"Vintage" style two-stitch straps

Gyges · May 13, 2020

Hello,
I've been wondering about this watch strap style - I mean with the stitches next to the lugs. Sellers often call it "vintage" style, although this seems to be a misnomer to me; quite the contrary, I suppose that it's a rather recent development in horological fashion. I've never seen this style in an old ad, an old photograph or an old movie, where a more refined, classic look is generally preferred. So my guess is that the main idea is to give an old (too?) dressy watch a rustique and/or quaint touch.

Anyway, I'd appreciate if someone could tell me something about the origins of this style!

This style is not really my personal favorite, but I do have one, which I think matches pretty well my 70's gold Genève. It's a alligator strap by ABP Paris.

zoohannover · May 13, 2020

This is an interesting topic.
I am curious if there is any history behind these straps. Maybe there is 😉.
(Similar in-house thread: https://omegaforums.net/threads/history-of-leather-two-stitch-straps.107550/)

cristos71 · May 13, 2020

To me that strap style has nothing to do with vintage and I find it somewhat misleading when it is referred to as such.

AFAIK this strap style has only been on the market for a decade or so, I certainly don't remember seeing it before then.

As for what exactly a vintage strap looks like well that varies a bit from decade to decade. For a late 60's/early 70's watch like your Geneve I'd think a plain thin reptile strap in a black or brown would give it more of a period correct look than the strap with the stitching that you are now wearing

abrod520 · May 13, 2020

Not really vintage, but I'd say it's a bit more rustic perhaps

Gyges · May 13, 2020

cristos71
To me that strap style has nothing to do with vintage and I find it somewhat misleading when it is referred to as such.

AFAIK this strap style has only been on the market for a decade or so, I certainly don't remember seeing it before then.

As for what exactly a vintage strap looks like well that varies a bit from decade to decade. For a late 60's/early 70's watch like your Geneve I'd think a plain thin reptile strap in a black or brown would give it more of a period correct look than the strap with the stitching that you are now wearing

Well, yes, I agree - ”vintage” being in quotation marks, as that’s the name I’ve seen this style of strap marketed under. I guess ”rusticke” (thus spelt!) would be a better name... I generally prefer period correct myself, but I decided that I’d like to have one of these as well; I actually find the strap aesthetically matches this watch, even if it’s by no means ”correct”, and even if I don’t generally even like this style too much. I might also add that this particular Genève is not really the crown jewel of my collection, so I thought I might just as well sacrifice it for the time being to turn it into a fashion accessory. 😀

But obviously this style is quite popular and appeals to many. So even if it’s not exactly ancient history (for which I also have a penchant, but that’s another matter), I thought it might be interesting to trace its origins.

Gyges · May 13, 2020

I slightly edited the title of the thread to better match the subject.

Syrte · May 13, 2020

Interesting thread topic.
ABP makes beautiful straps and that crocodile hide is clearly spectacular. However the white stitch gives it a sporty look in my humble opinion which clashes with the gold dressy watch.
I would wear it with a sporty watch that you love.

Rman · May 13, 2020

To me this “vintage style strap” has Italy written all over it. I believe Jean Paul Menicucci was one of the earliest to produce a strap like this and if he wasn’t than he knows who was.

Perhaps originally a strap would have had stitching around the perimeter, and often would rip out near the lugs or come unglued there, it’s a wear point. By necessity a larger “bar tack stitch” as it’s called in tailoring was used to keep everything solid.

For a simple strap the perimeter stitching could be omitted but the bar tack remained for style and strength, or evolved to look intentionally less fussy like a neopolitan suit without the padding and lining.

That’s my theory.

Vitezi · May 13, 2020

Rman
I believe Jean Paul Menicucci was one of the earliest to produce a strap like this and if he wasn’t than he knows who was.

On his own site, he gives credit as follows:

"In 1989, after an initial collaboration with his parents from whom he learned techniques and manufacturing’s secrets, Jean Paul Menicucci decided to start his new reality by creating a new collection of belts for both men and women and collaborating with major luxury brands.

It is from the belts and his passion for watches that the idea of creating a new kind of strap inspired to the vintage belt was born, hence our most famous model with the side hand-made stitches takes shape, often imitated, but never duplicated."

STANDY · May 13, 2020

I have a theory

Seemed to coincide with hipsters buying vintage watches

STANDY · May 13, 2020

I have no issue with the strap itself.

But as @Syrte mentions above not on the watch shown above.

Second issue is the ludicrous prices charged by some for a simple strap. At some being as expensive as Hodinkee’s crazy prices and double there are so many beautiful traditional straps that are 5x the quality and look so much better on any watch.

obstando · May 14, 2020

I prefer leather to a metal strap most of the time and my preference for this type of strap has been with me for quite a few years. It works for some people and not others and some people can get very excited about leather on certain watches.....

zoohannover · May 14, 2020

Two stitch straps are fuel for the DIY boom ::rimshot::

.

Charlemagne1333 · May 14, 2020

There’s little collective evidence to suggest that this style of strap is period correct. It’s just a marketing tool for the strap making industry. Visually it does project a utilitarian look, so ‘vintage style’ probably seems most appropriate for marketing purposes. I had one made for my Geneve, simply because I feel that the tone and texture of the leather suits the watch. I chose this strap purely for aesthetic reasons, rather than it’s ‘vintage’ aspirations

Gyges · May 14, 2020

Thanks for answers, as well as for hipster bashing! 😉

Menicucci seems to enjoy some following on this forum generally.

I'm not going to apologise for my peccadillos, but I'll still note that 1) my croco strap is distinctly more dressy than for example the one above with the steel Rolex, 2) although I have around 10 Omegas, only one of them is sporty, and that's a Dynamic, which takes it own strap. For these reasons I felt no shame martyrizing my Genève. 😝

For the pious readers of Omegaforums, here's a cavalcade of other stylistic faux pas'.

View attachment 988043

View attachment 988056

SkunkPrince · May 14, 2020

I dislike it.

JwRosenthal · May 14, 2020

This has always been a hot button topic for me- using the word “vintage style” implies taken from the style of something that has existed before. Ralph Lauren and Tom Ford for example have created “vintage” style clothing based on actual fabrics, patterns and cuts of period pieces.
I prefer to call these Pilgrim straps as if you are going to point to a period of vintage, that’s about where they fit. I have a few in my collection and have nothing against them as a style on their own- but they are about as far from anything that was available before 20 years ago as you can get.

"Vintage" style two-stitch straps

Gyges

zoohannover

cristos71

abrod520

Gyges

Gyges

Syrte

Rman

Vitezi

STANDY

STANDY

obstando

zoohannover

Charlemagne1333

Gyges

SkunkPrince

JwRosenthal

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