B and R Bands Malt LeMans Racing Watch Strap
August 6, 2020
There are all kinds of heat in this world we as humans subject ourselves to. There is hot like a run of the mill hot summer day. There is a hot that when accompanied by humidity bombards your senses as the air itself seems burdened with an invisible density that makes every breath you take seem a struggle. As bad as those are, they are practically temperate compared to the heat you can experience on a concrete race track under the bright sunny sky in August where not a shred of shade is to be found. The ambient heat from above and reflected heat from below attack from all sides without a moments rest or reprieve. Shoe soles can melt in this kind of heat and errant lizards who dared try to cross the pavement are cooked before they make it half way across. This was the world of the motorsports in the 60’s and 70’s (and even today). In this brutally inhospitable climate drivers would buckle themselves into a bit of sheet metal inches away from a powerful and temperamental engine that did its best impression of a blast furnace for two or more hours at a time. Drivers could lose 10 lbs due to loss of water over the course of a race and endure burns on feet and hands from the unrelenting heat inside a car. It was a different time and those drivers were cut from an entirely different cloth. Automotive racing in the summer was an all-out assault on the senses.
The rally strap was born in this environment. I have read articles saying the rally strap with its signature holes along its entire length was made to emulate the aesthetics of chassis lightening by the teams. This was to gain the tiny advantage that carrying less metal around the track would give them. I wager there is some grain of truth to that. But I am sure it also was driven by function to combat that insufferable heat. The holes in a rally strap give the skin access to fresh air so it can breathe and dry off and most importantly not become irritated. Those holes in the strap acted like vents to keep the drivers skin cool during long hot stints in a car (where temps can hit 130 degrees). Whether driven by function or form the rally strap is as emotionally connected to motorsports as the tires on a race car are physically connected. Many companies produce rally straps or racing straps and all have the distinguishing perforations as the minimum design trait to qualify for the name. The size and shape and color of these rally straps can vary but are anchored around that common feature. Today I am reviewing a stunning rally strap from B and R bands. B and R bands is a Strapsense favorite as is apparent by the amount of their straps I have reviewed, and this time did nothing to change that favored status.
Here is what B and R Bands say about their Malt Le Mans Racing Watch Strap:
Vintage motor sports played a big role in influencing the watch straps we see today. In order to keep the weight of the race car down to a bare minimum, perforations were introduced everywhere from the steering wheel, leather seats, to even the drivers gloves. With this history, it’s no wonder why these straps pair up so well on chronographs from the likes of Heuer & Omega.
Crafted from full grain Italian leather with a waxed finish, you’ll experience first hand as the strap ages beautifully with wear. With attention to detail, each strap is taper cut with precision revealing the straps edges enhancing the vintage look. In it’s final stage, each strap is carefully sewn with a beautiful contrast cream stitch.
DIMENSIONS
Having recently acquired a few 19mm lug width watches, I decided to order a few straps to fit them. My strap came in at 18.8mm at the lugs and 15.8mm at the free and buckle end. This is a textbook vintage taper and it works wonderfully on this strap. The B and R Malt LeMans Racing strap is even across its whole width and length at 2.5mm almost on the dot. This fits perfectly in the 2.5 to 3.5 mm range I like to see for most straps. The 2.5 mm thickness is perfectly suited on the low side to give increased malleability and flexibility when in use on vintage or vintage inspired pieces. 2.5mm is neither too thick to be stiff or unwieldy or too thin to be overpowered by watches around 14mm thick.
My strap came in almost dead on at 120mm on the free end and 80mm on the buckle end. On my 6.75” wrist I was on the last adjustment hole in the strap on a watch with a 47.1mm lug to lug length. I actually used one of the holes in the rally strap not intended for the pin on the buckle to get a perfect fit. I think that a short version of this trap would suit me fine. If you have a 7+” wrist though, or a smaller watch, buy with confidence.
DESIGN
If I had to sum up the design on this watch it would boil down to function has become fashion. I mean that in a very good way. Much like the Tropic style strap defines an entire segment of watch straps by way of its distinguishing traits, the rally straps singular defining design ethos gives all rally straps a unique and immediately identifiable motorsports lineage. Its form was dictated by function and that function has become iconic fashion. The Malt strap from B and R does this in a very satisfying and timeless way with exquisite material choice and impeccable build quality.
The leather on the Malt LeMans strap is dense with detail. The strap smells of wax and rawhide that connect to a simpler time and place. It has lost none of its natural texture through the processing and working of the hide. The application of dyes and waxes is transparent and the leather feels organic and soft. The material gives to the touch and feels robust and stronger than the 2.5mm should allow it. Much like a very ripe fruit whose weight defies its size. The color of the strap is true to its name. The malt whiskey color undulates with shades of light brown to dark brown in endless variations in between. Even the insides of the holes in the strap are finished smooth and dyed to match the strap.
