Worn and Wound Model 2 Premium – Rye
September 2, 2018
When something is made simply, and I mean boiled down to the bare minimum essential components, the quality of those few parts and how they are assembled are of paramount importance. When I first started this review, I was going to go into some kind of value vs quality graph and talk about diminishing returns on money compared to what you get for it. Then I had to turn off the engineer in me and just relax and get back to basics. In a sense I wanted to keep my review simple and choose my words with care and make each one carry an appropriate amount of weight. In the words of the great one Albert Einstein,
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler” – Albert Einstein
Worn and Wound has been around long enough to be recognized and respected as something of a subject matter expert in the watch community. With a steady supply of quality written and video reviews I feel confident in saying they have become a trusted name in helping one navigate the world of watches and all other things of a horological nature. When a company like this, who has worked so diligently to establish itself in the watch community decides to put its name on a product, I tend to take notice. The move from educator and reviewer to one of a producer of goods, can be tricky and go south in a bad way. No amount of caution and preparation is enough to ensure success in this crowded online marketplace, however, Worn and Wound has reduced the watch strap to its essential bits in the Model 2 Premium. From the moment I removed it from its very up class packaging I could feel the inherent quality of its vegetable tanned leather and strap spoke volumes to me visually and texturally.
I have no idea why I have waited so long to review a strap from Worn and Wound, but the wait will definitely pay dividends to my readers. Every review has added to my strap ‘vocabulary’ if you will, and my ability to recognize a truly outstanding strap increases with time and hands on experience with straps from all over the world. The description on the Worn and Wound website was well written and made me want to try it. Effort and time was taken to communicate with the buyer to give a description of its construction rather than just list mere dimensions and specifications. Enjoy the description they offer on their website:
The Model 2 Premium is a more refined version of our Model 2 Classic strap. For the Premium, we took the same tapering 2-piece strap design, but made it out of a combination of Wickett & Craig vegetable tanned lining and Horween top leather. The edges are now painted with several layers of complimentary color, for a cleaner fit and finish.The knots are hand-tied out of thick braided, waxed cotton cord for a hand-made detail. We used both a fixed metal loop as well as a wide leather band for keepers, creating a rugged detail that hints at military straps. By mixing elements of dress and sport straps, the Model 2 Premium has a retro aesthetic that is simultaneously masculine and elegant. Try this on everything from your beat up tool diver to your dress-casual vintage piece. The Model 2 Premium was designed by Worn & Wound and manufactured in New York City.
Horween, Wickett & Craig, Vegetable tanned, hand tied. This is not just frivolous name dropping or bragging, rather it is the assurance that this strap comes with a pedigree of craftsmanship and you as a potential customer looking for a quality good, should care.
I like it when somebody gets excited about something. It’s nice.
J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
DIMENSIONS
Like most of my straps, I purchased the 20mm version of this strap so I could try on it a few watches I enjoy. All my dimensions are naturally based on that strap (but it does come in 18mm and 22mm should you need those sizes). My strap came in at 19.5mm at the lugs and 17.5mm at the buckle. That amount of taper gives the strap universal appeal and can be used on a great many watches, as it does not lean too far in to the bulky non taper zone or the elegant extreme taper zone. As far as thickness, my strap is 4.8mm at the lugs due to the way the leather wraps around the spring bar. After the whip stitch, the strap is a uniform 2.3mm along its entire length.
The strap is 125mm/80mm at the free end and buckle end respectively and the way the holes are placed in the free end, I am on the second to last adjustment hole on my 6.75” wrist to achieve that perfect fit.
DESIGN
Trying to design a unique watch strap is a terribly difficult thing to do. No matter what material you chose to produce your watch strap, you will find that road very well-traveled already. So in an effort to stand out you either do something very ‘off the beaten path’ and end up with a strap that only appeals to a small niche, or you stick to the beaten path and you try to elevate your design through quality and construction. When I held the Model 2 Premium in my hands it seemed to take a few designs from within the industry and combine them into one very well made strap.
The first thing you will see when you look at the strap is the depth and saturation of the color. Worn and Wound calls this color Rye but it could be considered Tan or even Camel by other brands. It is definitely more brown than orange to my eyes, and the colors directly remind me of the earth and animal hide it came from. Variation in tone and darkness can be seen and portions of the hide absorb the colors differently. The suppleness and flexibility of the upper strap is instantly pleasurable. Knowing the leather on the outside of the strap comes from Horween means at no time was labor saved or quality sacrificed to produce this, and it shows. The pores are small and tight and the surface is organic and natural in texture. In the right light you can see how the leather is marginally thicker in certain places than others.
