One of the greatest and easiest ways to revitalize an old watch is to change out the bracelet or strap for a brand new custom leather strap. Even if your watch isn’t old, a new strap can make it a more versatile piece of your wardrobe or give it a personal flare. Over the past several years, options for aftermarket watch straps have boomed.
Today we look at the Pulcher’s Stallion Watch Strap. Pulcher’s is an online leather company based out of Indonesia that specializes in jackets, bags, and straps for both cameras and watches. They have a stylish site and an overwhelming selection of leathers and thread allowing the buyer to customize designs with whatever colors and leathers they can dream up. Even though they are based in Indonesia, their shipping is incredibly fast and turn-around time is equally speedy.
Construction
The standout feature of the strap is the leather itself. It is a thick, soft calfskin with a rich, dark brown stain; a winning combination. Everything is held together with high quality hand stitched thread and nicely finished with a brushed, pre-V style buckle. Overall, the quality is pretty nice compared to the average strap, but there are a few imperfections.
The most noticeable issue is the uneven stitching. This is something to expect from most hand-stitched items, but there were some stitches that were a bit more out of place than I would like. The second and bigger issue was that after a few days of use, a stitch fell out close to where the spring bar loop is located causing the strap to move around more during wear. I imagine that both of these issues are not inherent flaws of the design or materials, but speed at which the artist completed the band.
Function
The strap performs exactly how it is supposed to. Due to the incredible thickness of the leather, I never worry about it breaking allowing me to confidently let the leather accent any of my watches for years to come.
Aesthetic
As I said before, this strap is quite stunning. I got it for my Vintage Seiko Speedtimer, which has a 70’s brown dial; a perfect fit for this strap, but unfortunately it had to go to the shop. So instead, I paired it with my trusted blue dialed Omega.
The brown color really makes the blue pop and the rough edges give the watch the rugged, adventurous look that it deserves. Usually I like nice burnished edges but the rough look has grown on me.
The biggest downside for me is the thickness. I have a skinny wrist and only wear watches that are smaller than 42mm across so the beefy strap looked a bit ridiculous on me. The area where the strap overlapped with the buckle is thicker than my watch and since my wrist is so small, I look like I have a handcuff on.
If you have a wrist larger than 7 inches or wear big watches, this will likely not be a problem, but if you are like me, you may want to look at a different style.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that Pulcher’s uses good quality leather to produce unique products. Due to the relatively high price for the average craftsmanship, at least of the product I received, I would maybe shop around a bit more if you are looking for a more traditional strap. However, if you are looking for something truly unique and custom made, Pulcher’s has a lot to offer.
Check out this strap and other great gear from Pulcher’s here!