Those holes in the strap are typical rally style in which the center hole is a bit larger than the line of holes than run parallel on both sides. As best as I can tell the whole strap is a single layer wrapped around the spring bar and neatly and carefully glued and sewn together. The construction is simple but extremely robust and should last a lifetime or two. The whole affair is stitched together with a light brown contrast stitch that sits flush with the surface and adds sportiness to the strap without being jarring like a stark white stitch would be. Overall the strap looks older and worn in right out of the box, without looking dingy or ragged.
The sides of the strap are properly burnished and look to be sealed with a clear protectant. The underside does not appear all that different from the top save the holes edges in the bottom are a bit sharper which has no ill consequences in terms of comfort or aesthetics when worn. 19mm is stamped near the spring bars and BandRbands is proudly stamped on the free end. From the color to the feel this strap exudes quality and backs it up with fit and finish to match. I have not found a watch this does not look good on.
KEEPER AND BUCKLE
The Malt LeMans Racing strap has a two keeper system. One is fixed near the buckle and the other is free to hold down the extra free length of strap. They are the same warm earthy brown of the strap and have some slight burnishing on them for durability. The side of the leather is more clear on the keepers and I feel adds visual interest to them. The keepers are sized appropriately for ease of use, and work very well with the heavily waxed treatment of the outside leather. It takes zero effort to feed the strap through these perfectly sized keepers.
The buckle is a drama free affair. With only the slightest linear brushing to set it off, its minimal frame does the job of keeping the watch on your wrist while closely following the contour of the strap for the lowest profile possible. It adds no visual interest, but also never detracts from the impressive leather this strap is made of.
HOW DOES IT WEAR
For me this strap, like so many other B and R straps, came ready for action right out of the box. The leather is so incredibly willing to succumb to the slightest touch it feels invertebrate like if that is such a thing. In any direction you move the strap it gives way and the grain and strength seem homogeneous throughout the material. I happen to live near Houston, Texas and in August it gets close tropical jungle levels of heat and humidity, but without all the pretty birds and monkeys (Monkeys can be pretty!) to liven up the place. Despite this zoological shortcoming, I like to walk my new puppy 5-7 miles a day and we both come back thoroughly drenched with sweat. However, I was pleased to find out that the rally strap does in fact do what it was supposed to do. Compared to some of my other solid leather straps, this one was notably more comfortable on the wrist and dried off faster after my walk.
The wax impregnated leather has shown no discoloration or texture changes due to this repetitive summer exposure and looks as good now as it did 2 weeks ago. The sides of the strap are unaltered and the holes in the strap have shown no degradation as I have used it on many watches. Regardless of which watch it was on, the strap adds a sporty and adventurous vibe. This strap subconsciously connects you to the old drivers of Can Am and Formula 1 when they were in their heyday. It is a very old world masculine strap that can take any chronograph to the next level.
WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR
As mentioned above, I can wholeheartedly say this strap was made for a racing chronograph. But I could easily see it working on something like an Omega Dynamic three hander as well. Any watch that could use a bit of added style and drama would benefit from this strap. It has enough vintage charm to easily do the job. At 2.5mm this strap is a ready for your vintage Heuer, or your Gallet Chrono in a heartbeat. It can easily work on Chronographs 36mm all the way up to larger models in the 41 or 42mm range as well depending on thickness. The vintage taper and subdued threads prevent this strap from stealing much thunder from the watch dial, while it quietly reinforces that motorsports aesthetic. I would keep the watch in the 14mm range or less for optimum watch/strap balance but that can vary depending on lug shape and length. I had this strap on my First Omega in Space and my Heuer Carrera and it worked amazingly well on both. The Malt color was more relaxed and casual than the black straps I previously had on either watch which gave the vintage themed chronos a more serious and stern character. This color strap with its whiskey tones has me wanting to go watch the Rolex Daytona 24 hours in Florida and submerge myself in motorsports for the weekend while barbequing a brisket and laughing with friends. What more can you ask of a watch strap.
WHERE CAN I GET IT
As I have said many times, the best place to get a B and R strap is straight from B and R Bands own website. The shipping is dizzyingly fast and the customer service is always top notch.
https://www.bandrbands.com/19mm-malt-le-mans-racing-watch-strap.aspx
SUMMARY
The form of the rally strap revolves around a central design theme of perforated leather and attitude. I enjoy the edge they can give a proper chronograph as the pair are intertwined by both their shared common ingredients of sportiness and history. Wearing a rally strap on any watch adds a level of excitement to the watch as it gives the watch a visually interesting supporting story. B and R has made the LeMans Strap for all chronograph fans and fans of sporty and classically vintage inspired watches. While a motorsports chronograph exudes automotive excitement adding a rally strap is the difference between hearing one car rev it’s engine versus a whole starting field revving it’s engine.