The sturgeon watch strap

ochs und junior is the first watch company to include a watch strap made from sturgeon leather in its product range!

Since announcing Sabina Brägger’s fascinating project on our blog on May 8, 2013, we have been busy testing and adapting the new material in view of creating a waterproof leather strap for our watches. And it works!

In June 2013, Camille Fournet tailored the first watch straps for us. Working fast, she managed to finish them in time for Sabina’s Bachelor presentation. And ever since, we have been wearing them, testing the characteristics of the leather all summer long.

Whether it was long bicycle tours in temperatures of up to 29 degrees Celsius, sunscreen or swims in the Lake of Lucerne, the sturgeon leather strap on our ochs und junior withstood all – even these activities, though we wouldn’t think of putting any other leather strap through them.

By means of several production steps and with our inputs, Sabina Brägger continued to develop and improve the sturgeon leather strap which is now ready for production.

The leather strap shown here has been on Beat Weinmann’s wrist for the past five weeks. He’s worn it to work, during sports, in short: always. It is the simple version without lateral scales. We’ll show the version with scales later on the ochs und junior blog.

At the beginning, the watch strap, sewn with a Sattler sewing machine from leather tanned by the tannery Zeller, is a little stiff.

But after wearing it for only a short time, the leather strap adjusts due to the wearer’s body heat and fits the wrist perfectly.

It may not caress the skin as do the soft straps made from our usual Ecopell leather. The sturgeon leather is a little rougher  –  and the perfect companion in everyday situations as well as in any outdoors adventure.

After a short adjustment period, the strap harmonizes perfectly with the special buckle designed by Ludwig Oechslin. Oechslin’s buckle does not require any loops!

We have bought 200 sturgeon skins we can now turn into watch straps. On request, we can create straps in individual sizes.

The first sturgeon leather watch straps are already being worn with ochs und junior watches in several countries.

Watch in the picture: annual calendar in a 42mm titanium case. Dark brown dial with luminescent neon yellow hands, indices and calendar dots. Date disk in dial color; weekday and month indication patinated dark. Sturgeon leather strap 100% Swiss made.