Bulang and Sons Refined Natural Piombo Grey Leather Watch Strap
November 29, 2018
I think every watch strap has a story to tell. From the moment you take the strap out of whatever packaging it comes in, the story begins to unfold (at times the packaging is so clever it is part of the story, but I digress). The strapsense work bench is cluttered full of straps. Some of these are waiting for a review, some of them are just coming off a review. Or, as I look at it, stories that have been told and stories yet to be told if I may stretch a metaphor a tad too far.
This is my first strap from Bulang and Sons and initial impressions have been very positive. I was eager to know what kind of story this strap was going to tell. The black paper envelope used for packaging was very elegant and old world, and I was immediately anxious to get this piece of Italian leather in my hands for a review. I had never handled Piombo leather before, so curiosity was getting the best of me. However, before I get to the strap review, I think it would be useful, and maybe a bit interesting, to learn exactly how I go about reviewing a strap for a full Strapsense review.
Usually the first thing I do when I get a strap is to carry it around with me for a few hours. I take it outside and see it in natural light as well as under household lights. I look at the seams and the spring bar loops. I pick at the stitching and stick my finger nail in the strap to test its hardness. My wife thinks it is all hilarious, but any light hearted mockery is worth it to learn about the strap I am about to wear and review. Feeling a strap in your hand gives you a real sense of its construction and its flexibility as well a hint of how much break in may or may not need.
When I buy a strap for review, I usually have a watch in mind that it will go on. Often times, this ‘pre-installation’ period changes that, though. I set out to put this strap on my Grand Seiko which has a cream dial and would benefit from the natural brown color of this strap. I still may try it on that watch, but decided to try it on my Speedy (who also has a 19mm lug width) first.
As stated earlier, a good strap tells a story, and as we say at Strapsense, the watch is always the main character in that story. A different watch on the same strap will take the story in a different direction. That is why it is so important to try straps on as many watches as you can because you never know what will ‘click’ and speak to you. Let us see where this Bulang and Sons strap takes my beloved Speedmaster.
Here are a few words from Bulang and Sons about their Piombo Grey Leather strap
Pure and Straight
Without the extra treatment this material is usually given, our popular Piombo leather shows its incredibly pure natural colour, emphasized by the lighter brown leather keepers.
The unobtrusive straight stitch lends a rather minimalist edge to this leather strap that will look great with many watches!
DIMENSIONS
I bought the 19mm lug width strap for this review but the Bulang and Sons website says it also comes in a 20mm. The strap is 120 mm on the free end and 75mm on the buckle end. With how the adjustment holes are placed, this means I am on the 3rd to the last hole for a nice comfortable fit on my 6.75”. The strap has a nice delicate taper. It goes from 19mm at the lugs to 16mm at the buckle and free end which puts this strap decidedly in the dressier category.
DESIGN
The design of this strap is an exercise in minimalism. It only has the bare essentials of what you need to even be called a watch strap. But, having said that, what is there is extremely well thought out and expertly crafted. The strap does not wow you with features or clever stitching or distressed patina. Rather it bowls you over with quality and rawness that may appear stark but has a warmth that can only come from manmade products. Bulang and Sons calls this strap Scandinavian inspired with this clean simplistic appearance and superlatively chosen and assembled materials, and I am at a loss for a better way to describe it.
Starting with the leather for this strap, B & S chose what is called Piombo Leather, which is really just another word for Grey Leather. The work Piombo means lead, so it is aptly named for the color of the leather. Starting off with French Calfskin leather which receives a natural vegetable tan followed by extensive hand finishing (in Tuscany, Italy no less) through multiple steps. The strap arrives at your door with a smooth tight grained skin which is supple to the touch and deeply rich in color.
The color of this strap is called grey, but in many lights it can be viewed as a muddy brown as well. This could be chalked up to a product of the hand finishing but more likely it just a natural variation of the tanning process and the hide of the animal that is being tanned. The end result is a color that is subdued and does not distract from the watch, while also not being so mundane where it would be forgotten. A clever bit of balancing. And If you like the color, you get to experience it on both sides of the strap as the finishing is equally as well done on the top and bottom of this strap. The underside is stamped nicely with wonderful leather B & S embossing.
Continuing to look at the strap, the sides are sealed evenly and thickly without a hint of bleeding onto the strap. The sides have withstood many weeks of wear and still look new. In fact the whole strap has managed to stave off any premature wear as the leather while soft is very durable and seems set to last half a life time.
KEEPER AND BUCKLE
This strap has two keepers, one fixed one floating and they are done in a beautiful rich brown hue. Perfectly sized and do a good job of holding the free and while still free enough for easy adjustment once buckled. I really like the brown coloring and even though aesthetics are specific to the user, I find the choice very pleasing to the eye and I really do think it adds a nice flair to the whole strap in much the same way nice cuff links add a pop to the sleeve.
The buckle is also noteworthy as it is a lovely brushed affair with a very handsome B & S logo that appears to be laser etched on it. I love this look as it is very crisp and neat, and almost has a modern edge to it.
HOW DOES IT WEAR
You would think it would be easy to just say it wears well and be done with it. But I am constantly reminded at how subtle changes in color, tanning, and leather can so drastically change one seemingly simple piece of leather into a masterful piece of craft. This is the case with the Bulang and Sons Piombo Natural leather strap. From the moment you first bend it the leather moves with you. It is so infused with oils it feels almost saturated with color. The strap has not shred of stiff leg syndrome nor does it require more than a moment’s time on the wrist to realize it will be all day comfortable. The keepers keep the extra length in check all day and add practically no added height which would get in the way during writing or typing.
The taper from 19mm to 16mm also makes the strap wear elegantly and comfortably. Thinner straps flex easier and are not nearly as bulky as straight cut straps which have a far more tooly nature. I really liked the way this leather felt on the wrist as well as how the color beckons to be touched.
WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR
To me this watch is almost a jack of all trades. It is not so filled with design details that that it can be called a sport strap, and it is not waterproof so it will probably not see much use on a diver. I think this strap walks a nice line but definitely has a modern edge to it. I think this would shine on a daily wear type of strap. I also think given the stark nature of the straps design it can support a detailed dial like on the speedy shown.
When I review a strap the important thing to note is I am also reviewing the vendor who made the strap. If my review does not make you want to buy this particular strap, I would hope you would look at other offerings from Bulang and Sons and try to see if other colors or styles who would share the same quality would fit you better. I happen to like the Nordic line, which is where this strap came from.
WHERE CAN I GET IT
The only place I know to get a Bulang and Sons strap is straight from them:
https://www.bulangandsons.com/watch-straps/refined-natural-piombo-agrey-leather-watch-strap.html
SUMMARY
I have wanted to try out a B & S strap for a long time. I feel that the price range they are offering their products is a good one where you can get exceptional quality that is simply not found at the sub 60 dollar range. If you have a priZed timepiece, give Bulang and Sons a good look, I think the quality of a real calfskin leather strap made in Italy will give your watch a new story to tell.