Teddy Baldassarre Rustic Taupe Contrast Stitch

Certain watch brands really know how to take advantage of the power of a great strap.  If you have followed my ramblings, you are inherently aware of my belief at how a strap can transform even the most humble time timepiece into an heirloom.  While that may be a bit of an exaggeration, the ability of a strap to elevate the watch is as close to horological ‘settled science’ as it gets.  It could be that I am thinking of this all wrong and perhaps the stunningly good stock straps are only appraised as such due to the truly dire quality of the majority of straps found on new watches today. Either way, few watch brands put forth the effort to make and match a great strap to their products so when you buy a watch and the stock strap is bad, you sort of nod and know where the money was saved.  

One of the worst offenders of this is Seiko.  They often build to a price and even some of the Presage line do not come paired with the finest (or even adequate) leather.  All too often, the first casualty in cost cutting is the strap. Conversely, Omega make some of the more universally amazing straps on any OEM I have seen with timeless style and quality that does in fact endure the test of time whether the strap is rubber or hide. 

Another very notable watchmaker that puts a great deal of effort into their straps is IWC. Even the entry-level pilots watches come on some extremely rich, soft and supple leather while the higher end IWC models come on beautifully made straps from Santoni (fine Italian leather shoe manufacturer).  It is this watchmaker whose watch is the recipient of a strap I am concentrating my review on this week.  In all honesty, removing the IWC leather strap my watch came with was a herculean effort, as it is so good, I never saw myself removing it.  However when my latest strap from Teddy Baldassarre came in, the color combination and feeling was so well done, it looked like it could be a product from IWC or Omega, and that in my mind is extremely high praise. This is the second strap I am reviewing from the YouTube personality Teddy and while the first one was well done, it had some disappointing design decisions that reflected poorly during durability testing. I am happy to say this strap shares no common DNA from the previous one. 

Here is the description Teddy offers on his site for the Rustic Taupe Contrast Stitch:

These straps are designed with classic timepieces in mind. With the contrast stitching and rustic finishing, this is a strap that will look perfect when paired with a casual everyday piece.

Brief description for sure, but the details go on to mention soft Alsavel leather on the inside. We will find out if this is helps the wearing experience soon. I think more effort to describe the strap would help the shop in this case. People want to by into a story when they buy a watch or a watch strap. Maybe I can add some more descriptors to this wonderful strap.

DIMENSIONS

The strap I am reviewing is the 20mm version of the Rustic Taupe strap, as such all my dimensions are based on this particular model.  This strap also comes in popular 18mm and 22mm sizes as well but no odd sizes yet but with time that may change. My strap came in at 19.9mm at the lugs and 17.4mm at the free and buckle end. The lug end is 4.3mm thick and tapers nicely to 2.8mm. This a very casual wear profile by today’s standards as it can handle the bulkier watches of today.  The length of this strap is 110mm on the free end and 80mm on the buckle end. This is a very good universal size and should please most wrists. On my 7” wrist I am on the second to last hole for all day comfort while still keeping watch in place. 

DESIGN

At first glance the strap before me was just another contrast stitched watch strap.  I must admit, when you write strap review after strap review trying to find the individual niche each strap holds can be challenging. It is like looking at a school of beautiful tuna in the ocean and trying to give each one a unique description.  Truth is, all the tuna are spectacular creatures in fit, form, and function and are glorious just being itself.  I see this strap in a similar light. It is neither ground breaking in its design nor are its materials so unique as to steal the attention from the rest of the watch.  However, this is irrelevant as what this strap definitely does represent is a beautifully constructed strap made with care and a level of finishing that positions it with some of the finest straps I have reviewed.  In other words, it belongs with all the other beautiful tuna out there. 

The Rustic Taupe Leather used on the outside may appear one-dimensional from a distance, but it has beautiful grain and depth of color.  It is satin finished and smooth the touch with a slight velvety tactile sensation that comes off feeling expensive and rich.  Its thickness would lead you to believe it may be a rugged or stiff strap, but the opposite is closer to reality. The strap bends and flexes with effortless confidence. The color stays fast when deformed as any pull up effect has been avoided.  While some people who are hard core distressed leather fans may not appreciate this choice, the people who want the strap to look brand new as the they day they unboxed it will be very pleased.  I am also pleased to speak to the durability of this strap as it passed all my initial strap wear in cycles without a single mark.

