Nine black leather watch bands and straps, from mirror-gloss shell cordovan to matte alligator. Made to order in California.
Eight of our nine leathers come in black, so this shelf is really about surface: smooth, grained, tumbled, shrunken, roughout, scaled.
Eight of our nine leathers come in black, and the alligator is here in two cuts, so the choice is about surface rather than shade. Black shell cordovan is the glossiest, close to a mirror. Black Chromexcel and Black Dublin are smooth and rich, with pull-up that shows lighter where the strap flexes. For texture: Black Aspen, a polished grain; Black Yellowstone, a coarse shrunken grain; Black Derby, tumbled and distressed; Black Waxed Flesh, a roughout with a matte waxed nap; and black American alligator, scaled and matte, in the belly cut and in a finer tail cut. The two alligators are the only ones here that are not Horween.
A black strap on a black dial with a steel case is the classic dress pairing, and shell cordovan or Chromexcel is the usual pick. On a field or dive watch a matte black sits better, so look at the Waxed Flesh or the Derby. Stitching matters more than people expect: black thread disappears, cream turns the same strap casual.
Seven of the eight are lined; the shell cordovan is unlined. All come in 12 to 24mm, straight or tapered, and three lengths or a custom one. The sizing guide shows how to read a lug width off your watch.