Bellever Bespoke Leather Watch Strap
£175.00
Our new look Bellever Bespoke Watch Strap is fully hand stitched and completely made to order. Having an entirely bespoke strap made just for you is the ultimate luxury for any watch enthusiast.
Fully customisable, and fully handstitched. There are endless combinations for your new watch strap. Choose your leather, thread, length, width, cut, and buckle, then sit back and allow our skilled artisans to craft this bespoke piece for you to your exacting specifications.
- Fits most watches with standard lugs and spring bars, including Apple Watches*
- Featuring a refined edge crease detail
- Full grain vegetable tanned Italian leather
- Choose your leather, from 12 different leather options
- Choose your thread colour from 12 different options
- Choose your buckle, or reuse an existing buckle
- Choose your strap length & cut
- Choose your lug widths (width of the strap where it meets the watch)
- Choose at home - Sample pack of leather and thread options available
If you have any questions or require any additional information or are after custom sizes, etc. please get in touch, we would be delighted to assist: info@tannerbates.co.uk
*Spring bars not included
*Apple watch strap adapters/converters are required, which allows our straps to attach just as they would with traditional spring bars. While we don’t stock the adapters due to the variety of Apple Watch models, they are widely available online.
Please note: as these pieces are made to order, we cannot accept returns or exchanges.
Please allow up to/approximately 2 weeks for your order to be made.
Please contact us if you have any questions at all.
Click here to purchase a Sample Pack
Tanner Bates Bespoke Watch Strap
Leather: We offer a choice of 12 different leathers. All are full grain vegetable tanned leathers, carefully sourced from traditional small Italian tanneries.
Thread: Choose from 12 wonderful colours. All our thread is an ingenious dry waxed rot resistant polyester thread that mimics the look of a traditional linen thread. Choose a specific colour or if you prefer to have a matching colour let us know and we will choose the thread for you.
Buckle options: Buckles are available in a choice of finishes, and you can choose between round tang, or a wide/oblong tang. (The holes will correspond).
*For narrow straps with a width at the buckle of 15mm or less, only buckles with round tangs are available, and only in polished gold or silver.
Lug width: 16-24MM (2mm increments), for non standard widths, please get in touch
*We oversize the strap in width at the lugs, just ever so slightly, so it may be a touch tight to fit when new, but with time and use and as the leather relaxes, this initial oversizing should result in a perfect fit.
Strap Length: Measure your existing strap and choose from the drop-down menu.
Strap cut: straight or tapered
There are so many options to choose from that we have designed a sample pack of leather strips and threads. Order one to choose at home. Cost refunded when returned.
Every Watch Strap is made to order - please allow up to two weeks for us to make it for you.
Never losing the classic look
We are grateful to English watchmaker Harold Pinchbeck who was looking for a maker to supply hand stitched straps for their premium range of hand made watches.
They wanted a hand made classical look where the eye is drawn to the stitching. We researched and practiced how to achieve the fine work produced by automated factory machinery. Applying 'handmade' and 'handstitched' to something as fine as a watch strap without losing the classic look was quite the journey.
As a result of this happy collaboration our range and expertise has developed into a speciality.
Love your Leather
Our Naturally tanned leather is tough and can take a battering. We stitch it with a durable rot resistant thread which will give years of service. Occasionally a dose of Gilboy’s Leather Conditioner Balsam or Tanner Bates Liquid wax will help keep the leather in good condition.
Naturally tanned leather benefits from and will look its very best if given an occasional dose of natural waxes and oils.
Please note, one of the characteristics of our full grain, vegetable tanned leather is that it will transform over time and with use. It will take on marks as the patina develops. This is completely natural and unavoidable. We cannot guarantee against crocking.
A word about leather staining
One of the characteristics of our full grain, vegetable tanned leather is that it will transform over time and with use. It will take on marks as the patina develops. This is completely natural and unavoidable.
Vegetable tanned leather is not water repellent in its natural form and will absorb water, ink, oil – any liquid in fact which will stain irredeemably. It is however, the staining, scuffs and scratches that help build the patina so loved in old leather.
Instructions on how to build Patina
Firstly, naturally tanned vegetable tanned leather loves to be used, even abused. Above all don’t be precious or protective about your leather - but do look after it.
When the leather gets wet, simply let it dry naturally away from heat sources, then feed with Gilboy’s Leather Conditioner Balsam. It is the process of the leather getting wet and drying that will dehydrate it the most. Occasionally feeding the leather will help to replace any natural fats and oils lost and help to keep the leather hydrated. Please note that the application of any leather conditioner will likely deepen and/or darken the colour of the leather.
Gilboy’s Leather Conditioner Balsam will help to keep your leather hydrated and supple, build the patina and increase longevity. Occasional feeding with waxes will deepen stains, marks, scratches and scuffs, building a superb patina reminiscent of antique leather cases and inlaid leather desktops.
Watch straps will get stained by water from hand, car and dish washing. The leather will also absorb natural oils and sweat from the skin of the wearer. The first stain is always the most painful.
Feed with Gilboy’s Leather Conditioner Balsam to deepen stains, scuffs and scratches blending them deeper into the leather forming the foundation of a strong patina.
With time, the signs of life, use and activity will leave their marks and get absorbed into the leather. The wax treatment is essential to embed layers of staining, which will build an unrivalled patina, strength, and durability in a short time.
Be mindful that this is a journey every bit as unique as the cow’s life whose skin the leather came from. The first marks are the most distressing but Gilboy’s Leather Conditioner Balsam will deepen the markings creating a patina unique to you, the owner.
Full grain leather bears the scars of the animal. By caring for your Tanner Bates Vegetable Tanned Leather product, you will be continuing the journey of that animal’s skin – unique to the animal and as the patina builds unique to you as the journey continues…