Not Just Watch Straps and Bands...
This web site was started to talk about about wrist straps, or wrist bands, for very early or "vintage" wrist watches, dating from around 1900 to the 1920s. However, it has grown as I have discovered more about the history of these earliest wristwatches, and become fascinated by the stories around their development and manufacture.
If you explore the web site using the tabs above, or click on any of the following links you will discover pages that talk about the history of wrist watches, the development of the waterproof watch, Borgel watches, and the history of the Borgel, and later Taubert, companies which made them, early Rolex watches, including the waterproof Rolex Oyster and my grandparent's Rolex wristwatches, a page about the stamps and hallmarks found in watch cases, which might help you to identify your watch, the potential dangers of luminous paint on dials and hands, and the possible significance of a red or blue 12.
I have devoted a page to my designs of wrist straps and bands to suit these earliest wristwatches, some feedback from customers and pictures of their watches on straps and bands I have supplied and, of course, a page about ordering one of my straps for your own watch should you so wish. I also buy interesting early watches, so if you have a watch to sell, please go to my I Buy page.
I have started a project to record and try to identify patterns in the case numbers of Borgel screw watch cases, so if you own a watch with a Borgel case and are interested in this or would like to contribute to my Borgel case number project, then please click on this link: Borgel Case Number Project
I hope you enjoy browsing my web site. If you would like to get in touch with me for any reason, or be put onto my mailing list for occasional notices about updates to the web site, then my contact details can be found at the foot of each page, or just click on the following link to email me. I always like to hear from fellow watch enthusiasts, but if you just have a question about a watch that you have inherited, or bought in an auction or at a flea market, don't hesitate to get in touch by email to . You shouldn't need to copy the email address, just click on it. I answer all emails I receive, so if you do write to me and don't get an answer in a few days, please check your junk and spam folders. Even better, when you write, add my email address to your contacts and my emails will not be filtered out.
If you find any errors in what I have written, I can only offer the same explanation Dr Samuel Johnson gave when a woman challenged him to explain why, in his dictionary of 1755, he had defined "pastern" as "the knee of a horse". Johnson replied "Ignorance, madam, pure ignorance". Please do let me know though, so that I can learn and correct.
Best regards - David.
The Earliest Wristwatches
Very early wristwatches 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 wristwatch, shown in the picture to the left. I found I could easily fit it with a single narrow 10mm band of leather, but strapped to my wrist it looked ridiculously girly, it was not at all comfortable to wear because it was so narrow, and there was no way to keep the watch in one place, so it kept sliding along the strap.
After some research I discovered that mens 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, and also holds the watch in place. 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 some 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 these vintage watches goes back to 2004, when I inherited my grandfather's wristwatch as I mentioned above. Although I had known this watch all my life, I didn't realise until I inherited it that it was a Rolex, dated 1918 in silver, and my grandmother's watch that my mother used to wear was a matching 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 ran. 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.". A sobering reminder of the historical events and human tragedies which many of these watches have witnessed. If you have a watch like this, remember that it is a piece of history and please take good care of it.
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 using the blue tabs at the top of the screen, 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 . You shouldn't need to copy the email address, just click on it. I answer all emails I receive, so if you do write to me and don't get an answer in a few days, please check your junk and spam folders. Even better, when you write, add my email address to your contacts and my emails will not be filtered out.
Regards - David
Antiquarian Horolgical Society
I am a member of the British Antiquarian Horological Society (AHS). The AHS is a learned society formed in 1953 to promote the study of clocks and watches and the history of time measurement in all its forms. In order to achieve its aims the AHS holds meetings and publishes a quarterly journal Antiquarian Horology and various books. It is not really a society for watch collectors, but it does publish intersting research on early clock and watch technology and design.
The British Horological Institute
I am an Associate Member of the British Horological Institute (BHI). Formed in 1858 to promote horology, the BHI today continues to provide education, standards and support to its members around the world involved in making, repairing and servicing clocks and watches. Although primarily an organisation for professionals in the watch and clock trade, associate membership is open to non-professionals and brings the monthly BHI Horological Journal and access to BHI resources such as the extensive library.
The BHI Registered Repairer Scheme
If your watch or clock needs servicing or repair, you'll want to make sure it's properly cared for by experts. The BHI's Professional Register only includes details of individuals who have satisfied the Institute's stringent requirements for professional membership, so by choosing a BHI Registered Repairer, you can be confident of a good result! Find your nearest registered repairer by clicking on this link: BHI Registered Repairers. Note that some members who advertise in Yellow Pages choose not to register their details on the webpage, and vice versa. All BHI members are required to abide by the BHI CODE OF PRACTICE. If you have difficulties with any aspect of the service you receive from a BHI Registered Repairer, you can use the Institute's Problem Resolution Service.
National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC)
I am a member of the American National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC). Although the NAWCC is primarily about American clocks and watches, it is not exclusively so, and there are a lot of resources and information on their web site, as well very useful message board forums that are open to non-members to ask questions.
|
|
|