Milano Straps Cognac Barenia Leather Flat Watch Strap

I love to cook.  I think the act of creating food for others is a simple universal act of kindness that cuts through politics, culture, and language barriers like few other activities can.  Most of all, I love creating food to share with my family so we can spend time together away from electronics and all the unending daily routines. Still there are times when you just want to sit down at a restaurant and relax and enjoy some meal sans the less glamorous aspects such as the grocery shopping and cleaning that goes with it.  The promise of a hassle free meal is often too tempting to resist.

One of my biggest pet peeves is ordering something having been enticed by some epic gastronomical description that was obviously too good to be true and then subsequently being let down. A dish that immediately after it arrives, makes you come down from your overzealous and lofty expectations to an abominable pit of despair with the realization that you could have produced that dish yourself for half the price and twice the quality.  In situations like that, their is nothing left to do but order more wine and drown your sorrows. 

It does not always have to be that way though. Have you ever found a new restaurant that served a dish that left you not just happy, but also pleasantly surprised? The kind of food that leaves you in bewilderment at how it was made as well as what went into it? When you can get an extraordinary plate of food like that, the chance to go back and try another dish is all too tempting as a chance for a repeat performance is too enticing to resist. This is where I found myself with Milano Straps (figuratively, not literally as eating watch straps is not recommended). My first exposure to their product line left me extremely satisfied.  You can read about it here (https://strapsense.com/2020/09/16/milano-straps-red-suede-vintage-watch-strap/). I was eager to try another one of their products and as luck would have it, I have. For the past three weeks, I have had the pleasure of wearing the Cognac Barenia Leather Flat Watch Strap.  While stylistically it could not be more different than the red suede strap I reviewed earlier, the quality and feel are on par and serve as a fantastic sequel to my first Milano Strap.  Here is what Milano Straps says about this strap:

Our Barenia Leather comes from Tannery Haas in France. Haas has been making leather since 1842 and is well known for their premium calfskin leathers and as a supplier to many of the high-end luxury brands. 

Let us explore this worthy successor in a bit more detail.

DIMENSIONS

The strap I am reviewing is a 20mm version so all my measurements are based on that particular model.  This particular model is available in 22mm and 24mm as well in case you were curious.  My strap came in at 19.9mm at the lugs and tapered down to 17.2mm at the buckle end. The strap has flat in its name so I can attest that it lives up to that and is an even 2.2mm thick along the entirety of the length. With that gradual taper this is strap falls into a decidedly modern casual aesthetic.  

On my 6.75” wrist this strap is on the second to last adjustment hole when paired with my IWC Spitfire shown (which has a lug to lug length of 49.9mm) so the 115mm/75mm length should be able to fit all but the most extreme wrists. I find this strap to be in a very universal size and should fit well on darn near anything in your watch box, but more on that later. 

DESIGN

As I alluded to earlier, the Barenia Leather Flat Watch Strap could not be any more different than the last strap I reviewed from Milano. While the red suede was as flamboyant an Elton John outfit, this strap is a veritable master class on restraint and poise.  The color, cognac as it is called, has a warm autumnal feel to it. It is neither too light nor too dark to easily be categorized into any stereotypical strap section.  It effortlessly walks a line that could be considered casual to some and dressy to others, morphing instantly to work with the attire of the day.  

The feel of the leather is organic and moist to the touch.  The leather has that wonderful tactile friction that denotes softer and suppler materials.  The pores in the hide are very small and uniform lending itself to be smoother than a more textured strap. Per the description this is leather from the Tannery Hass in France. If you are like me and do not have all the world’s oldest tanneries memorized, this one is quite special. It was started in 1842 to make leather soles for slippers. This tannery has endured uninterrupted through six generations making leather the traditional way as well as pioneering new ways to treat and prepare animal hides.  A good strap must start with a good piece of leather, and Milano straps has certainly checked that box in spades.  

The Barenia is blessed with quality material on the outside and inside. These two leathers work in conjunction to provide a strap that is both flexible and luxurious without giving up longevity or toughness. It is quite pleasurable on the wrist partly due to its thin construction but also due to the quality of the inner leather which is proudly embossed Milano Straps, and Made in Italy. This inner leather has a satin finish to it a few shades more matte than the cognac leather on the outside. Despite three weeks of constant use, neither the inside nor the outside have any wear marks or odd creases giving credibility to the statement on the Milano Straps website that this strap brushes off scratches.  I have to agree with that.

