Dear Omegaforumites, I wonder you will lend me your ear (and eyes and possibly a bit of your cognitive capabilities) for a while. For my birthday last week, I treated myself to a late 1960s solid yellow gold Eterna Kontiki 20. I had been lusting after a Kontiki for a while now, and had also been looking for a dress(ier) watch in gold to complement the gold wedding band I've now been wearing for a little over a year. It's a first owner watch: I bought it from my local jeweller (a family-owned business in operation for well over a century) who was selling it on behalf of his father, who used to be my father's go-to jeweller. I think it's a cool piece - rather robust with its 37mm and fat lugs, and it even has a screw-down crown. It's 100% original and has not been worn very much, as can be seen by the intact Eterna logo on the Kontiki raft's sails on the back of the watch. I'm super happy with it, but that's only part of why I'm showing it off here. I put it on a shiny black lizard strap (that I believe to be period correct for this watch), but it's rather thin and, at least to my eyes, a bit too formal. Now as I'm more of a 1970s sports watch guy, I'm a bit out of my depth concerning gold watches and leather straps. I plan to wear the watch more casually, so I was thinking maybe something a little more robust in brown (dark brown? cognac? bordeaux?) but that was really as far as I got. It doesn't have to be a budget strap (but it doesn't necessarily have to be expensive, either). Now I know there are a lot of Connie fans on these boards, so I thought: there should be a fair amount of people here who have some experience with nice leather straps on gold watches. I'm interested in any suggestions you might have - especially those that come with pictures and specific manufacturers/models Thanks a lot!
Fritz's choice is quite nice. Perhaps it depends on the dial's hue. I love gold watches. This one's plated in rose gold. This water snake strap is bright with the 14kt yellow gold but makes for a change and matches some shoes in the wardrobe. Not sure what hue one would call this "exotic gallo" on 14kt rose gold. Color is whacked out in this photo. Another rose gold case with a brown strap. Oxblood on this Zenith Cognac with 18kt rose gold A personal favorite, this 14kt yellow gold Longines from 1954 looks great on this strap, way better in person than the poor photo shows. Basic black is always nice. This 18kt case has a distinct green hue. Don't know if it would be considered actual green gold, but it's quite different from other yellow gold, especially when seen side by side.
Your black strap works because it picks up the black accents in the dial markets and hands. Try a smooth calfskin in a matte black leather for an option that is less dressy. I used that idea here, where the black strap plays off the black (blued) center second hand:
Thanks for all the suggestions guys! There are some truly gorgeous examples in this thread. It really gave me something to work with. I hadn't considered that the black elements on the dial make a black strap 'work' in this case. I'll keep the black lizard around for more formal wear. I'm currently waiting for the Hirsch cognac alligator strap that my wife bought me for my birthday to arrive. I was tempted by the more rectangular (belly) scales but decided on the the smaller circular (flank) scales for a more sporty look. While I wait, I can live with this Bahama-style basket weave strap by Hadley Roma, which I believe to be in keeping with the adventurous/exotic provenance of the Kontiki (it sure beats the bund strap that I also tried ) Thanks for your advice everyone!