The underside of the strap is lined with a semi-glossy Alsavel calf leather. I had to look that one up.  Alsavel leather is special leather for moist conditions and is known for being both very water resistant and hypoallergenic.  In other words, it is the perfect choice for an inner liner. I found its surface finish valuable in aiding the strap to feed into the keepers. Like textures tend to add friction and can make putting the watch on and off a chore.  No so with the Teddy Rustic Taupe. The inner liner glides over the softer outer shell. The whole experience is a joy.  The underside is lightly stamped ‘Teddy’ on the buckle side while the free end carries the embossing “France VACHETTE DOUBLURE CUIR” which roughly translates to France, cowhide leather liner. 

The sides of the strap are thickly coated with black sealant. I am sucker for this treatment on straps that take on the casual daily wear role.  It adds a fresh newness to the strap and keeps it crisp and, well, looking like an OEM new strap.  This treatment would look completely out of place on a very distressed strap, but here it is a perfect choice.  The deep black tones also help bring out the white contrast stitching and any black aspects of the dial. It is a very effective and passive way of highlighting a color while adding durability.  Full marks here. 

The stitching is listed as little more than contrast, but it is done with careful detail.  The stitches go full depth from upper surface to bottom inner liner of the strap guaranteeing a solid construction. They are neither too thick or too thin, and they are even and spaced perfectly adding a wonderful detail while not giving the strap to an overly sporty look. 

KEERER AND BUCKLE

The watch strap comes with a Inox stainless steel buckle that many in the industry use. It has a mild curvature on the clasp and is quite lithe in construction.  It is a very well chosen buckle and does the job but without adding too much to the strap (nor does it take anything away). I always wish more strap makers would add some attention to the buckle either by clever geometry, finish or branding.  Just my personal taste.  The keepers are the standard single fixed and single floating variety.  They are sized exactly how I personally like my keepers, which is to say they are just thick enough to do the job reliably for years and not 1mm thicker.  The keepers (I have heard them called minders as well) are equally coated with black sealant on the sides and are blessed with the same lovely coloring as the outer strap.

HOW DOES IT WEAR

Right out of the box this strap amazed me.  It felt like a strap that cost 30 dollars more than it does. After two weeks of wearing nonstop, the strap still looks brand new (a very good sign of how good the material and construction are).  The strap material is worked so well that it has almost zero curvature memory.  Full credit to the craftsman who made this one the leather surrenders itself to your wrist. Still this is the only strap I have whose lose end always seems to find the buckle and feed itself without me halving to do to anything.  It practically attaches itself to my wrist. Very uncommon for a strap to do this while still being so soft. 

On the wrist this strap inner liner gives all day comfort while the thickness of the strap balances out the watches weight. This yields benefits beyond merely visual balance as the total package feels whole and not off kilter on the watch side.  

I enjoy the color of this strap very much. Not dark brown or light brown, and while beige can be forgettable, this color has a faded parchment color that looks both vintage and modern at the same time. It is a perfect match for any watch with vintage lume as it will help draw it out. 

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR

Teddy describes this watch as perfect strap for a casual timepiece.  I can say its old world brown coloring with its precise and perfect construction it can do a great many jobs and be great at it. From field watch to pilots watch, this strap has enough heft and character to be a reliable sidekick.  It has enough physical heft to balance out any sporty piece as well and look good doing it.  I think it would look incredible on an Oris Divers 65 (and I may try it on that next) but also any watch where all day comfort is desired.  

I would stick to watches that are over 10mm thick and 38mm in diameter or larger as the 4.3mm thickness at the lugs may overpower the watch a thin watch. But experiment if you are unsure.  This strap may have both vintage and modern vibes but I do feel it better suits the modern daily wear watch more than a delicate or thin dress watch. I have to admit Rustic in the title of the strap is aptly chosen.  Still this leaves almost all categories open to this strap and I think you would be hard pressed to find a casual daily wear watch this would not look outstanding on. 

WHERE CAN I GET IT 

The only place to buy a Teddy Baldassarre strap is on his website:  

SUMMARY

I am always in the market for a perfect all-rounder. A strap that can look amazing on anything from a Sinn 104 to an Omega Seamaster. It could be easy to make such a strap that can do everything and many have tried, but while they are a jack of all trades, they are usually unexceptional in their entirety. This strap from Teddy is not stricken with this ailment.  It has an ability to be many things to many watches while never losing itself or failing to impress the wearer.  Its ability to shine on multiple timepieces is rare and I whole heartedly recommend this strap as I am still enjoying wearing it.  Most Impressively, I am almost regretting put my stunning IWC OEM strap back on my Spitfire.  Not sure what else I can say that is more a testimonial than that.