This web site is all about wrist straps, or bands, for very early or "vintage" wrist watches, dating from around 1900 to about 1920. These are often referred to as "officer's" or "trench" watches because they became popular during the first world war, when they were convenient to wear in the trenches, but were so expensive that only officers could afford them. They are also sometimes referred to as "fixed lug" watches, because of the method of holding the case to the wrist where fixed loops of wire, called lugs, were soldered on to the case to loop a thin strap or band of leather through.
My grandfather's 1918 silver Rolex watch with fixed
wire lugs on one of my cuff type military straps.
I wanted a strap to fit such a watch, so that I could wear my grandfather's 1918 silver Rolex, shown in the picture to the left. I could easily fit it with a single narrow 10mm band of leather, but strapped to the wrist it looked ridiculous, and was not comfortable to wear. After some research I discovered that men's watches of this era were often fitted with cuff type straps that have a wider back piece behind the narrow strap. This looks a lot better and is more comfortable to wear. However, after consulting all the jewellers I could think of, and scouring the internet for months, I couldn't find a strap like this of satisfactory design and quality, so I eventually had one made!
If you have a vintage wrist watch and you are looking for a strap for it, you may have hunted high and low to find one suitable. Well now you have found the place to get one. In addition to my stock models of military style vintage watch straps, if you want something different for your vintage wrist watch, maybe a custom design of watch strap, or a special leather, then get in touch and I will do my best to make something to your specification.
My Grandparents' Watches
My interest in vintage watches goes back a few years now, to when I inherited my grandfather's 1918 silver Rolex wrist watch, and my grandmother's 1917 gold Rolex. My grandfather was an industrial chemist in Leicester supplying the leather industry, particularly the boot and shoe industry which was strong in Leicester at the time. I know that he married my grandmother in 1917, and I believe that he bought these wristwatches as a pair in 1918 to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.
When I inherited them they were fitted with the wrong straps, and neither of them went. After an overhaul by a Rolex licensed watch smith they now both run beautifully. The next problem was to find suitable straps. The lady's watch was easily fitted with a new strap, but the man's watch was a different matter. Why should this be?
Development of Wrist Watches
As I explain on the History page, there was an upsurge in demand for wrist watches during the First World War (WW1 - 1914 to 1918.) Before this, most watch manufacturer were making pocket watches and hadn't anticipated the sudden demand for wrist watches. The easiest way to satisfy this sudden demand for wristwatches was to add small loops of wire, called lugs, to an existing model of pocket watch and pass a strap or band of leather through these to secure the watch to the wrist. For some reason now lost in the mists of time, the width used for the lugs on these earliest wristwatches was about 10mm, allowing a narrow strap or band of flexible leather to be looped through and across the back of the case. This design persisted after the war and into the 1920's, with the lugs gradually increasing in width to 12mm, 14mm, etc. over the years until they were superceded with the fixed horns and spring bars seen on modern watches.
A Problem for the Collector
The nature and size of these fixed lugs presents a problem to the collector of these interesting early wristwatches. After cleaning and servicing, watches that are now around a hundred years old go just as well now as when they were new, and they cry out to be worn. However, modern wristwatch straps and bands either just do not fit the fixed wire lugs, or look completely wrong. A 35mm diameter wristwatch on a 10mm wide ladies strap not only looks ridiculous, it is not comfortable to wear because the narrow strap concentrates too much pressure on the wrist. A military style cuff type strap with a wide back piece not only looks better, it also distributes pressure more evenly and so is more comfortable. Over months I hunted high and low to find an original cuff pattern strap to suit the narrow fixed lugs of my grandfather's watch, and managed to find just two which came anywhere near: but one was very expensive and badly designed; and the other was an unattractive design with poor quality workmanship.
Development of My Designs
After all this effort and still not able to wear my grandfather's watch, I resolved that I would have to have a cuff type strap made to my own design and specification. This involved getting made a new press knife, which is used like a pastry cutter to cut out the leather pieces under a hydraulic press. There really is no other way to get a regular result with a neat finish to the cut surface, because leather is such a tough material. Making just one strap this way would have made it very expensive, so I had a few extra made that I could sell to offset the manufacturing costs, and so that fellow enthusiasts could enjoy wearing their own vintage watches.
I sold these first few straps successfully, and then I was asked for more, and also for a different design, so I had some more made, and another press knife so that I had two different designs to offer, and this has continued in a small but regular way since then. It gives me great pleasure to know that a vintage watch, one that perhaps saw service during the first World War, or belonged to somebody's grandfather like mine, can be worn and enjoyed today, looking good on a properly designed and made strap. One of the most touching comments I have received from a customer who was visiting the First World War battlefields in France, and he remarked that with the strap I had supplied "I will be able to wear my grandfather's watch at the very spot where he went 'over the top' on the Somme in 1916."
The purpose of these pages, which I plan to expand over time, is to document the history of these earliest watches, and also to make available my replica watch straps and watch bands to fellow enthusiasts. If you explore the rest of the web site, you will find some background on the history of early wrist watches, details of my designs and the available leather colours and finishes, prices, and ordering details.
If you like what you see, or have any comments, requests or suggestions, then please feel free to email me at I look forward to hearing from you!
Regards - David
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