The sides of the strap are sealed well with what appears to be a darker shade of brown. This could very well be just raw leather with a clear seal, but either way the effect is handsome as it brings out the cognac color by adding more visual interest. This sealant, in addition, will add years to the life of the strap as it will resist wear of being pulled through the buckle. The strap has a fully boxed stitch which begins and ends at the lugs. The off white stitching is properly recessed into the leather and runs completely through it.  They are perfectly straight and uniform in thickness and size. Overall impression is one of neatness and attention to detail. 

KEEPER AND BUCKLE

I have showered praise on Milano Straps for their brilliantly designed buckle that is refreshingly artistic and properly sized. Not to be left to use a run of the mill buckle, Milano uses this elegantly pentagon shaped buckle that is so delicately curved its function is perfectly melded with form.  The high polish is wonderful to behold and the clean sides with no spring bar holes in the buckle just sparkle in an uninterrupted and seamless way.  I wish more companies would give the buckle as much attention as Milano Straps has as it truly adds to the feeling of quality and wearing enjoyment. 

The Barenia uses the two keeper system as is typical of most straps. You will find one keeper is fixed near the buckle while the other is free to move to accommodate the lose end of the strap. These properly sized keepers are of the same lovely cognac hue and despite my rough treatment have not aged a day since I first wore this strap. Like the rest of this Haas Leather it seems to brush off creases and scratches and any pull up at all.  

HOW DOES IT WEAR

This strap has a bit of modernity about it. The slight taper turns away from any vintage connotations and it embraces its job as a do it all strap for practically any watch.  That is not to say it is devoid of any character. This strap has a special character trait that softens any genre of watch and brings it toward the daily wear category if there were such a thing. When I took off the thicker dark brown pilots strap on my IWC and put this strap on the watch instantly transforms into less of a tool aviator watch and into a lighter hearted casual style of watch.  This is not to say it does not feel like a pilots watch, but just less hardcore. Let me put it another way.  The original pilots strap left the IWC Spitfire feeling rugged like an unshaven bomber pilot after a 15 hour mission.  This softer, thinner strap in that lovely Cognac would be at home in the teachers’ lounge of an aviator’s pilots training school. Still the same feeling but softened and matured. 

For the past three weeks I have enjoyed this pleasant strap and it has performed flawlessly. Easy to put on and take off.  The leather seems to be impervious to wear while still feeling amazingly delicate. This dichotomy is one I have rarely seen and I have to admit I enjoy it.  The strap is flexible and comfortable from day one so it goes without saying it needs no break in period (But I said it anyway, well – just because).

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR

Unlike the last red suede number this strap has no limitations.  I have had it on a chrono, a field watch, a tool watch, a pilots watch and each and every time it pulled the watch a bit into the modern era.  It balanced color palette and construction lend itself to almost anything.  I would naturally avoid any contact with water (although it looked smashing on a Oris Divers 65) as leather just does not seem to enjoy that.  This strap has survived the Covid 19 fanatic handwashing and Purel deluges that we all must endure without any ill effects though. 

This is definitely the kind of watch strap you can buy and enjoy on almost any watch in your collection. It will positively work and add a new aura to your favorite timepiece. While being a jack of all trades and master of none, could be a fair description of this strap, I tend to shun that expressions use here as it can carry with it a negative connotation.  I feel this strap will add value and a unique modernistic charm to any watch expanding the places that particular timepiece can be enjoyed. 

WHERE CAN I GET IT

I would suggest you shop for the Cognac Barenia Leather Flat Watch Strap at the splendid Milano Straps website.  The shipping is quite quick and with your order you will get a handsome Milano Straps Tin, and strap changing tool.  Wonderful bit of kit that adds even more value to an already well priced strap.

SUMMARY

The satisfaction of going back to a hidden gem of a restaurant and leaving absolutely delighted a second time with a different meal provides a bit of self-assured validation and pride in having discovered it.  No sooner than the meal is over you cannot help but tell your friends that you have discovered something great and must insist they drop everything and try it immediately if not sooner. I feel Milano Straps has been hiding in the background for too long and I urge you to give them a chance, I feel the straps they offer are little bit bolder and a little bit unique compared to some of the other straps that lay along the more well hewn paths in the watch strap world. I really do think you will be pleasantly surprised.