Atelier du Bracelet Parisien, or A.B.P., has been producing made-to-measure watch straps for more than 15 years from nearly every material you can imagine.
Common alligator, calf, ostrich and stingray leathers abound, but how about frog, salmon, anaconda, beaver, caiman, camel, llama, cobra, deer, eel, emu, turkey, python, chicken, goat, kangaroo, sturgeon, sea snake, peccary, vintage baseball gloves, toad or even elephant? All legally acquired, although some are now more difficult to source.
But it doesn’t stop at interesting leathers. You can choose different cuts of the animal skin, different shapes of the strap tips, a multitude of colours (including different edging tones), stitching (hand or machine and different patterns), thread thickness, lining, different tanning techniques, waxing, and edging. You can nominate the number of keepers and holes or have just a single punched hole, fitted to your wrist; the ultimate bespoke watch band. And you can choose the type of buckles and straight, curved or quick-release pins.
When you order your straps (you can do this online) you can define the width and length of the various components. So if you are, like me, pedantic about where the buckle sits on your wrist or the thickness of the keepers then all this can be defined down to the millimetre. There are guides on the A.B.P. website on how to measure up your wrist. And if you need advice, the helpful staff are just a phone call away – even across the other side of the world.
I have ordered several batches of straps from A.B.P. over the last five years and can vouch for their professionalism and service. Their hand stitched and made to order straps are the best quality option and the alligator leathers have been better than the simple calf in my experience. The lizard straps have been very long wearing and nicely finished. Their vintage and waxed leathers are quite beautiful for classic dress watches. There are other options for strap makers in Paris, but A.B.P. hold a special place, particularly when it comes to exotic leathers.
My thanks to Gregory, Yann and the staff who showed me around on the day I picked up straps for my wife’s Dornbluth and my Constellation.
Andrew