How to Care for Your Leather Watch Strap

Much like the watch you own, the accompanying leather watch strap too requires some tender loving.

Here’s how to care for your leather watch strap to ensure it can last.

From the supple calfskin to the elegant alligator, leather watch straps come in a score of styles, sizes, lengths and materials. Some exotic leather, such as ostrich and python, pop up from time to time, and for those are more conscious driven, vegan leather, as well as hides made with natural or plant-based tanning agents. Regardless whether one chooses to stick to the default strap fitted by the watch brand, prefer a secondary strap provided by the brand itself, or procured from a third party, all that matters is that it fits your wrist, feels comfortable on your skin and looks cool in person. Its design can certainly elevate your appearance.

Beyond leather, watch straps and bracelets of other materials include stainless steel, precious metals, technical fabrics, ceramic, among others. For the purpose of this article, however, we zoom in on leather and share the tips on how you can retain the strap’s lustre, suppleness and shape over time.

The Making of Your Leather Watch Strap

To know how to care for it, first, one has to understand how a regular leather strap is made. Typically, a watch manufacturer sources its leather and straps from reputable tanneries and manufacturers, while watch brands who are also experts in leatherwork would perform the entire process in-house. The purpose of tanning is to alter the hides’ protein structure so that the leather post-treatment will be durable and impervious to decomposition. Depending on the desired finish as envisioned by the watch brand, the leather may be waxed, rolled, embossed, lubricated, dyed and coated.

To fashion the leather into straps, it has to be split into a predetermined thickness. Usually, the watch strap comprises a top layer, a filler, a reinforcement and a lining, whereby they are glued and pressed together, before it is punched and cut to various lengths and widths, as exemplified by the tapered or rounded end of a watch strap.

Stitching not only provides extra reinforcement as the glue may wear off, it heightens the strap’s visual appeal. Watch brands grasp this concept by offering straps in a bevy of coloured stitches and clasps such as the contemporary deployant and the classic pin buckle. Furthermore, the type of clasps chosen will require a different level of care, which will be discussed further.

Cleaning Your Leather Watch Strap

Regular Cleaning

Leather is an organic material. It absorbs secreted perspiration and oil from the contact with our skin, ingredients of the beauty products that we use, moisture from the environment, UV rays when exposed to the sun, and dirt picked up from our range of daily activities. If cars require periodic washing and polishing, leather watch straps too deserve constant upkeep.

Cleaning the strap should be done by hand using a trusted leather care kit. The kit should at least include a soft microfibre cloth, a cleaner and a conditioner. Regular cleaning helps remove the undesirable content from lingering on the strap. Perspiration, moisture and dirt can cause discolouration to the leather strap. Its soft underside is particularly vulnerable. If the leather strap is of a lighter colour, discolouration can result in a mottled and uneven-coloured strap.

Homemade remedies can be used in lieu of a leather care kit. Common household products such as mild soap and light vinegar, when combined with a splash of warm water and a microfibre cloth, help wipe off the grime and restore the glossiness of the leather strap.

Heavily perfumed products, products containing heavy chemicals and toothbrushes with hard bristles should be avoided as they may cause more harm than good. The amount of water used must be kept to bare minimum. That rules out submerging the leather strap in an effervescent liquid solution such as Coke and baking soda. Even though the leather strap has been specifically coated to repel water to a certain degree, it is not entirely waterproof.

Deep Cleaning

At times, deep cleaning may be required. Accidental exposures to red wine, paint, cement and solvents causing discolouration do occur, and they call for a heavier approach. To overcome stubborn stains and scuff marks, it is recommended that you visit a professional leather cleaning service provider. Our experienced sales advisers at Cortina Watch are also able to provide the necessary information on these professional service providers.

Conditioning Your Leather Watch Strap

Dry skin leads to cracked heels. This natural phenomenon may also take hold on leather straps. Oscillating between air-conditioned rooms and humid outdoors causes the strap to expand and contract at a rapid interval. Hence, it is important to regularly condition the strap.

Leather conditioners differ in composition and purpose. Some are waxy, others are oily. They are formulated to take care of different leather goods and offer various benefits. For your leather watch strap, stick to a conditioner that is specifically made for smaller, softer leather; preferably one that is meant for leather watch straps. A wax-based conditioner enhances water resistance, while an oil-based conditioner nourishes the leather. The former performs at a superficial level, while the latter is penetrative.

Also note whether these two types of conditioners can be mixed and used one after another immediately. The fine prints on the products provide you with greater understanding. If you travel often with your watch, especially to places where climates are cold and dry, it is best to recondition the leather strap pre- and post-travel.

Storing Your Leather Watch Strap

A dilemma confronted by watch enthusiasts is contemplating which watch to put on for which occasion. The situation is exacerbated if one possesses or has to travel with multiple watches. Storing the watches, be it at home or abroad, becomes an art.

Classic personified, the pin buckle strap arguably requires the highest level of care. Operated like a mini belt, this strap fits nearly all wrist sizes, courtesy of the series of holes punched into the leather. However, constant pulling and tightening of the pliable strap exert considerable pressure on the leather. Leather expands with heat and so after wearing the watch for some time, the strap feels looser. Therefore, it is advisable that the user resists the urge to overtighten the strap and constrict the wrist as the action could result in a kinked and creased strap over time.

When removing the watch, the loop, which tugs in the excess length of the strap, should also be handled gently. When not wearing, it is best to keep the strap straightened by laying the watch on its caseback. This position prevents the strap from developing increased coils, prolonging its flexibility, and the relaxed stance allows the leather to breathe.

For straps endowed with the deployant clasp, the watch should be laid on the side with the crown pointing skywards. This orientation permits the weight of the clasp, especially notable if it is made of precious metals, to be distributed onto the surface, instead of sagging the strap if the watch is laid on the surface with the dial faced down.

Moreover, for watches stored in watch winders, it is recommended that they be removed from the cabinet from time to time for the leather straps to be cleaned and reconditioned. This also enables the mechanisms of the watches to take a breather.

Like most precious items, watches – and their accompanying leather straps – should be kept in cool, dimmed places. Room temperatures and humidity should be well modulated to avoid extreme fluctuations, direct sunlight, intense dry air, heavy moisture and scorching heat. Just as important, no sharp objects such as keys nearby that could inflict unwanted scuff marks on the leather. When one travels with additional watches, keep the spares snugged in dedicated watch pouches.

Protecting Your Leather Watch Strap

Some everyday activities and weekend excursions may not jive with your leather watch strap. If you are taking a dip or bath, it is best to leave the watch fitted with a leather strap out of water. This includes a diving-style watch if it is paired with a leather strap. If your work requires coming into contact with hazardous materials that could put the leather strap in harm’s way, it is recommended that you choose a different strap or bracelet for the watch.

After all, it is simple to swap out the watch strap for another these days. A significant number of watches are equipped with quick-change mechanisms for you to clip on and off a new watch strap.

When planning an island getaway, remember to avoid sunbathing with your leather watch strap. After applying sunscreen and lotion, allow a couple of minutes to let your skin absorb and dry, before strapping on your watch to prevent cosmetics from mixing with the leather.

A Timeless Companion

With the above precautions and pointers on leather care in mind, you and your watch are well prepared for the journey ahead. The leather strap is a symbol of inexplicable sophistication, at once enduring and rewarding when it is being taken great care of. Its unbreakable brilliance is ready to shine for a lifetime in capable hands.

Visit Cortina Watch today and explore these alluring timepieces featuring the plush leather straps. The next great journey is only an appointment away.

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