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Strap Tutorial: Turning Your Rep Ap Hornback "montauk Highway" Strap Into A Look A Like Gen Hornback Strap!


mike00

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Save yourself 300 $! This work can be done within a hour and will cost you less than 20 $!

Ok AP freaks here's the thing.

I allready mentioned an idea I had about (re)spraypainting my upcoming AP Montauk Highway strap.

We all know that the REP AP factory strap sucks BIGTIME!:(

It's such a shame while the AP watches are spot on, the straps are crap. It's a big tell from a distance as we all know.

Maybe I have a (low budget) solution for those who do not have the $$$ for the real deal or a strap from AP bands at the moment. they are over $ 340 ,-. I guess eventually I will buy the GEN or AP bands strap but this will do it till then.

Just fot the record it is just a short term (low budget) solution for me and IMO the end result is better looking compared to the onmodded REP strap out of the box.

HERE WE GO NERDS!! (let the pics speak for themselves)

* What we need:

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Still waiting for my AP with the brown strap to come but had a REP crappy black hornback in my drawer from an earlier purchase....so just took my change, offcourse same can be done with the brown strap.

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* First we remove the stitches ( I need blue ones in the end as we know)

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(I had to study the stitching, never (re) stitched a strap before so took a good look how it's done while removing)

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* OK, now we clean the strap with special leather cleaner

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(as you can see, after cleaning you allready loose the shiny REP look, for those who wants to stick to a black strap you're task is allready done, it looks like GEN gator now allready)

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* Once we have done that, it's time to repaint it with a (darker) brown colour, to get closer to the real deal.

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* After repainting (spray) I cleaned it again to loose the new shiney brown look.

* Now we restitch the fu**er. :cool:

(Try to find the right colour stitching in a local shop)

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END RESULT PICS

(still need to stitch the short side but couldn't wait to write this turorial)

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(BEFORE)

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(AFTER)

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(Final one (crappy) shot from the GEN montauk strap, for comparing)

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DAYTIME END RESULT, IT'S STAYS REP BUT I THINK IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT.

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Tell me what you think guys....

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  • 2 months later...

Great job mate! Although the products aren't available here in Australia, I should be ableto buy equivalents.

My Montauk hwy arrives in a couple weeks and from what I hear of these straps they are a real letdown. Your idea is brilliant. I'll probably do it as soon as it arrives. I am also searching for the right piece of authentic hornback skin to make my own strap from. Will be my first strap but should turn out OK. I had been holding off because I couldn't source a close enough colour but this will reduce that issue.

Thanks!

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Great job mate! Although the products aren't available here in Australia, I should be ableto buy equivalents.

My Montauk hwy arrives in a couple weeks and from what I hear of these straps they are a real letdown. Your idea is brilliant. I'll probably do it as soon as it arrives. I am also searching for the right piece of authentic hornback skin to make my own strap from. Will be my first strap but should turn out OK. I had been holding off because I couldn't source a close enough colour but this will reduce that issue.

Thanks!

Careful with the sourcing of the skin mate...try and source is from within Australia... otherwise you need a special license to get it... How about this--Audemars Piguet authorised dealer/ company can not get a gen strap! they are not licensed to import it apart from, when it comes on the watch as a single item!!!

So if you bought a sparkling AP from one of the top jeweler/AD who is authorised to sell for over 20K, and after a week accidentally damage the leather strap..guess what you cant get a replacement!!

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Yeah I keep seeing import licences being offered etc. but my material will be coming from the Northern Territory ..... there is quite a bit of it around BUT getting the 'right' section is a challenge - it is fairly prized therefore commands a bit of a premium .... on your other responses - I already have the suit and ties .... all high end but low price through being a tightar5e :D

Suit is really nice - turquoise/aqua stripe with an alternating mauve stripe which works a treat - the level of detail on the suit is great. (internal mobile phone pocket with purple paisley finish strip on the slit etc. and actual opening buttons on the sleeves .... I have never seen that) Not sure on the shirt yet but I have seen some Vivienne cufflinks that have the right blue accents so they might be good to get too.

... just as soon as I get out of pauper's prison :D

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Yeah I keep seeing import licences being offered etc. but my material will be coming from the Northern Territory ..... there is quite a bit of it around BUT getting the 'right' section is a challenge - it is fairly prized therefore commands a bit of a premium .... on your other responses - I already have the suit and ties .... all high end but low price through being a tightar5e :D

Suit is really nice - turquoise/aqua stripe with an alternating mauve stripe which works a treat - the level of detail on the suit is great. (internal mobile phone pocket with purple paisley finish strip on the slit etc. and actual opening buttons on the sleeves .... I have never seen that) Not sure on the shirt yet but I have seen some Vivienne cufflinks that have the right blue accents so they might be good to get too.

... just as soon as I get out of pauper's prison :D

Hahaha good to find that you take pride in what you wear to critial level.. the feelings are mutual. I normally get my suits custom stiched and have very similar lining you mentioned along with the mobile pocket. ... will probably need a full portfolio shot of urs with the MK when you get it (ah with the new strap)

So do you make straps urself? is it a hobby? or will you get it made from somewhere? I am really interested in leather works myself at a minutiae hobby level

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it will be my first strap but I have always figured that if hands made something in the first place, then why can't I have a go?

I am investing a fair amount of time and dollars in this project so trust me .... pics aplenty :D

mind you I am no photographer!

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1st time for leather ... have made things as detailed but nothing in leather - should be fun ... doubtless the prototype will end up in time and money more expensive than just buying a strap :) but it gives me a new skill.

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1st time for leather ... have made things as detailed but nothing in leather - should be fun ... doubtless the prototype will end up in time and money more expensive than just buying a strap :) but it gives me a new skill.

Let me know too bro I really wanna learn leather works for small articles specially straps..

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  • 5 months later...
  • 4 months later...

The leather cleaner is called a Deglazer usually and you must be careful when used on any croco print but it will remove the top finish on any leather strap but once you do thsi you can use a proper leather dye instead of paint.... any finish is possible you jsut need to use different undecoats to achieve different top coats or finishes...just be careful with paints as these may eventually crack on the leather as its worn more and in reaction to normal exposure...

The leather dye will also dye the stitching if you dont want to thread it (except of course lighter than leather finish ;)).... you can then decide on final finish ie matt, semi gloss or gloss... any shoe shop will have this stuff or of course the bay..

You can then refinsh the edges with EdgeKote which is a plastic finish leather paint and gives a hard plastic finish...

Great write up mate and I love the restitching..

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