My wife has become obsessed about as me vintage Heuer Camaros I've recently acquired. I'd like to encourage her wear them but I've had trouble finding a lot of 19mm short straps that would be more comfortable for a woman. Anyone out there have any suggestions that is not a $175 hodinkee strap?
@jankoxxx can make them in shorter lengths and he's normally lower priced. I believe hirsch makes short versions also.
Hodinkee straps are almost all made by Jean Paul Menicucci, and they resell them at a premium. I know JPM also makes straps for other retailers such as Bulang and Sons, WatchObsession, Club Patina, and others who don't add as much of a premium as the 'Dink since they're not quite as well known and also don't add fancy hardware. The JPM straps tend to fit slightly on the smaller side, good for wrists between 6-7.75" as they usually measure 75/120mm as opposed to most tang straps which are 80/120mm. My S.O. has slightly larger hands and wrists for a female (~6.5") and she wears a Speedy on the second to last hole on a JPM Suede. Also as other have suggested @jankoxxx and other forum custom makers could surely create one exactly to your wife's specifications. The big custom ateliers (ABP, Camille Fournet, Jean Rousseau, etc) can also do the job though they'll likely be pricier. Best bet is to measure your wife's wrist and ask for recommendations.
As a guy with slimmer wrists, I have mostly custom straps. And if you're looking for a 19mm short strap, they're going to be hard to find, so custom-made is a sensible option. I've had good experiences with GLC straps, theleatherstrap on instagram, martu straps, and seller 'vnhandcraftart' on ebay. All these were <$100. A friend of mine did a custom strap w Molequin too. And as mentioned Jankoxxx is reliable, as many here can attest to. The higher end customer ateliers have been mentioned above, but will generally cost $200 and up. And finally check out Fratellowatches strap review archive - over 25 reviews!
you guys are all amazing. Thanks so much for the many different resources. I'll look through them and see what needs to happen. I would have liked to surprise my wife, buuuuuuuut I think this is probably something I should get her input on.
Used to be a member here, makes some great straps. Vietnamese and happy to make longer or shorter. ( get some longer straps made by them ) Easily under $100. Have bought a few of Andreas over the years, let him know your from Here http://blackforest-atelier.com/en/products/for-rolexomega
I heard few of their newer straps like the fabric models are made by an american supplier, but the leather and hide ones are still JPM. JPM has also started distributing a lot more of their patterns to resellers such as the saffiano, rallye, suede, etc.
I've heard they are moving more away from using him. Nonetheless, you can go on to JPM's website and use the email address there to contact him directly and have a custom one made for ~$140 (including shipping). The only bugger is they use bank wire - this is where a bank wire service comes in handy as you can get away with a $2-3 fee rather than most bank's outrageous international fee of $25-40 bucks. That's where I got this one from! It's also a short strap.
Certainly, a custom strap is the way to go. Personally, I would recommend CF because they have the best online wizard for ordering that I have used.
Steveo. A lot depends on your taste as he usually makes his straps double thickness but he makes to order and the quality is good. Have a look at his site; if you like what you see, contact him with your requirements. He's happy to mix and match styles and materials. Turn around time is usually within 2 weeks. Here's where you'll find him: Steveostraps.com
I like these Colareb ones that I found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ColaReb-Italy-Venezia-SHORT-Leather/dp/B01BW938ME They don't really do 19mm's, but for the price I don't mind removing a little material for fitment.