far as thickness goes, this one starts out at 5.3mm at the lugs versus the advertised 6mm and tapers down to about 3mm at the free end and buckle. I really appreciate the tapering in thickness and in width. It allows the watch to be a tad dressier and a tad more elegant than a straight non tapering strap. Overall its dimensions are a study in shooting right down the middle of what is popular and this watch strap should prove adaptable to many styles and fitments.
DESIGN
The strap is finished in a nice pseudo matt black with good even coloring throughout its outer surface. The color is ultra-saturated and gives up zero color when bent 180 degrees onto itself. It has well executed contrasting stitching down the sides in a nice shade of off white that surround the thickly padded center section. I really want to give TechSwiss some credit here. The padding on this watch is rather impressive at this price point. Some watches are marketed as padded and remain as hard as stiff cardboard. They are visually padded, but they do not feel like one would think padding would feel. The padding in this watch feels like a very soft foam and yields to the touch with a nice supportive cushioning push back. While some straps rely on expensive tanning processes to give the strap color and depth and texture the TechSwiss has been made with what is called Buffalo Grained leather. Let us be clear, this is NOT leather from a Buffalo, but leather with an impressed grain pattern on it. I am going to have to take their word on if it is an accurate depiction of a Buffalo, as I have never seen on in person.
The sides of the strap appear to be the top grain leather rolled over the sides of the lower liner. This is perfectly acceptable as long as the stitching and glue hold. It has the added benefit to giving the strap a more finished look as the sides show some grained embossing as well not just a layer of sealant.
On the underside of the strap TechSwiss says it has hypoallergenic nubuck leather lining. What I can tell you is the liner of this watch is very soft to the touch, very similar to nice glove leather if I am honest. It has a pleasant tactile look and feel to it. I am also pleased to see some brand embossing on the underside of the strap as well as the stitching that is holding this strap together. I like to see the stitching go through the entire cross section of the strap as it adds to the structural durability and is superior to glue when it comes to longevity and water resistance.
KEEPER AND BUCKLE
The keepers are of the standard variety with one being fixed to the buckle end and one is free floating. They are equally saturated in color and the edges are sealed with black sealant to keep them from fraying. They are all embossed just like the main strap hide. The buckle is brushed and sides are kept rather slim and tidy. It should blend nicely with most watches. The buckle is plain without any embossing or markings to speak of.
HOW DOES IT WEAR
The TechSwiss Black Padded Leather Watch Strap is as comfortable as a strap many times its price. It manages to be compliant for such a thickly padded strap. I have had this strap for almost 2 years. It has been on many a watch and every time I pick it up I get just a little bit more impressed at how much strap TechSwiss offers for the money. It conforms to the wrist quite well. It has lost no coloring and exhibited no leather delamination like cheaper bonded leather straps. It is soft and well padded. It has nice texture without being to shiny or blingy. It remains flexible and the embossed grain in the leather has kept its character and even gained some. This was one of the first straps I ever purchased and it has always been a faithful companion. It wears well and keeps the watch on the top of the wrist. It never suffered from stiff leg syndrome (the condition where the leather is so hell bend on staying straight due to its stiffness and lack of flexibility that it holds the watch up off the wrist). This strap grows on you the longer you wear it. It adds a nod of quality to any watch it is on.
WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR
It is a sad truth in the watch community that some of the greatest watches come with rubbish straps (looking at you Seiko). I think this TechSwiss Black Padded Leather Watch Strap is the close to the ideal solution to this dilemma. I strongly recommend you take a gander through the TechSwiss online store located here https://www.techswiss.com/watch-bands/. Not only is the selection vast, you will struggle to find one more than 20 dollars. That is a staggeringly good price for such a well-made strap. No this is not a one off hand made luxury strap with artisan tanned leather. What it is however, is a strap with real leather, made with traditional strap making technics (although mass produced) with quality leathers and materials. It is an honest little strap. If I had a Hamilton pilot watch, or a Seiko field watch, or any Bulova or Timex, this strap would look amazing on it. I think Tech Swiss is a gateway to the watch strap changing community. If all the straps they sell (I have two at the present moment) are as well made as the one you see in these pics then I think the doors to the candy store are officialy open.
WHERE DO I GET IT
Tech swiss has its own website and you can buy the Black Padded Leather Watch Strap their
https://www.techswiss.com/20-mm/?sort=featured&page=8
I bought my strap from Amazon
The bottom line here is, at 19.00 even the TechSwiss Padded Black Leather Strap is the basic entry into nice watch straps. It is the Jiffy Corn bread of straps. It does not have the extra ingredients some straps have like ultra-refined leather, or complicated tanning processes, or exotic skins, or hand assembly, but it does have the basic inherent goodness of what a nice strap is. The key ingredients are present like quality leather and durable consruction. You can wear a TechSwiss strap with pride and knowing you have made a wise choice.
