20 Best Leather Watch Straps and Watch Bands

When most people think about watches, they often omit one important aspect. No watch is ever complete without the right strap. And when we say strap, we mean leather strap. Forget the NATO band, the silicone one or the bulky metal bracelet. Because there’s nothing as delightful as wearing your watch with a fine leather strap.

Leather in itself is not the final stop either, because there’s more to it than meets the eye. When you start diving into the details, you’ll find out about full grain, top grain, nubuck, suede or cordovan. Then there’s stitched leather straps, lined, band straps or rally straps. Which one should you go for?

There’s a plethora of options to choose from and a lot of factors to take into consideration before making your pick. Or picks, because we strongly believe you should own more than one leather strap for your watch, each to its own attire.

Since the sheer number of options available today is overwhelming for most individuals, we’ve done our research and came up with a selection of what we believe are the best 20 leather watch straps and watch bands.

So here are our favorites:

20. BroscolorsDesign Grey Leather Zulu Military Strap

Field watches usually come with NATO fabric bands and we can’t say they don’t look good. It’s functionality first after all. But they get a totally different look, and a more classy one with a leather band in the same style as the NATO fabric.

The BroscolorsDesign Grey Leather Zulu Military Strap adds a little bit of finesse without making it look too elegant, as that would defeat the form-follows-function principle of a field watch.

The Zulu Military strap comes in matte gray leather, with different thread colors to match the watch’s dial and it’s available in 18 to 24 mm widths.

19. Bas & Lokes Silas Textured Leather NATO Watch Strap

The Bas & Lokes Silas Textured Leather NATO Watch Strap is another alternative for the field watch fans. Handmade in Sydney, Australia from American cow hide, it’s a soft, thin and comfortable band with pebbled texture that adds just a little bit of extravagance to balance the otherwise rugged style of this type of strap.

The Silas is not bulky at all, and can be fit to a wide range of watches due to its many lengths and widths available. Combine those with the numerous buckle finish choices, and you can customize your strap to match your wrist and style.

18. B&R Bands Russet Le Mans Racing Watch

In its essence a perforated leather strap, the rally strap has its appeal, reminding of those Heuer and Omega racing chronographs of the 1960s.

The B&R Bands Russet Le Mans Racing Watch Strap is a modern take on those exemplary models of old, one that every watch collector should own.

It comes in two lengths, three widths (18mm, 19mm, and 20mm) and several colors to choose from. Probably one of the most beautiful of all is the dark brown variant with contrasting stitching and brushed hardware.

17. Hirsch Osiris

A budget version at a little over $30, the Hirsch Osiris is a fine grained calfskin leather strap, obviously offering excellent value for little money.

Among other features is the soft-glove lining and the splash resistant material which makes it perfect for everyday use. There are many widths to choose from, starting at 12mm and going all the way to 24mm, so it can fit a great number of watches.

16. Barton Espresso Leather

Another affordable option is the Espresso Leather band from Barton, which comes with a quick release mechanism to make it easy to swap.

Made from manually selected top grain leather, the Espresso band comes in several colors and two sizes, a standard length for wrists between 5 and 8 inches and a long length for wrists between 7 to 9 inches.

For a price point of under $30, this is one of the most affordable leather straps that also looks excellent.

15. SlipStreamStraps Dark Gray Crazy Horse Leather Vintage Watch Strap

The SlipStreamStraps Dark Gray Crazy Horse Leather Vintage Watch Strap, comes with, besides the super long twisted name, red and blue stitching to match the popular bezel look of GMT timepieces.

It’s a super thick horse leather strap, perfect for those thick GMT watch cases, so if you’ve got one in your collection, grab it. The band will probably develop a nice patina over time and it’s available between 19mm and 24mm widths.

14. TYMELeather Racing Rallye Green Leather Watch Strap

Another rally strap, but this time in a wonderful green. The stunning TYMELeather Racing Rallye Green Leather Watch Strap brings that British racing style with perforations, with edge creasings and green accent stitchings that complements the main band.

It’s a refined strap that keeps up a sporty look and it comes in 18 to 22mm lug widths.

13. Crown & Buckle Brynn

The Brynn is a budget leather strap from Crown & Buckle, but one that doesn’t skimp on quality and finish. It’s a versatile and reliable watch band, with rich brown leather features that give it a nice aesthetic.

Available in three widths only, 18mm, 22mm, and 24mm, the Crown & Buckle Brynn will be a nice addition to your watch should it fit. And that for a price point below $40.

12. Hadley Roma MS2042

Doubling in price from the previous option, the Hadley Roma MS2042 features a much more elegant look. Crafted from Cordovan style oil-tanned calf leather with stitching in a copper color and French finished painted edges, the strap looks amazing.

The strap is paired with a Panerai style polished steel buckle which continues on the same elegant tone. It’s a very good option if dark brown is the color that fits your style and the slightly higher price doesn’t bother you.

11. Timex Quick Release 20mm Leather Watch Strap

The Timex Quick Release 20mm Leather Watch Strap is one of the best overall leather watch bands and should fit most watches these days.

With their 20mm strap, Timex has bet on the fact that most watches stick around the 40mm case size which usually translates to a 20mm lug width, which means their strap should be a good fit.