The underside of the strap is made from a Wickett & Craig inner liner. I had never heard of this brand of leather but did some digging. They are an American Tannery that is over 150 years old and still do things the old way. A trip to their website will let you know the Pennsylvania based company still has its roots in quality over quantity. The inner liner of the strap is soft and flexible raw leather. Its color reminds me of the soft leather used in kits we use to get as boy scouts only this is exponentially more flexible. The leather is embossed with 20 on the free length and on the buckle length the worn and wound logo.
The sides of the strap are thickly sealed in black on my strap which matches the black of the whip stitches perfectly. The sealing has a nice rounded feel and finishes off the sides of the strap perfectly. I admire how worn and wound has used the side sealant as a design feature rather than just to prolong the life of the strap, which of course it will do. Choosing a bold color sealant allows the strap to enhance a feature of the watch it is attached to, or at the very least it adds loads of drama to the straps presence on the wrist.
The last thing I think is worth noting is the construction of the strap. While some straps are double thickness along its entire length the Worn and Wound Model 2 Premium wraps around its spring bars and then is glued and stitched short after. This allows the strap to be strong were you want it and thin and flexible and malleable where you need it. I personally think does a great job of highlighting both leathers from both legendary leather works in the US, Horween, and Wickett & Craig. It has a very craftsman look to the strap without looking ‘crafty’.
KEEPER AND BUCKLE
This strap has the keepers in the same one fixed, one floating setup, but with some very notable differences. The first and most notable is the stainless steel fixed keeper held in place by two more of those nice black whip stitches on either side. The keeper is polished just like the buckle and adds a level of durability and serious to the strap. The steel keeper gives the strap more polished surfaces to reflect light while giving more upscale appearance. Also, the way the smooth leather feeds through the steel keeper is a joy and makes the leather move effortlessly when being fastened and removed.
The buckle is a standard stainless steel affair and with a thin pin for a retention of the leather strap. It is a decent buckle, but extraordinary in any way except for the fact that it matches the stainless keeper and together they offer a nice visual punch.
HOW DOES IT WEAR
This strap wears like a dream. Its soft inner liner feels good against the skin. The supple leather outer liner yields to your every movement while still feeling as strong and robust as the animal it was made from. This strap, like few others, manages to do something very special. A really good strap elevates the watch which it is attached. This strap manages to do that while making you feel special while wearing it. It is much like the way a nice fitted suit feels or a perfect pair of shoes. The straps color and texture move with you from room to room and inside and out. Its tones come and go as the light hits the strap. The ink black sealed edges add visual continuity along its entire length and the whole thing comes across more like high end footwear or an Italian belt.
I have not had a strap that was so immediately gratifying to wear. I enjoy its look and feel and how it wraps around the wrist with a visual pop that works with shorts and T-shirt as well as while peeking out a nice long sleeve shirt. I truly struggle to find something to complain about. If I was forced I could say the floating leather keeper is a tiny bit too big, but that is more opinion than fact.
WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR
I have had this watch strap on field watchs, aviation watches, and military inspired watches. It pops on each and every one of them. Aside from divers, I would recommend these straps for most any watch you own. In truth they would probably look fabulous on divers as well, but I would not want to get such a beautiful strap wet. My peronal choice would be to keep this strap in the military/aviation category. It has leather worthy of the nicest flight jacket or weathered pilots satchel. But the relatively thin construction and its amazing wrist presence can make it work for a staggeringly large amount of watches. Try to find your favorite daily wear watch, and try this strap. It is so nice to wear you will not want to take it off.
WHERE CAN I GET IT
The place to buy this wonderfuls trap is at WindUp, Worn and Wounds shop:
https://windupwatchshop.com/collections/straps/products/model-2-premium?variant=7676226830402
SUMMARY
From the upscale packaging (better than many strap costing nearly 2x as much) to the quality of the product and the speedy delivery, I am finding that worn and wound is serious about watch straps. They do not have an overwhelming selection, but what they do offer, especially in the Model 2 Premium, is the gold standard other brands have not matched in this 75-100 dollar price range.
