Hirsch Louisianalook Alligator Embossed Leather Strap

Hirsch Louisiana look Alligator-Grain Black Leather Strap ($29.65)

Have you ever heard of the early 15^thcentury quote that was recorded roughly as ‘the clothes make the man’?  Regardless of how politically correct it may be, outward appearances are inevitably the first thing we judge all things with.  Our choice of outward appearance allows a person to radiate the kind image he or she wants (for better or worse).  Another quote is dress for the job you want, not for the one you have.  In a very similar fashion, the choice of watch strap can drastically alter the feeling and character of any wrist watch.   I have a few work horse watches in the Strapsense watch box.  Every single one has had its strap altered at one time or another, sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse.  What I have learned is certain watches can take on unique personalities and I find it fun to see what a strap change can do to influence a watches demeanor.

Let me put it another way. The watch can be viewed as a person who has lived a life full of individual adventures great and small (maybe those are in the boardroom, or 100m under the sea, does not matter which).  The strap that holds the watch is tasked with carrying the watch through those adventures, and often times picking up scars, scratches, and wrinkles as a visual testimony to a life well lived.

In much the same way a certain famous movie character named Professor Jones who teaches archeology looked dapper and sophisticated during lecture, get him out in the field in a dusty Fedora and bullwhip and his whole outward persona changes into Indiana Jones.  This is the transformative power a watch strap can have on a watch.  Today I am writing about an example of a certain watch with a certain strap that has performed this adventurer to professor trick. The watch in question is my trusty Oris Big Crown Pointer Date, which although brand spanking new, has a rich 80+ year history of continuous production (dating back to 1938), and with that, a touch of old world charm.  It has in its DNA one part pilots watch, one part adventurer’s watch, and even one part dress watch.  I get to choose which personality shines with nothing more than a spring bar tool and couple of straps.  The strap highlighted today is the Hirsch Louisiana Look Alligator Embossed Black strap. It takes my Aviation themed Adventure watch and brings it right into a 1930’s professor’s lounge. Rather than a verbose description the vendor lists this straps briefly in bulleted form.   Those bullet are listed below.

• From Hirsch, an Austrian family business founded in 1765.

• High quality, semi-matte Louisiana alligator-grain embossed calfskin leather.

• Soft leather lining attached in the Remborde style protects interior against heat and humidity.

• 4mm thick at lug ends, 2mm at opposite ends.

• Piece length 120mm / 80mm excluding buckle.

• Total length 7-7/8″ (200mm) excluding buckle.

• Perfect for chronograph and other sport watches.

• Includes one free pair of 1.78mm double-flange spring bars.

DIMENSIONS

The black alligator embossed strap I bought is the 20mm version. So, again, like so many other straps, the dimensions I listed for it are particular to that strap.  This strap is also available in 18mm and 22mm as well. My strap came in at 20.2mm at the lugs and had a nice taper to exactly 18mm at the free end and the buckle.  IT comes in a standard length of 120mm/80mm at the free end and buckle end respectively. Again like many watches, on my 6.75” wrist, that means I am no the second to last adjustment hole.  The strap is mildly padded, so at the lugs it is 4.1mm thick, and gets thinner ever so gradually along its entire length so as to have no noticeable padding hump other watches suffer from.  At the buckle end and free end it is a very elegant 2mm thick.  This thinness pays dividends in ease of buckling and insertion into the keepers.