The strap comes with a quick release mechanism for easy swapping and the low price makes it super affordable.

10. Bulang and Sons Refined Rugged Grey Leather Strap

Crafted from a rugged gray suede, with superb contrast stitching and natural leather keepers, the Bulang and Sons Refined Rugged Grey Leather Strap has a special charm to it.

The character of this strap lies in the superb texture and the taper, which make for a stunning look.

The leather is hand made by the Italian leather artisan Jean Paul Menicucci. The strap comes in 20 and 22mm lug widths, with a nice B&S logo on the stainless steel buckle.

9. Barton Quick Release Top Grain Leather Watch Strap

With a superb aesthetic and a low price, the Barton Quick Release Top Grain Leather Watch Strap is a strong and long lasting top grain leather option.

It comes in several variations and a wide range of colors, so you can customize your watch as you please. Widths range from 16 all the way up to 24mm, so you can rest assured that you’ll find a fit for almost any timepiece.

The quick release mechanism is a useful feature, and the style is simply stunning.

8. Hodinkee Barrett

Coming from one of the big names in the watch strap world, you can expect the Hodinkee Barret to rise to the expectations and of course, in price.

It’s one of the premium leather watch straps on this list, and features an oak-tanned leather, with each piece coming with its own unique grain pattern. You can expect the strap to develop a nice patina as time passes on.

There are several colors available, among which a superb burgundy red. Matched with the right watch and attire, it’ll look gorgeous. The price exceeds $150, but you get what you pay for.

7. Worn & Wound Model 2 Premium Stone

Another premium option comes from Worn & Wound and it’s called the Model 2 Premium Stone. The Stone variant is part of the bigger Model 2 Premium collection, and it looks absolutely stunning.

It’s a refined strap made from Horween top leather with Wickett & Craig vegetable-tanned lining, waxed cotton braided knots at the lug side, fixed metal loop, leather keepers and complimentary colors on the edges.

It’s one of the best leather watch straps that you can find today and comes in no less than 14 different colors and three sizes, 18, 20 and 22mm, so you can be sure to find one that suits your style and timepiece.

6. Nomos Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan

A wonderful blend of function and fashion, the Nomos Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan is a robust and stylish band to match almost any type of watch.

It’s made from Horween leather, tanned in Chicago and features four widths (17 to 20mm) and five lengths. Though it’s available in only black or brown, it’s a good selection of colors that make this sleek looking strap match almost any watch.

5. Hodinkee Bedford Strap Collection in Olive Green

For those in love with everything green, the Hodinkee Bedford Strap in Olive Green is probably the most elegant watch band there is.

A fine leather strap crafted in the U.S.A. from high quality nubuck leather, with calfskin lining and brushed buckles, it’s available in a total of 10 colors, with subdued shades and off-white stitching, but the Olive Green variant is simply the best in our eyes.

It comes in widths from 18mm to 22mm and fits perfectly to a vintage timepiece as well as a more modern one.

4. Crown & Buckle American Made Walnut Boxcalf

The Crown & Buckle American Made Walnut Boxcalf is a superb two layer strap with both the underside and topside crafted from full grain chrome-tanned Boxcalf style leather from France.

The strap’s color, with the superb darker edge dying, is timeless and versatile enough to go with a wide range of watches, adding an elegant and vintage look to them.

3. Bulang and Sons Olive Grey Nubuck Leather

A top end strap from Bulang and Sons, the Olive Grey Nubuck leather impresses with its superb light olive color, premium feel and classic style.

Hand made in Tuscany by the Italian artisan Jean Paul Meniccuci from soft, suede-like leather with traditional vegetable tanning, the strap has a nice soft touch on the wrist.

It’s on the more expensive side, but you’re getting a very durable strap which will age beautifully, developing a wonderful patine as time goes on.

2. Molequin Taupe Suede

Molequin Taupe Suede is simply stunning. Crafted from premium goat leather from France, the strap has a superb look and a wonderful texture.

The subdued color is a good match for a wide range of timepieces, vintage or modern. It’s a high quality strap available in widths from 18 to 22mm, two lengths and six colors, among which the Taupe is our favorite. The spring bar and buckle can also be customized, and come in two variants each.

The Molequin Taupe Suede features a calf leather lining as well, so it’s protected from moisture and sweat.

1. Bas and Lokes Everett

Everything about the Bas and Lokes Everett strap speaks premium, from the style and looks to the leather. The price is also a premium one at around $160, but it’s worth the investment.

The strap comes in a wonderful light gray leather, with a gentle taper and slim buckle. The choice of gray ensures it goes well with just about any attire.

Hand made from high quality leather in Sydney, Australia, it’s a semi-bespoke strap, meaning you’ll get to choose the lug and taper width, the strap length and the buckle finish, so it’s going to be perfect for your wrist.

## Final Thoughts

The watch strap world is a big one, and you can easily find yourself down a rabbit hole when looking for the best leather watch strap for your timepiece. But these 20 favorite of ours should provide you with at least an idea of what to look for. Some require a little investment, but there are budget options in there as well.

The post 20 Best Leather Watch Straps and Watch Bands appeared first on Luxatic.

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