Vario Vintage Italian Leather Espresso Brown Watch Strap

I am typically leery of any one vendor tries to do a bit of everything.  I lean more toward this saying I saw in a book store, I forget the author, but it went like this: “Do one thing, and do it better than anybody else.” That may have been Jan Koum or he may have interpreted the words from Colonel Sanders, ” Do all you can and do it the best you can.”  Very true words regardless of author.  If you look at the pinnacle of any brand be it shoes, or furniture, or amplifiers, the crème de la crème usually focus one and only one thing.   This singular passion for one product or process always results in knowing and perfecting the details that elevate a product from good to great. 

In the watch strap world we see this kind of hyper specialization form companies like Horween, the Chicago tannery who produce some of the finest leathers in the world. Decades of experience and knowledge culminate to produce a product that is so good, its name can be used as synonym for quality.  The truth is, not every company has the ability (or luxury) to hyper specialize like Horween has done. Some companies make several products that while not all the same, they all inhabit the same genre. Most modern day companies are like this and this is where Vario comes into play.  

Vario is a manufacturer of watches and watch accessories based out of Singapore.  A quick survey of their website and products seems to reflect a theme that, if I may summarize, is that you do not have to spend a whole lot of money to get a unique high quality product that will allow you to express yourself.  So you can kind of think of them like Swatch, only smaller.  The owner of Vario reached out to me to review a few of his products.  I normally always buy the products I review, but Ivan was so kind and enthusiastic I had to give it a try. He sent in a fabric two piece NATO (that I said I was interested in) and one of his vintage Italian Straps. He also included a really nice watch carry case as well. I will have a look at ALL three of these in my review but mainly concentrate on the incredibly well priced Vintage Italian strap (with an introductory price of $32.00) Lets get on to the review. But first a word from VARIO about its product.

Quick release spring bars allow for extremely fast and easy installment without the need for tools.This vintage style leather strap is carefully crafted to a high standard, nicely proportioned at 3mm thick and stitched in cream thread to create an exceedingly versatile strap that can be paired with just about any watch.

Our Italian leather is from Provincia di Vicenza with slight bi-colour effect and is stain and scratch resistant. Our leather strap is soft and supple, making the strap feel comfortable on your wrist.

DIMENSIONS

I received the 20mm version of the strap for my review so all dimensions are based on that particular strap, however it is also available in 18mm, 19mm, and 22mm. My Espresso Brown strap came in at 19.8mm at the lugs and 15.9mm at the buckle and free end. It was 75mm/115mm long on the buckle and free end respectively.  What this means is on my 7” wrist I am on the fifth of 8 adjustment holes which is an amazing fit for what would normally be considered a short strap. If you have a 6.5” to a 7.5” wrist, buy with confidence. When I measured my strap it came in at 2.5mm along its entire length.  This does fit into what I consider a great daily wear thickness, but also leans a shade in the dressy category. I think Vario was targeting just that demographic, and if they were, well done.

DESIGN

This strap has been bestowed the name Vintage Italian Leather Espresso Brown Watch Strap with Quick Release. Upon first inspection that extremely verbose description seemed spot on. This strap does not break new ground in the strap world. It is not the first strap with a nice dramatic 20-16mm taper. It is not the first strap that has crème/ivory colored stitching.  It is not the first strap with a wonderfully smooth inner liner so it feels good against the skin.  Nor is the grain on the leather unique.  So why review this strap at all then?  The words that make this strap a fantastic strap for review and purchase are Value and Focus. 

Vario never said they wanted to reinvent the leather watch strap. What they did say they were focused on was producing a timeless vintage Italian strap and think I can say they fully succeeded. Captured well is that dressy taper which allows the watch to lay effortlessly on the wrist with sublime comfort. A trait that is further reinforced by the 2.5mm thickness which allows the quality Italian leather to shine in terms of comfort as well as maintain some durability.  The stitching is well executed flush with the top surface of the leather. It is an off white/eggshell/vintage white/crème, pick a term, but know that it is not stark bright white. Its hue gives the connotation of age, and with that experience. 

The sides of the strap are sealed well, and dyed to match the color as the rest of the strap which I can describe a deep brown with hints of burgundy. This color stays true even when the strap is bent and pulled many times. The pattern on the leather is very fine in texture, and it should lend itself to the dressier side of things without being to shiny or glossy as to be pigeon holed as a purely dress strap.  the strap is far more matt in finish even in bright light only manages to achieve a satin sheen on the bling scale. 

The underside of the strap is a soft velvety smooth tan leather liner. It is stamped Vario on the free end and ‘genuine Italian leather’ on the buckle side. The color is very close to the color of the thread and that contrast helps strengthen the browns and burgundies on the surface of the strap.  Vario really hit all the main design elements associated with vintage straps as they stay focused on product. It would be easy to add a flourish of color here, or a design embellishment there, it would have cheapened the end result. The restraint shown is welcome. 

