Di-Modell Jumbo Brown Watch Strap ($29.97)
The last Di-Modell watch strap I reviewed was the Chronissimo black strap (see my review here: https://strapsense.com/2018/04/08/di-modell-chronissimo-black-leather-strap/)and it was quite stunning from every single aspect of its design. I feel to this day it was one of the best made straps you can buy. This week I am wearing the Di-Modell Jumbo Brown strap. To be perfectly honest, I am not sure why it is called the Jumbo. It is neither extreme in length, width or height, so I am just going to assume it was named that because of the amount of effort it took to make it. This is a VERY well executed watch strap. Now that I am on my second strap from Di-Modell, I want to make something very clear about his German based company. When you think of the name Di-Modell, I want you to think of the following words: quality and precision. If you are looking for a rustic or distressed watch strap Di-Modell will gladly show you the door and bid you farewell with a stern Guten Tag. They do not do distress any more than BMW would do ‘entry level’. Holbens sells Di-Modell and the description listen on their sight is accurate, but quite brief.
From Di-Modell, a German company famous for its high standard of craftsmanship.
Part of the Air-Ter-Mer Sport collection.
Made in Germany.
Waterproof to 100m.
High quality, soft matte calfskin leather.
6mm thick.
Piece length 120mm / 80mm excluding buckle.
Total length 7-7/8″ (200mm) excluding buckle.
Perfect for sports, pilot/aviator or chronograph watches.
Includes one free pair of 1.78mm double-flange spring bars.
Lets take a closer look at this beautiful strap and give it the strapsense once over.
DIMENSIONS
I bought the 22mm lug width version of this strap. So all my measurements are based on that length. At the lugs, this strap is dead on as advertised, at 22mm. At the free end and at the buckle it is 19.7mm wide. The thickness at the lugs is measured to be 5.4mm on both sides, as opposed to the 6mm from Di-Modell (I am sure the engineer who made this error will be sacked now). The length of the strap came in as advertised at 120mm on the free end and 80mm on the buckle end. On my wrist, with the way the 7 adjustment holes are placed I am the very last adjustment hole for my 6.75” wrist. Larger wrists will be in good shape with this strap.
DESIGN
Right out of the packaging this strap starts to impress with its smooth texture and abundance of very well executed design features. Now, lots of straps have great details, and while I appreciate them as well, it is the way these details are executed in the Di-Modell that really lets you see the dedication to quality within the company. This strap has a multi-layer construction consisting of three parts that I can visually see. For a change lets start at the inside of the strap and work our way around.
The inside leather liner has a soft satin like material. It is stamped with the Di-Modell logo and Hergestellt in Deutschland on the free end and a simple 22 for the width on the buckle side. The brown stitching on the bottom perfectly matches the color of the inner liner. On the buckle side the strap the contrast stitching wraps around and is fully boxed in. I have never seen any other manufacturer do this.
Moving on to the sides the Di-Modell fully seals the sides of the strap in a robust black coating. This sealing keeps the porous sides of the leather from seeing moisture and fraying apart which adds to durability and gives the strap a very finished appearance. Keep in mind this strap is advertised to be water resistant to 100m. Most people do not want to take leather into water for obvious reasons, but a handful of strap makers have perfected the treatment of the hide to withstand moisture up to and including diving. Di-modell makes this claim and at this point, I have every reason to believe them.
Lastly I want to talk about the top of the strap, or the part that you see. What a feast for the eyes. This strap has a lovely roll mark very much like Hirsch Liberty strap I have reviewed and lavished praise upon in no small quantity. In fact, visually the Di-Modell Jumbo has many of the same features of the liberty, only executed to a much higher level of accuracy. Where the Liberty feels nostalgic and vintage, the Jumbo feels precise and elegant. The stitching of the Jumbo is executed perfectly with even lengths and perfect linear stitches. They are also countersunk with machinist like accuracy into a channel which is cut in the leather. When viewed from the side the stitches simply vanish as the top of the thread sits perfectly flush with the top of the leather strap. The groove cut into the strap to house the stitches is neither too deep nor too shallow and follows the contour of the strap without a hint of waviness. I find the level of detail with such a pliable material no small feat.
