Lau & Van Leijden Sienna strap for Panerai
Paneristi can be quite picky when it comes to straps - not just any strap will do. Let's face it, there are many third party strap makers claiming that they make vintage style straps and to be honest, a lot of them really do disappoint. Lau & Van Leijden wanted to come up with the perfect strap, one that really matches the specifications of the vintage straps and no compromises when it comes to quality and comfort. Lau tells me that they insist on receiving the buckles as rough cut pieces of steel because they want to hand finish the buckles themselves - the only way to ascertain that the final product lives up to their own expectations.
The brushed steel buckle is hand finished
The leather of this particular strap is made from the best cow hide. The stitching method is "saddle stitching" and the buckle is of course sewn in. The buckle end of the straps has three layers of leather and the lugs end has two layers - exactly like the vintage straps were made.
Click the photos for a larger version
The strap is delivered in a black leather pouch and it comes with a letter that explains how to treat the leather to make it supple and comfortable to wear. An interesting fact is that the OEM strap that will come with the new Egiziano (PAM341) is of course also made in conformance with the vintage strap specifications. But the floating keeper of that strap has one single stitch, as opposed to the original vintage strap that has two.
The inside of the stap showing the 2 stitches in the floating keeper
If you think that I'm trying to get you to buy one of these straps, well then you're right. If you're looking for a new strap you definitely should consider this Sienna strap. They go for 140 Euro which is a very competitive price for a strap like this. I have only one problem with this strap, which watch am I going to wear it on first!
You can contact Lau & Van Leijden by e-mail at lvlstraps@gmail.com.
Photos © 2010 M.Wilmsen
Interesting. Perhaps I'll try one.
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