WatchGecko Contoured Handmade Italian Leather Strap

WATCHGECKO Contoured Handmade Italian Leather Strap ($55.89 at time of writing)

Monday mornings can be a slog. Mondays are best measured in small victories that can be celebrated quietly as your body builds up its proverbial steam to get back into the swing of things.  Small victories such as making the bed, not spilling any coffee, and finding matching socks, are all noteworthy accomplishments on a day when you just want things to be simple and smooth and work.  Picking out a nice presentable set of clothing for work should be just as easy and hassle free.  A nice pair of slacks, cleanly pressed is a good simple start and a solid staple to build on. A nice lightly starched cotton long sleeve shirt over a clean soft white t shirt (YES it must be clean!) to top it off is also a no brainer.  Pick out a belt and shoes and then turn to the watch case and the most difficult decision begins, but it does not have to be that way.  Some people have clothes they reach for when they do not want to think about what to wear. Clothes that can be considered a ‘known good’ and when chosen will wear well and present well and do exactly the job they are intended to do without fuss. This strap does exactly that.

Some straps have a polarizing look that position them to either the casual or dressy end of the spectrum.  Some straps scream tropical jungle invasion strap, while others would be happy seeking the mellow tones of a French horn at a symphony.  The Watch Gecko Contoured Handmade Italian Leather Strap is neither of those.  It is though, a strap that does the job of keeping your watch on your wrist with materials that are of a high caliber and assembled in a very well executed fashion. Do not take this as a slight or a dismissal of the strap in any way. Every woman need a little black dress, and every man needs a perfect pair of slacks.  This strap can be those things as it is a bit of chameleon that can adapt to just about any use and any occasion.  This is a boundaries blurring strap that lends itself to the personality of the watch it is on.  What do I mean by that?  When I put it on a dress watch, it looked dressy.  I put it on a Khaki Field and it looked very rugged.   I think this is a strap that could be used on a great many styles of watches.

Before I start my review, this is what the fine folks at Watch Gecko say about this particular strap.

Classic design with cut and sealed edges. The strap features a soft padding around the top of the strap making the strap comfortable for everyday wear. Made from an Italian leather that has a wonderful vintage look to it. The straps are neatly stitched with a waxed thread. The buckle width is 2mm less than the lug width.

That actually does a good job of what the strap is. However, I want to tell you about it from what it is like to own.  Let us get to the review.

DIMENSIONS

The strap I have is 20mm at the lug end so all dimensions are specific to that model.  The width at the lugs is 20.1mm in width and tapes down to 17.7mm at the buckle and free end.  The strap has a very standard 120/80mm in length at the free end/buckle end respectively.  Like so many watches in this size, on my 6.75” wrist I have to wear it on the second to last hole for a nice comfortable and controllable fit. The strap is a uniform thickness from lugs to tip of 3.1mm, which, like everything else about this strap is about average and gives a nice blend of flexibility and strength while not making it too thick or too thin for any but the most extreme watch applications.

DESIGN

The WatchGecko Contoured Handmade Italian Leather Strap is the blueprint with which all other nice leather straps evolve from.  Aside from the stitching if you were to remove any other feature you would be left with something that is not a watch strap at all. I have already said it many times that I believe this strap has no unique polarizing traits that would eschew into one category or another.  It has soft and malleable leather with a beautiful sheen (almost glossy finish) to it on the upper layer you see and a very soft and smooth black leather on the lower layer. These layers are held together by waxed ivory colored stitching which is well done with very short and symmetrical stitches. The straps brown color seems impervious to any loss of color when it is bent or folded.  It even has an impressive resistance to scratches and after 2 weeks of wearing it, has developed practically zero patina (or wear if you will).  This is an extremely durable strap.  When viewed from the side, you can clearly differentiate the two layers of brown and black leather as the sealant on the sides, which increases wear resistance is clear and not colored brown or black like other straps.

The strap has a gradual 2mm taper from lug to free end.  It does not have a pronounced visual curve to it like some others and from some angles looks to be a straight.  This is yet another way this strap appeals to more than one segment of the watch community, as its clever design can appeal to those who prefer straight straps and those who like a taper.  In the description of the strap I was surprised to read that it is lightly padded. I can feel absolutely zero evidence of this anywhere on the strap.   The leather is soft and can be compressed with a fingernail, but when compared to a truly padded strap, this one is definitively flat.

My version of this strap has an unendingly uniform layer of brown color. What it lacks in texture and visual variety, it makes up for in purity of color and uniformity of finishing. The underside of the strap is stamped proudly Geckota and Italian Handmade Leather as well as the strap width.

KEEPER AND BUCKLE

This strap has the standard two keeper design.  One is fixed by the buckle and one is free floating. Both are imbued with the same amount of deep brown as the strap with undyed sides that are sealed with a clear protectant.  Also of note, and perhaps some of the few bits of embellishments or hints of personality, the keepers have well executed roll marks near the edges that do in fact add some pizazz to the strap.  Of note, the floating keeper on my strap was made too large to securely hold the free end of the strap.  Reading some of the reviews on line on the watch gecko website it would seem some other folks have had this issue as well while others saying it was too tight.  The buckle on my strap is listed as polished stainless steel, but in person it definitely comes across as more brushed than anything else. The buckle is not embellished in any way and goes about its business of holding the free end of the strap without any fuss. There are no sharp edges and overall it is of a decent quality on par with the rest of the strap.

HOW DOES IT WEAR

The leather conforms to the wrist without any fuss at all.  It has zero signs of stiff leg syndrome (that condition when the leather is so stiff it holds the watch case off your wrist at an angle) and even on a loose adjustment it happily bends and holds that shape.  The inner leather of the watch is very smooth and almost has a rubbery texture that is entirely matte in finish.  It gives me the impression that it may have some water or sweat resistance, but I have no data to back that up.  As I mentioned earlier, after 2 weeks of wearing on a couple of watches, I have not noticed a shred of wear and tear on the strap, and the only way I have found to induce some sort of tactile patina is to bend the upper layer back on itself and cause the leather to wrinkle a bit.  However, the effect of this is completely temporary as when it bends around the wrist, the smooth sheen comes back and the strap looks new again.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR

This section was initially the hardest to write, as I like to really get the personality of the strap to match the watch it is paired with.  I struggled as its uniform nature and inoffensive design just lends itself to so many different types of watches.  Then it occurred to me that trying to put this strap into a box is not possible as it can do almost anything very well.  With a quality construction and leathers that are a pleasure to wear, it can be equally at home on a casual time piece as it is on a field watch.  It can fit a dressy piece, or a beater.  This strap is as universal as the nice pair of khaki pants in the closet.  Equally at home in the office as it is at dinner as it is playing in the yard.  I have it on my 38mm khaki field right now and it looks perfectly militaristic and vintage.   It is actually strikingly close to the OEM strap the watch came with, only much better made.

WHERE CAN I GET IT

For great service and quick shipping I recommend you buying straight from WATCHGECKO

https://www.watchgecko.com/contoured-handmade-italian-leather-watch-strap.php#product-tabs=0

It should be noted that watch gecko did not give me this strap, nor do they even know I am reviewing it. I bought this particular strap used from another person.  I have purchased many straps from WG before and I do think they are a pleasure to shop with and buy from.  The Contoured Handmade Italian Leather strap comes in 4 different sizes (18, 20, 22, 24) and 6 different colors to choose from.  The swath of watches these straps will pair beautifully with is Oceanic in size. Have fun!