B & R Bands Tan Textured Calf Leather Band

The ability of a watch strap to change the watch it is fastened to is part of the reason I love reviewing watch straps. Every strap change is like the reveal portion of a makeover show. There is always a wow moment of some magnitude (not always good mind you) but the impact is undeniable. This point was bolstered again with the strap in todays review. I have worn the 160 year Heuer Silver Anniversary almost every day since my wife purchased it for me for our 15th anniversary. It has lived on a black strap since it left the factory in one form or another as it connects this watch to its sporty racing historic pedigree. It is a very safe bet to stick with a black rally strap, but safe bets are not really that much fun. If you push the boundaries with color you can unlock hidden personalities in your watch that may not have existed before.

The B & R Bands textured calf leather strap has worked its subtle magic on my Heuer with quite a bit of dexterity and skill. The transformation from race day tool to elegant daily wear is striking and quite enjoyable. I have to be honest, as a vintage car owner and restorer I really wanted the Heuer to stay as it is, but on those days I want to dress up for meetings or taking my family out, it is very cool to be able to add some class to the wardrobe. This is what B & R bands says about this strap:

Rich, Classic & Elegant are just some of the words that come to mind for describing the Tan textured calf watch strap. Made from select French leathers, with a unique grainy texture, the Tan textured calf strap will definitely add beauty & class to any watch. The strap is crafted with an appealing taper, and finished off with an elegant white stitch carefully sewn by hand. Whether it be a Patek Philippe, Omega, or Universal Geneve, you’ll be sure to have an exquisite combo with one quick strap change.

DIMENSION

For this review I purchased the 19mm version of this strap. It is also available in the more customary sizes of 18 and 20mm. My strap came in at 19.1mm at the lugs with a very vintage inspired taper to 16mm at the free and buckle end. But this vintage feel is strangely not the driving aesthetic on this particular strap. More on that later.

The strap is not padded and has a uniform thickness of 2.4mm along the whole length which should suit a host of watches. The length (on the medium version) is 120mm/75mm on the free and buckled end respectively. What that means to you is on my 6.75″ wrist I am on the last adjustment hole when paired with my Heuer Silver Anniversary which has a lug to lug of about 47mm. Larger wrists should be great, but small watches and smaller wrists should go for the smaller version of this strap.

DESIGN

I have been wearing the B & R Bands Textured Calf strap for almost a month now. Its seemingly straight forward design belies its true versatility. This led me to ponder just how to tackle this portion of the review. At times, the taper and elegant non padded design was very vintage inspired. However, equally compelling was the bright vivid nature of the color in the leather and the stark white bright contrast stitching. Let us go through them one by one and see where we end up.

The leather used is listed as French Calf leather. Without more to go on than that I can say it appears to be high quality and feels extremely compliant to the touch. The way which this strap was created is evidenced on the free end as ‘Fait main’ is embossed clearly on the inside of the strap which appropriately means hand-made in French. On the buckle side B&R Bands is stamped neatly and proudly. The leather on the inside of the strap has a matte finish and is very smooth to the touch without any texture or grooves to hold dirt or oils from the skin.

The top leather is where this strap will really catch your eye. The textured grooves are very organic and evenly distributed. The graining has definite depth and catches the light on the semi satin finished leather. The color, which stays true no matter how much the strap is bent or stretched, is listed as Tan. I think, depending on your definition of Tan, this could be true. However to my eyes, this has a strong orange shade that is uniform and even. Think less khaki pants and more heavily patinated Lume and you are in the ballpark. The graining outer texture is resilient to any buckle marks or scuffs and gets softer and more comfortable with wear. I found its ability to diffuse the light rather pleasing and relaxing.

Two more notable design choices for this strap are the ample application of sealant (in a slightly lighter shade of orange which is closer to tan) on the sides of the strap which will increase wear resistance and add a very neat and tidy ‘dressed for success’ look to your watch. The other impossible to miss feature is the stark white contrast hand stitching done along the edges of this strap which works in contrast to anything that may be considered ‘vintage’. Like all B&R Bands straps the workmanship and quality is well beyond the asking price.

