Shell cordovan watch straps in eleven colors, cut unlined from Horween shell, a glossy leather watch band that molds to the wrist and deepens with wear.
Hand-rubbed dyes mean no two hides match exactly. It's far more pliable than that mirror surface suggests.
Shell cordovan is vegetable-tanned at the Horween tannery in Chicago, IL, and finished with hand-rubbed dyes for a deep aniline finish. That's why the color on one strap is never quite the color on the next. We use Genuine Horween Shell Cordovan and cut it unlined, a single layer that's far more pliable than the surface suggests.
The surface is smooth, close to mirror-like, and it resists creasing where most leathers fold. Instead of breaking into sharp lines at the flex points, a shell cordovan watch strap rolls, and those rolls settle into the shape of your wrist over a few months.
Color 8 is Horween's oxblood burgundy, the color shell cordovan is best known for. Black is the glossiest, Navy a deep inky blue, Green a rare forest tone with real depth, and Denim a dusty blue that wears in the way good denim does.
At the warmer end: Natural, undyed honey-tan and the fastest to patina; Bourbon, a honeyed caramel; Amaretto and Armagnac, two reddish browns either side of it; Brown, a rich chocolate; and Garnet, a jewel-toned red brighter than Color 8. Each shade has a shelf of its own across the other Horween leathers too: brown, black, burgundy, navy and natural.
Buff a shell cordovan watch strap with a soft dry cloth to bring the luster back. If water spots appear, let it dry fully, then rub the spot firmly with a smooth cloth. Skip the alcohol-based products and heavy conditioners: most of what goes wrong here comes from doing too much.