8 months later

Eight months of intensive use  –  and this is what it looks like: our sturdiest leather strap!

On November 4, we showed my personal sturgeon leather strap on our blog and we described what it has to endure over the course of a normal day. Back then, I had been using it for a mere five weeks and we were still wondering: what can it withstand?We were and are pleasantly surprised!

My sturgeon leather strap accompanies me on long drives on my racing bike, on tiring runs from Alpnachstad up to Mount Pilatus and back down (even when it’s 25 degrees Celsius), and on refreshing swims in Lake Lucerne.

(Of course one could wear a functional watch, e.g. by Garmin, for all of these activities. The space on my wrist, however, is always occupied by an ochs und junior.)

Occasionally, my sturgeon leather strap takes a dive into a flower vase right here at Zürichstrasse 49 to amaze visitors and to demonstrate that it truly is waterproof.

There were clients who wanted to buy this precise sturgeon leather strap. Of course, they could not have this one.

At the beginning, a sturgeon leather strap may be a bit stubborn: it needs to be worn for some time  –  longer than would be the case for an Ecopell leather strap  –  until it adjusts to the wearer’s wrist. Then however, it fits perfectly. Mine certainly does.

Or as Ludwig Oechslin says from his experience: the sturgeon leather strap practically clings to the wrist; it fits perfectly to every curve.

On the inside, ochs und junior’s calf leather watch straps are branded with the ochs und junior logo. We thus take the word “brand” back to its original meaning: to the brand burnt into the skin of a cow  –  or an ox.

With the sturgeon leather strap, we wanted to do the same. However, the branding iron burnt right through the leather, melting it almost as it would melt our rubber straps.

Scientifically, we cannot explain this reaction that resembles that of rubber. But we assume that its water resistance might have something to do with it.

After eight months on my wrist, the sturgeon leather strap has become a little narrower at the lugs and one of the seams is coming undone. We now sew with a more robust thread than in this early prototype  –  and in any case, both these signs of wear can be fixed. I will only take this strap off once it has truly come apart. And when that happens, I will let you know in our blog  –  promise!

Beat Weinmann