DESIGN

This strap immediately made me smile with its name.  Louisianalook Alligator Black Leather strap.  Make no mistake about it, this is a leather strap with Alligator embossing, and not real gator.  I am from Louisiana and even having lived there for many years, I must confess I could not verify this particular alligator embossing is authentic to Cajun Country, but I am willing to give Hirsch the benefit of the doubt here. The strap has a nice satin sheen to it, without looking like it is plastic. It has softness and flexibility that indicates a respectable amount of conditioning has been done to the leather which is what I would expect from Hirsch even at this low price point.  The ‘gator embossing’ which is its most noticeable feature is random enough and deep enough to pull off the illusion in most cases.  After a couple of weeks of wearing, the grooves are still free of any wrinkles or cracks. The strap has absolutely zero pull up, which means when it is bent, it does not discolor in any way at all.  This strap was intended to look like this for a long time. So if you are looking for instant patina, this is not your strap.   However, if you want your strap to look new and fresh and maintain its appearance for a long time, I think this little faux gator is up your alley. A word about the inner leather. The inside of the strap is lined with leather which is very soft and tan in color.  It feels very good against the skin and is embossed with “Hirsch Louisianalook alligator embossed”. The sides of the strap are finished in a way to look rolled, but I am not sure they actually are.  They are definitely finished well with no rough edges and should stand the test of time without fraying.  The last detail worth mentioning is that this strap is stitched to join its outer and inner leather surfaces.

KEEPER AND BUCKLE

I have already reviewed 2 other Hirsch straps, and just like those other two, this one scores high on the value metric.  The Louisianalook alligator embossed strap has two narrow keepers. One is fixed and the other is floating.  They are the exact same embossed leather as the strap with rolled edges for a smooth and finished look. They are perfectly sized as well, as the loose or free end of the strap effortlessly glides into them. The buckle is standard Hirsch. It is polished stainless steel with a pointed retainer and an embossed ‘H’ stamped in the buckle.  All the edges of the buckle are rounded and smooth and are an appropriately thin to match the dressy nature of this strap.

HOW DOES IT WEAR

From the moment I installed this strap on my watch the transformation began instantly.  My old school rough around the edges pilots watch was turned into a more sophisticated piece with polish and poise.  The straps thin construction means it yields easily and conforms to your wrist without putting up any fight at all.  The flexibility ensures that the stiff leg syndrome is non-existent as the watch lays flat on your wrist from the instant you secure the buckle.   The keepers are sized perfectly for the free end of the strap to smoothly slide through and the resilient outer finish on the leather means it never hangs up or puts up any resistance to buckling.  On the wrist the strap is comfortable and very wearable.  It quietly does its job without drawing too much attention to itself. The inner leather is smooth against the skin while doing an admirable job of keeping the watch perfectly placed on the wrist.  The straps thin leather pays dividends as it adds no bulk to the watch to speak of and it lays impossibly flat on the bottom of your wrist.

I rather enjoyed the outside texture of the strap. While I know it is not real alligator, the embossing is done to a degree where it is pleasant to touch and see. The light brings out the groves and patterns that are pressed into the strap while at the same time it does a great job of walking that fine line between reflecting light without looking overly shiny or plastic.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR

I really enjoy a watch strap that is singular in purpose.  This strap exudes class and elegance without trying to be anything else. I think for the price you would be hard pressed to find a better embossed strap for dress watch.  I think this watch would be quite at home on a great many dress pieces.  From something as traditional as a Seiko SARB to something as crazy as a Hamilton Ventura this strap will bring your watch some class or add some more class to an already nice timepiece.  Would I put this on a vintage watch?  Not sure, and I will tell you why.  This comes across as a modern strap to me.  The finishing and construction are quite modern and the 20-18mm taper still has some bulk needed to handle the larger more modern 38-40mm watches. Had this been a 20-16mm taper then I think its vintage versatility would have been drastically increased.  Still, should you want to try it on a smaller watch, the thin makeup of the strap will lend itself to that purpose quite nicely without overpowering the watch. At the price this strap is available, I think it is probably worth a try.

WHERE CAN I GET IT

The Hirsch Black Alligator embossed strap can be found anywhere Hirsch straps are found.  I bought this one at Holbens Fine Watch Bands

http://www.holbensfinewatchbands.com/hirsch-louisianalook-medium-short-alligator-grain-black/

SUMMARY

When I bought this strap I was hoping it would give my new Oris a more sophisticated lease on life. It did not disappoint.  It also managed to elevate my humble Hamilton Khaki and looked quite at home on my Junghans ultra-thin dress watch as well.   Animal skin straps have a certain appeal to them. Maybe it is the connection with nature that draws us in.  I said that the strap holds the story the watch has lived.  An exotic skin strap maybe in some way connects us to that adventurous story we all want in our life.