KEEPER AND BUCKLE

I have reviewed enough B&R Bands straps to become very familiar with their chosen buckle. This strap has the standard issue buckle used on most B&R straps, which is good as it works exactly as it should. The buckle is fully polished and made with an emphasis on minimizing bulk in every dimension. This material diet of sorts pays dividends when you enjoy the strap for work or casual wear as you never feel it or even notice it. If a buckle is not going to dazzle you with design, then it should vanish entirely.

The keeper arrangement on this strap is the standard one fixed and one floating configuration. Again, like the buckle they have been minimized in bulk so as to be only big enough to do the job for as long as the strap should last without betraying the dressy vibe exuded by the fit and finish. The keepers are made of the same lovely leather with a delicate roll mark on the edges.

HOW DOES IT WEAR

I really struggled with this section for weeks at a time. I would wear the strap on my Speedmaster for a while then put it back on the Heuer. Both are chronos that love a good rally strap, but like a good baseball player that can bat both ways, they can go dressy when needed. I had this strap pegged as a vintage dressy strap, and I think that mindset was what was throwing me off. I feel this strap wears more sporty and modern than vintage. The shape of the strap is definitely vintage, but the color and textures used are decidedly not.

Even when paired with the vintage Heuer the strap brought a light hearted and playful feeling to the watch. It completely took the serious racing chrono in a different direction which initially threw me. Instead of pairing with blue jeans and a leather driving jacket, this strap put the Heuer in shorts, flip-flops, and a T shirt mode. After I embraced that, I understood this strap. Those bright contrasting stitches are not off white, or vintage white, or egg shell, they are bold in your face white and that sets the stage for the bright orange to usher in a sporty feeling.

Regardless of how you view design details coming together, the strap is comfortable all day long and wears light and easy from day one. It moves with you and never allows the watch to flop around. Even with the two chronos I had it paired with, the watch never seemed top heavy or unbalanced. If I had to pick a gripe, the ample application of sealant to the sides did cause the strap to squeak on the highly polished lugs of the Heuer for a week before it broke in. If this happens to you, just take some scotch bright and lightly rub the lug hole area and it will break the surface finish just enough to end the squeak.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR

This straps eclectic collection of shapes and colors means that you can use it with almost stylistic abandon. Give it a go on any timepiece from an Ultra Modern Stowa Antea or Nomos Campus or something as pure retro as an all silver Heuer Chronograph. The strap takes the watch into a very bright place and adds color and lightheartedness to any time piece or outfit. I find this a welcome departure from the black rally straps that usually live on my sporting watches and once again highlights the power of a truly great watch strap to transform the watch into something completely new.

The strap is right at 2.5mm thick so along with the white stitching can be used on watches up to and including 15mm thick pieces without looking too overpowered. The ability to hold the watch close to the skin with all day comfort means that you will never be let down by any discomfort or conversely a watch that flops around sloppily.

WHERE CAN I GET IT

If you want your strap very quickly and with great service order from the B&R Bands website directly. It will come sooner than most and packaged very well to protect your investment.

https://www.bandrbands.com/tan-textured-calf-leather-watch-band.aspx

SUMMARY

Watch straps are like a great outfit. The clothes can make the man. We all do a bit of transformation when we change what we wear. This is never more clear than when you put on that Tuxedo for that special event. That feeling you get when you button the jacket and take that final look in the mirror to see yourself transformed from a Jimmy Buffet drinking buddy to the best man at James Bonds’ Wedding. The clothes can transform the thinking of the person wearing them, even if it is just for a short time.

A watch strap has that same effect (if even on a reduced scale) to transform a watch into something completely different. I feel it is this power of transformation that keeps me coming back to try more and more straps and write one more review. I hope you enjoyed this review and this amazing watch strap. I would love to hear about how it works for you.