What about the leather. Recent reviews have shown me the beauties of Shell Cordovan and the rugged elegance of Chromexcel from that factory in Chicago, Horween Leather. This strap is made of neither of those, but suffers no demerits because of it. The leather chosen is high quality. The leather exudes an even grainy texture that is both flexible and consistent. This strap is not made of pull up leather, meaning when you bend it or twist it, the color remains persistent and constant as the day you bought it. It is very smooth the touch and does a pretty fine job of resisting any scratches or scars in daily wear. I have worked on my koi pond and spread mulch and even done some garage cleaning and it still looks new. The design of the Di-Modell Jumbo is purposeful and exacting in detail and execution.
KEEPER AND BUCKLE
This strap has the standard two keeper system with one being fixed and one floating to hold the excess free end of the strap. I have to once again stare in amazement at the level of effort that went into the keepers. They are made of the same leather as the outside of the strap, and have the same black coating on the side to increase durability and keep the clean aesthetic going. However, they could have stopped their, but being German and with it the natural desire to overdo every single detail, they actually countersunk the threads in the keepers just like the main portions of the strap. This is quite amazing. I have never even seen stitching around a set of keepers before, much less what appears to be countersunk stitches.
A word about this stitching before my readers think I have some crazy borderline unhealthy obsession with stitching. It is not really about the stitching as much as it is about attention to details. Paying attention details means you are spending more time on every little design aspect of a product. This costs money and lowers production which are the antithesis of modern day businesses. What Di-Modell has done is find a way to produce products that give FAR more value than you have paid for, while at the same time making no excuses for anything in terms of quality and construction. You have to keep in mind that this is a sub 30 dollar strap, which pegs the value meter off the scale.
If I had to comment on anything and call it a criticism it would be the buckle. And the worst thing I can say about it is that it is normal and does not hold my interest as it is much like buckles found on most other straps. Their is nothing wrong with it, save for the fact that it is an industry standard buckle, and the rest of the strap is definitely not standard fare.
HOW DOES IT WEAR
The very first time I put the strap on my wrist I was for the first time a bit let down. The strap exhibited a bit of stiff leg syndrome where it holds the watch a funny angle because the leather just does not want to conform around the wrist. It was a bipolar strap in that the buckle end and free end of the strap were so flexible and found the keepers with zero effort and slid through the buckle with absolute ease. It was a bit perplexing at how one end of the strap could be so soft and giving and the other so rigid. Then you have to go back to the dimensions of the strap. The lug ends are knocking at 6mm in thickness. That is a thick piece material(s) and upon the first attempt to conform the rest it was no wonder it put up a tad bit of resistance. I am happy to report now within 1 week of wearing it, the watch yields quite easily to the wrist and wears surprisingly elegantly for a 22mm strap.
For comparisons stake I actually bought a 22mm Hirsch Liberty just to compare this strap to (hey man, I take this seriously!), which is the gold standard in affordable comfortable straps just to compare this to. That may seem silly, but I had to know how these two affordable straps stacked up. The Hirsch was immediately ready to bend and flex out of the gate. No break in needed. Still it offers a totally different vibe than the Di-Modell.
I find the Di-Modell Jumbo is an elegant strap with a not so elegant name. It wears very comfortably and should offer enough water and sweat resistance to last a decade or so.
WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR
When deciding what watch to put this strap on, I have to keep in mind it is 100m waterproof. This strap is ideal for any dress or field watch with any amount of water resistance. I am thinking it would look great on any Hamilton Khaki or Sinn. I think it is a bit too dressy for something like an SKX but I have not tried so it may work. Even if this strap is not used for water activities, it one you certainly would never need to worry about getting wet with common everyday activities like washing the dog, or even playing a round of golf in the humidity or rain. A water resistant leather strap just opens up so many doors for use. The technical precision Di-Modell offers also means it would be ideal on a great many tool watches as well like a Damasko (which consequently uses Di-Modell as some of their OEM suppliers). The non distressed leather means it looks good on dressier dive watches like the Kontiki I have it on.
WHERE CAN I GET IT
Di-Modell sells a great many strap including this one at Holbens fine watch bands
http://www.holbensfinewatchbands.com
You can also purchase this strap from amazon should you choose to go that route
SUMMARY
What I found so interesting is how this strap and the Hirsch Liberty are so very similar but yet at their very core so completely different. The best way I can describe it is like this. The Di-Modell Jumbo is like a finely pressed button up shirt with sharp creases and a stiff collar. The Hirsch Liberty is like a wrinkle free wash and wear button up shirt. Both are free of wrinkles and fit for the office, but one is decidedly more casual than the other. In a curious twist though, the more business like strap is the one that has the water resistance.