I have rather small wrists, to the extent that most watch straps are far too large for me. It’s usually OK with metal straps where links can be removed, but standard leather straps end up with a very long tail.
I’ve had bespoke straps consistently made at Jean Rousseau in London as a result, and generally I’ve been pleased with the service. It’s not cheap – usually around £350 for crocodile – but still cheaper than getting one from the watchmaker itself.
My last strap, however, Jean Rousseau made a small error on. The holes on the strap were placed slightly wrongly, and as a result the whole of the point doesn’t protrude through the keeper on larger settings. This didn’t occur to me until I tried to use those settings, and by that point it was too late to change them.
I therefore considered an alternative, and a few readers had suggested the shop Atelier du Bracelet Parisien (usually abbreviated to ABP) in Paris. The website was a little offputting to be honest, but as we were going to Paris anyway I decided to have a look.
The shop itself is actually rather impressive. It’s two shops – or rather a shop and a workshop – next to each other on the Place du Marché Saint-Honoré, near to Vendôme.
The retail shop has rather the same feeling as the website – perhaps a little cheap, certainly not luxe. There are iPhone covers, key fobs and other leather accessories, often in gaudy colours.
But that shouldn’t put you off. The range of leathers, in particular alligator, is huge, and they’re all being made in the workshop next door. At the back of the shop there are several big boxes of skins organised by colour and you can easily get lost sorting through the various different shades of blue, navy and teal.
I had in mind to get a blue or a green as an alternative to the tan strap I have for my Cartier Tank (below). So I spent a good half hour looking through all the options, often making use of ABP’s strap template to see more specifically what that colour would look like when cut out.
In the end I decided to go for green, as it would be more casual – and I don’t have that many casual options. Above you can see me with three green options to pick from, standing outside the shop this time in order to try to separate the different shades.
The one on the right is a dark, deep green; the one on the left a brighter, grassy colour; and the one in the middle more a classic British racing green. The fact I made that automobile connection with the middle colour is probably what swung it for me, but it also seemed like quite a safe choice.
You can often pick which part of the skin you want – bigger, squarer scales down the belly being more expensive, smaller, rounder ones at the side being cheaper – before then also deciding:
- the style of stitching
- the colour of stitching
- the material of the backing
- the colour of the backing
- the colour of the inking (on the sides)
- a flat or domed shape
Pictured below are the stitching options, but while I have seen and liked the middle one (only stitched at the ends, glued along the length) I’ve had enough of these made now to know that I prefer the most classic, subtle options, certainly on a dress watch like this.
Having laid out the templates exactly where I wanted them on the skin, I was then allowed to cut them out myself with a big iron press, which was fun. The rest of the making process was going to take a few days, so in the meantime we went next door to see the work.
It was very nicely done, with all the lack of pretension that often attaches to this kind of craft. Paint-splattered table tops, piles of thread waiting to be stitched, chatter bouncing around the room.
We spent a few minutes talking to the lady doing the inking about her jewellery, which included a watch-ring (below). The senior leather specialist can also make pretty much anything in leather, so takes bespoke, niche orders. In the main shop he wrapped the two front columns in leather.
ABP can’t do patina painting on leather, however, which is a bit of a shame. The reason my existing Tank strap looks so nice is that it was patinated by The Valet back when they did that service, and then it’s been worn and worn. I’d also look to shoemakers if I wanted an alternative.
I received the strap about three weeks after the visit, and it is nice. The strap was a little snug fitting between the lugs of the watch, and after a few wears it still doesn’t move completely smoothly, but it’s got a lot better and it’s a minor issue now.
The sewing and work elsewhere was also good, though I’d still not quite as fine as the Jean Rousseau work. Perhaps that what you should expect, but I’d also say ABP has the advantage of a really big range of colours, and some more innovative options (eg a mass of different NATO straps).
The green colour works very nicely with denim, I’ve found, as well as warmer, more rural colours in tailoring – a tan or mid-brown jacket perhaps, as well as yellows and blues.
A darker green or subtler colour generally would have been more versatile, perhaps that darker green or a very dark blue. But I will certainly wear this one and enjoy it as an alternative to the normal tan.
The ABP straps all come with quick release mechanisms on the thick end, allowing you to swap them onto the watch easily. But they can’t do anything similar on the clasp end, so there you have to use a tool to take off the original clasp and swap it round, which can be very fiddly. Or you have a second clasp – fortunately I found one in a vintage store quite cheaply, but you can also get them on eBay or get cheap brass equivalents.
My strap cost £285 for crocodile, square belly scales; smaller round scales would have cost £190. Lucas also picked up a ready-made lizard strap in sky blue for £105 that was very nice.
30, Place du Marché Saint-Honoré 75001 Paris
