Watch Gecko’s SIMPLE HANDMADE ITALIAN LEATHER STRAP

SIMPLE HANDMADE ITALIAN LEATHER STRAP

Spoiler alert – There is nothing simple about this strap.

Strapsense is a website that is dedicated to reviewing watch straps from all corners of the watch strap industry.  If I reviewed 1 a day, I would have job security for the foreseeable future (well I would if this paid anything, which is doesn’t  – not complaining, just say’n).  That is the joy and also the problem with the strap industry.  We are inundated with so many choices, we often never know what hidden gems lie just beneath the surface of what is easy to find or available.  Not a mom and pop start up anymore, WatchGecko is a name known by many watch enthusiasts, but are probably not mainstream enough to keep the CEO of Seiko up at night worrying about a hostile takeover.  I kind of think they like it that way.  Small while keeping quality high and staying true to a core they alone deem worthy of pursuit.  The first impression of Watch Gecko anybody gets is the their website, and it is a good one.  Some small watch companies specialize in making straps and others even manage to sell a microbrand watch or two.  WatchGecko comes across to me as an entire entity where everything is selected, made, and crafted to such a standard that you feel confident in your purchase(s).

NOTE: WatchGecko did not pay me for this review, nor did they give me any merchandise – I simply liked the message put forth and product offered enough to give them a try with my own hard earned dollars so I could have first-hand knowledge about them which I could document.  This is why I started Strapsense.   I want to be the person to take the chance and help out  my fellow watch enthsiasts.

Naturally on this site I will concentrate on the watch straps that WatchGecko sells, but I would be remiss if I did not mention they are one of the best watch microbrands available today in terms of design, execution and value.  I do not own one of their watches, but I do find them very attractive and well made. If I were in the market for a well made affordable watch, I would definitely consider them. Take a look and judge for yourself.

 

Enough of my rambling … As always on Strapsense I will take the words about this particular watch strap straight from the Geckos mouth if you will:

Made from an Italian calf leather that has a wonderful vintage look to it. The straps are hand stitched with a contrasting colour waxed thread. A perfect choice for an old Rolex or similar vintage watch.

 Our handmade straps are made entirely out of natural leather, this means that your Geckota strap will be one of a kind as the pattern in the leather varies with each individual strap

DIMENSIONS

I wanted to try out a new strap for my Omega First Omega In Space.  Trying a new strap is nothing out of the ordinary for me, however, Omega saw it necessary as some sick joke to bequeath this watch with a 19mm lug width.  Now 19mm straps can be found, but they are far from mainstream, and finding a quality strap with this particular dimension means you are usually stuck between blurry pictures on ebay or a very high end (read as expensive) one off straps (I will take this time to acknowledge that I know you can fit a 20mm watch strap on a 19mm lug width. Let me caveat that with the fact that you can also hammer a screw into a block of wood, but I choose not to do that either).  Enter the WatchGecko Geckota Simple Handmade Italian Leather Strap which is available 18-22mm widths. I was thrilled to find a quality strap in the correct size at a reasonable price.  One click on the mouse and it was on the way.

The Simple Handmade Italian Leather Strap I purchased was advertised as 19mm and when it came in I verified it to be just that. It measured true to 19.0mm at the lugs. At the buckle and free end the 19mm tapers down to very classy 16mm making for a very elegant looking design.  The free end is 120mm long and the buckle in is 80mm long.  The strap does not get thinner as some other straps do. It maintains its thickness and is a very uniform 3mm along the length of both sides of the strap.

 

DESIGN

If you take half an hour or so to shop around for straps, you will find many with the same style as this particular strap. This design is commonly referred to as a vintage leather strap.  What I can tell you that even though this design seems easily manufactured, the details are what separate this strap from many others.  WatchGecko takes the time to produce a strap that feels expensive to the touch. At the time of writing this strap retails for $55.16.  Compared to other watch straps in the 50 dollar range, I can tell you from experience that this strap is very much worth the price.

The color of this strap is described as Reddish Brown.  That is very accurate as it is saddle brown in most lights, but in certain conditions the deep red tint comes through. The strap has a beautiful shine to it that highlights the grain in the leather beautifully.  It reminds me of the raw leather soaked with natural oils from use, like a smooth piece of saddle leather worn smooth from a riders leg I have seen at our families ranch.  Looking at the strap from the side, I can see the strap is made of a thick piece of leather that seems to be folded over itself.   This differs from other straps who use 4 or more layers to produce a thicker watch strap.  What this means to you as a buyer is that the individual layers have a natural feeling and depth.  This allows the color to have a three dimensional look and feel to it. The strap has a wonderful thickness that gives the sense of quality while in no way sacrificing comfort. The strap will yield to the slightest touch and try its best to keep any shape you bent it to.  This leather has no desire to fight you and almost yearns to conform to your wrist.  It is this lack of any hysteresis I find separates cheap straps from high quality ones, and you can feel it the second you wear it.

The inside of this strap is equally as nicely finished as the outside. If it were not for the deep ‘Geckota’ and ‘ITALIAN LEATHER HANDMADE’ stamped into the inside of the strap it could easily be worn on either side.  I like that attention to detail.

The stitching on the strap is bright contrasting stitching.  It is quite bold and pops next to deep brown of the leather.  It may sound like a strange thing to mention, but I noticed the holes the thread goes through are completely filled with thread, and not stretched out of shape. This is a failure of many watch straps, that WatchGecko gets right.  Another detail done right.  The edges of the strap are sealed for durability but not painted a solid color. The natural leather is there to admire. You can see the two layers and the depth the dye has permeated the leather. I like this feature, as it adds to the honest quality of the strap.  To me those words best describe this WatchGecko strap.  Honest Quality.

KEEPER AND BUCKLE

The WatchGecko Simple Handmade Italian Leather Strap comes with a standard polished stainless buckle with no markings embossed or etched. The Keepers are the standard single fixed and single keeper we see on most straps. The floating keeper has matching white stitching to hold it together on the underside, which is not seen but a nice touch.  The keepers are of the same leather as the strap, and finished just as magnificently as the rest of the strap.  They have both texture and depth of color I enjoy seeing. In the light the texture of this strap and keepers look like they could tell a story.

HOW DOES IT WEAR

The strap impressed me right out of the extravagant WatchGecko box it came shipped in. The second I picked it up the satin finish shown in the sunlight.  I could not wait to get it on my Speedmaster First Omega In Space. This was the first strap I have ever put on the Speedy. I have been using the factory strap since I got the watch.  This strap with its vintage flair immediately took my speedy from dressy to adventurous and casual.  The eagerness of the leather to conform to my wrist was apparent. This watch did not experience any stiff leg syndrome (a malady of new straps that are so stiff they hold the watch up off the wrist). In fact the word stiff is impossible to use when describing this strap.  Without even rolling it a bit in my hand to break it in and ‘pre-form’ it, it was comfortable and curved without so much as a hint of resistance. The 3mm thickness easily bends and tucks into the keepers without distorting any color or creasing.  I can only imagine how beautiful this strap will age with time.

WHAT IS THIS STRAP GOOD FOR

Well as the photos show, this is my new strap for the Speedmaster.  This kind of vintage styled strap always leans to the casual end of the spectrum.  However, I think with its tapering leather design it would be right at home to any vintage Omega or other similar vintage piece and not overpower it. It would look rugged enough to compliment any field watch sold today as well as just about any aviation watch.  I also happen to think it would look amazing on a white dialed watch as the contrast white stitching is spectacular.

WHERE CAN I GET IT

As far as I know the place to get this particular strap is:

https://www.watchgecko.com/classic-handmade-italian-leather-strap.php