old skool

Any advice/suggestions on how to pull that off? I also probably need it on a bracelet. Is it even possible to assemble a sterile 40mm Panerai homage watch? If so, who do I talk to and what is the cost?

They are pretty nice from what I can tell. The price is quite affordable. If you can find one in the grain/texture you want, that's great. Compared to SanDave, they are a little more finished and a little more dressy. Compared to Ted Su though, they just pale in comparison. But Ted Su is 2x as expensive. Depending on if you like the more factory made look or not, you could always contact a strap maker on one of the forums to make you a custom strap.

What cool pictures.

I just saw this and I did want to reply as well. I know you (V) were working with someone to do this as we talked about it before. It appears many people like this idea which is a good thing for most of the buyers if not the sellers. I too am working with someone to make some hand made reproductions of this buckle. I have to wait a little longer to see how they turn out. I will be very interested to see how yours turn out V and Peter as well. I personally would be a little nervous with that kind of volume, but I guess depending on price, accuracy, and your initial investment requirement, it could be a good idea. I am not sure what the market is like since all these new buckles have yet to hit the market. Best of luck though.

I'm sure he would be willing to make more.

How will you find and assemble the gen parts? Sounds expensive.

Here's mine:

Just do a quick search. There are many people with reviews and feedback. Also Davidsen has a dealer section on some of the rep forums. His email is davidsenjpn@yahoo.com

Looks good. Nice watch.

Hey I just took a look at the straps eye candy section. There is a killer post there about no-cow straps. A couple killer honey ostrich and one really cool yellow one.

Well I think chickens have smaller legs...

Ostrich leather is fun and your strap looks great. I've done a number of those. They are a big hit. I'm trying to figure out what color I would like for myself. Edit: I found a couple old pictures:

You can do what either tootall or rolli suggest. Also, there are many straps out there that are designed for fixed lug watches. There are many types of connection. Some have spring steel in them. You insert the strap through the lug and snap it closed around the lug. The tension holds it in place. Some have little bent metal tabs on the bottom side that slide through the leather and hold it in place after being inserted through the lug. Another style is with a rivet or chicago screw. This allows you to unscrew the fastener and remove the strap. I am sure there are other styles. Most of the factory style straps use the first two kinds. I don't personally like those. I think they are too flimsy, ugly or prone to problems. (well the spring steel should maybe be held out from this assessment) As for the Chicago screw method, you can find those as well. This to me is better because it is held firmly in place, and looks more substantial. Of course you have to like that look. In fact some people make these straps with a fake rivet there to get the look without actually having a screw. Another option would be to embed the female end of the screw into the strap so you don't see it from the outside when worn. Then you can screw in the male side from the back which won't be seen when worn either. Some examples: From Ebay: Springsteel: Non functional rivet with metal tab closure on the back: Chicago screws: (all above pictures borrowed from the net.) Here is a strap I made for a guy with a fixed lug Radiomir: Another option is NATO style strap that feeds through the lugs. There is also a variant that is like a bund with a strap that feeds through the whole length. Here is an example in leather that I made for myself: (but there are many other options out there)

It's just a Ti case with black sandwich sub dial. Similar to a 177 I guess.

here is the other thread: http://www.repgeek.com/showthread.php?t=23...;highlight=nato

Can someone PM me his contact info? I haven't had any luck reaching him.

I know there was just a thread on this recently. I can't remember all the answers but there were some good ones. Let me see if I can find it with a search.

V - I just sent you a PM.

I've been dancing around this one for a long time. It finally fell into place and I made the purchase. I am VERY happy with the outcome.

New pictures:

That "ugly" leather is quite nice looking. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

I was talking to a machinist and I agree with his assessment that the originals were probably sand cast using pot steel.

The Landa denim is a really fascinating strap. Congrats.

Newer picture. (did I post it in eye candy? )

I wish. I bought it a long time ago from some guy second hand. I think he had it custom modified? I tried over a long period of time to track down more info and to try to have another one made but no luck. Oh well.