Watch strap
A watch band or watch band is a bracelet that makes it possible to wear a wristwatch on the wrist. It is made from various materials, especially leather , metal , rubber or plastic.
Function and importance of watch straps
Bracelets have always fulfilled a wide variety of functions in people's lives and cultures: Silver rings, worn as a bracelet, were a means of payment . Bracelets have also always been used to mark the rank of a person to demonstrate strength and power. However, the bracelet is mainly used as a body ornament . In addition to their main function - to attach the watch to the wrist - watch straps are also very important as a piece of jewelry. Water resistance is of great importance for diving watches and this can also be achieved with leather by hand-sewing only upper leather and not sealing the edges so that the water can escape from the leather. This was used earlier in the watches of military divers and is now handcrafted for modern diving watches. Bracelets for watches can now also be equipped with additional functions, such as the "identification bracelet". Personal data, access authorizations or monetary values are stored on such a bracelet.
Materials for watch straps
Watch straps are made from different materials. There are bracelets made of metal or synthetic materials. A more recent development are bracelets made of processed natural rubber, which are highly elastic and at the same time extremely stable, waterproof and skin-friendly. But now there are also leather bracelets that are extremely waterproof. With the invention of Rembordier technology (seamless connection of upper and lining leather), it is also possible to manufacture luxurious leather bracelets with very high water resistance. Leather is still the most important material in the watch strap industry.
Types of leather
Nappa leather is a particularly soft and smooth, chrome-tanned leather. Originally, the term nappa leather was used to describe glove and clothing leather. Today, nappa leather is a collective term for specially supple leather made from a wide variety of animal skins, which is used for all purposes. Nubuck is the name for fine leather that is lightly sanded on the grain side, giving it a velvety character. Nubuck has a soft, open surface. It can look differently light and dark, e.g. B. is wiped over it by hand. Fine calf or cowhides are used for nubuck leather. Velor is a collective term for leather types with a roughened surface. In contrast to nubuck, however, the back = meat side is sanded. It is also known as suede . Suede leather is not as durable, but it is softer than full-grain leather. Calfskin, sheepskin, goatskin and pigskin are considered to be precious leather, also known as real materials. Exotic precious leather types or exotic real materials are alligator , crocodile , lizard , water snake (Aqualino), shark , ostrich and rays . In order to put a stop to the uncontrolled trade in endangered species, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora , CITES for short, was signed in 1973 , to which 158 UN member states have since joined. Each skin from controlled stocks has its own CITES number tag. This remains attached to the fur until the last import country . A CITES certificate is issued with the same number for every single product made from this fur. So z. B. Bracelets can only be obtained and sold with this certificate.
Components of leather watch straps
The aesthetics and lifespan of a bracelet as well as the wearing comfort depend heavily on the raw materials used .
Upper leather
The upper leather is the visible side of the bracelet. High-quality animal skins are therefore mostly used for the production of leather bracelets. Depending on the animal species, different skin sections are processed.
Lining leather
The lining leather is the inside of the bracelet. The quality of the lining leather is decisive for the lifespan of the belt. When worn on the skin, the bracelet is constantly exposed to moisture, abrasion, perfumes, creams and perspiration. These factors cause the Entgerbung of the leather, which in turn can cause a hardening or even breaking of the leather. For people with skin allergies, bracelet manufacturers offer leather bracelets with a no-allergy coating on the leather lining.
Processing techniques of leather bracelets
Rembordé process
The so-called rembordering offers the advantages of closed side edges, an invisible leather transition and optimal protection against the ingress of substances such as water, sweat, perfume, sun oil or solvents. In a special production process, the upper leather is placed around the edges of the lining leather and glued to it seamlessly and deep into the fibers under a defined combination of heat and pressure.
Turned Edge Technology
With the Turned Edge Technology, the upper leather is folded over the inlay. The lining leather is then attached to the underside of the inlay and sewn to the upper leather.
Cut Edge Technology (Coupé Franc)
The cut-edged processing ( Coupé Franc ) represents a traditional method of manufacturing watch straps. Upper and lining leather are joined together, the edges are left open. The cut edges are sealed with varnish.
Construction of leather watch straps
- Bartack seam behind the clasp
- Safety stitch on the loop
- pad
- Envelopes
- Security backstitch
- Close
- Embossed mark on the loop
- Contrast varnish (depending on model)
- Saddle seam and distinctive line embossing (depending on model)
An important part of the bracelet is the so-called approach. This is the part that connects the bracelet on both sides via the spring bars on the watch case . A flexible system for the seamless connection of bracelet and watch is the so-called Leonardo approach - an integrated approach as opposed to the straight approach. The clasp used is usually either a pin clasp (synonymous with a pin buckle) or a folding clasp.
Structure of watch straps made of stainless steel
Stainless steel , together with leather, is one of the most commonly used materials for watch straps. This can range from very high quality to a solid and inexpensive quality. For the flexible bracelet, individual link elements made of the rigid material are movably connected to one another. So the bracelet can adapt to the wrist . The structure of a stainless steel watch strap differs from that of a leather strap in terms of the material used and the locking mechanism.
While the classic pin buckle is often used on leather bracelets , materials such as metal or stainless steel allow the use of different types of bracelet clasps. The most common type of clasp is the simple folding clasp . This does not open the bracelet completely, but folds it open, attached to the hinges. The other types of closure include the butterfly folding clasp, the tilting folding clasp and the clip clasp. In contrast to the leather strap, this has the advantage that the material of the watch strap does not show signs of wear and it is easier to put on and take off the watch. With particularly high-quality watches, the material of the folding clasp can also be made of titanium , gold or platinum .
If the size of leather bracelets can be adjusted using a pin buckle and perforation, individual links are added or removed from stainless steel watch bracelets in order to obtain the desired size. Removing links shortens the watch band, adding them increases the length of the bracelet.
See also
literature
- Fritz Weger: wristwatch and watch strap. In: The clock. Issue 16, 1963, pp. 14-23.
- The watch strap through the ages. In: Watches and Jewelry Journal. No. 5, 1987, pp. 54-56.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Illustrated specialist lexicon of watchmaking: bracelet
- ↑ Illustrated watch spare parts lexicon: bracelet material