One more thing to emphasize Varios ethos of giving you more is that they even decided to include a quick release spring bar. This simple design choice keeps the style of the watch unaffected but greatly increases the ability for the user to switch straps to match his/her changing moods or outfits.  Varios allows variability. 

KEEPER AND BUCKLE

The Vintag Espresso Italian Leather Strap has the standard two keeper system with one being fixed and one floating keeper to keep the loose end of the strap in check. These keepers are appropriately sized for the smaller 16mm end of the strap to easily slide into and out of. The embossing in the leather is the same albeit less deep than the body of the strap.  The buckle on the Vario is an all polished affair that is rather simple in design, but with a very discrete and to my eyes, well executed etching of the VARIO logo. You may or may not like a logo on your aftermarket strap’s buckle, but I personally Iike to see a brand do small things to express who they are. I feel it gives the strap buyer a feeling they are getting more for the money spent as more effort was put into the final product.

HOW DOES IT WEAR

From the moment you synch up the buckle the way this strap wears is ‘easy’. You can feel its flexibility and smooth inner liner in your fingers long before it is attached to the watch. This leather has been properly worked to ensure comfort and you will notice it when you strap it on. It has been constructed and treated to that it should look the way it arrived for a long time. One thing I do when I get a new strap is buckle it and tighten it about a hundred times to see how secure the sealant has been applied and how well the color takes to being bent and stretched.  The Vario Vintage Italian Strap still looks new. 

On the wrist the thin construction and 4mm taper really pay dividends. The comfort for all day wear is real and it never irritated or snagged anything. The straps well executed design language really allows the watch to be more of what it already is.  The strap is not a shouty piece, but rather adds elegance to any timepiece it is attached in a refined way.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR

I mentioned how this strap can be a casual wear, but its focused design embodies the spirits of vintage Italian straps (if straps had spirits mind you). This means I would recommend this strap for your dressier pieces. I have it on a SARB033 but I could see it on a Tissot Visodate, or a Rolex OP, or a number of Longines Watches. I tried to put this on my Bronze Oris Big Crown Pointer date and it was not a good match. The burgundy/brown and broze did not mesh well, and the pilot theme of the watch seemed off.  I also attempted to kick up my Hamilton field khaki into the more elegant zone however its military roots, I felt, clashed with the strap a bit.  

This strap belongs on more casual wear pieces and definitely some vintage pieces that would benefit from the thinner construction and large taper. If you stick to pieces that are 12.5mm or thinner I think this strap will work very well. 

WHERE CAN I GET ONE

You need to look no further than Singapore if you want one of these straps.  The shipping is extremely fast and all my products arrived well packaged and amazingly quick.  You can buy this strap and ALL of VARIO’s products at their own website:

SUMMARY

I really wanted to write this part of the review first.  The final product offered by Vario is very similar to straps that cost 3x more. That is value and to any shopper getting what you paid for is always welcome. Getting more than what you paid for is an unexpected joy.  If I could ask you to take away something from this review it is that Vario is not just making a great watch strap for 32 bucks (introductory price), they are making a great watch strap period. If I had to compare it to a car, I would call this watch strap the VW GTI of straps.  It does not go the fastest, or turn the sharpest, or brake the hardest, or have the highest top speed, or accelerate the quickest, but not being the best in the world is okay as long as you are damned good at all of it. The Vario Vintage Italian Leather Watch Strap is very good in every category a watch strap can be good at, which makes it one of the best Italian vintage style value straps you can buy today. 

WHAT ELSE WAS IN THE BOX

Vario sent me a two piece NATO called the black razor which I have not reviewed yet, but plan to after I have had some time with it on my wrist. I prefer 2 piece NATO style straps over regular NATO as they do not elevate the watch off my wrist, so I have high hopes. 

Also included in the box was a really nice little watch case.  This is similar to other single watch cases I have seen online as it has the basic shape of a large ‘donut’ with a plastic inner shell that is lined with very soft velvet and foam.  When you look at simple products it is easy to think they are all the same.  However, it is the details that show how much effort was put into the product. For example, the outside of the case could have been left plastic, but instead VARIO decided to cover the case with a mesh silver nylon which really adds visual and textural interest to the product. The most aesthetically interesting feature is the zipper. It has a lovely organic zipper pull that operates a bright red plastic zipper underneath.  It adds a little pop of color in much the same way a colored seconds hand pops on a black or silver dial.  

After you unzip it, you realize the case fully closes separating the zipper from the watch.  Nice little bit of added protection for your valuable timepieces is always welcome. The bonuses do not stop there. Inside one half of the donut has a circular shaped foam pillow for your watch to sit. On the other side is covered in soft velvet had has a mesh barrier over half the opening. This could be spot for extra nato or rubber straps. You could use for it ear buds for an Applewatch if you should be so inclined.  Extra features often add up to extra value.  And for 20 dollars, this is a very handy little case that adds a bunch of nice features that makes bringing an extra watch with you worry free and dare I say it, even fun.