Leather Watchband Rot

[Retro Spectator]

I am thinking of purchasing this Citizen watch. However, it has a leather watchband. My previous experiences with leather watchbands is that they rot. Then they smell foul, and crack after rotting. I usually wear my watch all day. The minute is put on my tie, I put on my watch, and the minute I take off my tie, I take off my watch. Is this a bad habit?

Another unrelated thing is that my last watch broke by it's face shattering. I don't know how that happened. :eeek: Fortunately, it was a CVS watch.

 

[handymike]

I like the look of leather straps, but now have stainless bracelets on my watches. Another option is a NATO strap made of Nylon.

 

[Evan Everhart]

Rub the underside of the band with neatsfoot oil or mink oil to waterproof it and protect against rot. I would also recommend that you wipe the band's upper with neutral shoe cream and buff it out to seal the upper. I usually wear a lizard skin band with my silver wrist watch and I have found that the above described treatment makes them last longer, but honestly, leather does eventually rot.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I don't wear a tie... but I hear you about wearing watches. Good leather won't rot but it's hard to get good watch straps these days. Certainly Citizen don't make them. I would avoid neatsfoot oil or mink oil my experience over 30 years is that these products rot the stitching. A thin layer of simple Vaseline will do the job better and this product is used and recommended by one of America's greatest living leather craftsman - John Chapman of Goodwear Leather. Even a Citizen strap should last for 4-5 years if treated.

 

[LuvMyMan]

Do that leather watch band the same as shoe leather. Take it off the watch (if the band is new) check to see if the band is actually stitched on the back side where it wraps around the mounting pins. If so you are safe to go ahead and condition it. Some leather is merely glued. You can yourself sew it if you are careful. But just soak the entire leather band in cadillac boot and shoe care. Let is sit an entire day or night and literally drench it. Then just wipe it off and let if dry for a half day or so. You will find doing this jump starts the long life of a watch band. My Husband has several alligator bands that are maybe 25 years old...no rot and still hanging in there.....why? Conditioner. That and they were well made and no glue.

Mink oil is too thick. It will never absorb into a watch band deep enough. Vaseline...has petroleum. That is going to aide in the leather breaking down. Neatfoot oil is ok, but it is too much like a mineral oil...not going to do the job that cadillac conditioner will do. Trust me, if you use the caddy even on a band that had been worn, and you just soak it one time drenching it, then let it dry out and wipe off the excess, you will not have to do anything for maybe a good year to the leather. The same is true for any shoes or boots. New or old.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Petroleum products are harmless if ph balanced. This is a contested area but I tend to trust Chapman and others advice in the jacket section. Pecards is widely accepted; I tend to use it as do most leather jacket collectors.

http://www.davidmorgan.com/leathercare.html

 

[esteban68]

Even in the UK this can be a problem, I rarely wear a leather strapped watch especially in the summer for any length of time it's the corrosive sweat that does it.
For an all day watch I'd always go with a stainless bracelet or mesh strap especially when it starts to warm up, when we go down to southern Europe I only ever take all stainless watches apart from my rubber strapped divers watch....leather though beautiful will always deteriorate especially the thin dress leather straps.

 

[Don Tomaso]

Well, from my experience, the band on a not expensive watch, as this Citizen in question will most likely be, is an item where no money goes into. So it will be made of something that remotely resembles leather, like the cheapo shoes you get for 50 Quid. A brand for leather-straps I can recommend from my experience would be an Austrian manufacturer, Hirsch. Also Kaufmann, from the same origin, makes quality bands, a bit higher in price. Of course, it is maybe too expensive at all to put a 30 $ strap on a watch that cost only 120, including strap. But then, any attempts to "improve" this using all types of crèmes and lotions is questionable as well.
Actually, I wouldn't buy that watch at all. It is not gold but resembles it, the leather is pig but looks like croc and the mineral glass would be a no-no for me. Just my 2ct.
When watchbands start looking bad and even before they stick, I dispose of them immediately. I like cheese, but not wrist-cheese.

 

[esteban68]

I've had few Citizens over the years and always found them to be well made an reliable, their Eco-Drives being exceptionally good....but as DT states all the money will be in the watch head and straps on most cheaper watches are pretty poor so you could improve the watch with a decent Hirsch or similar strap.
Re the plating on Citizen watches is pretty good but it is plating and WILL wear eventually how quickly depends on how much you wear it and in what environmental conditions...I've never scratched a Citizen glass as yet.

 

[Talbot]

Instead of a leather strap, get something like a Spiedel band. It would not look out of place on the watch you linked.

You should be able to get a color to match the watch and they are commonly available at jewellers.

Is there a Chrome version? It will have a retro look, be more durable, and be easier to match.

 

[esteban68]

back in the day people often fitted a Bonklip bracelet they came in chrome, gold plate and stainless steel I believe, not the cheapest but if you don't like it re-selling won't be a problem.

 

[Edward]

Leather straps just eventually go, that's the nature of them. When I wore a leather-strap watch daily, I was doing well if I got a year or so out of a strap before it went. I suspect a combination of them just being cheap straps as well as the nature of the thing. For my daily-wear watches I always go with metal bracelets (where these require retro-fitting, I like the expanding kind). Leather I reserve for dresswataches I'll only wear for a few hours at a time on occasions. (FWIW, leather straps that get regular airing between wearings don't seem to degrade the same way as one worn daily. Obviously less wear and tear when not worn daily, but I do think there's something in them being left to 'rest', like a good pair of leather shoes in rotation). Nylon I avoid.... had one or two of those a few years ago. Like leather, they soak up sweat and all sorts. Unlike leather, however, they also stink to high heaven in no time. Nasty.

I've only had one Citizen watch, an Ecodrive. It was bought for me as a present (I'd never consider a quartz myself). Impressively accurate and requires very little regular sunlight to keep time. I'd still prefer a nice mechanical over the ecodrive, but I can't fault its performance.

 

[Dreamofgilgamesh]

For how much watch strap costs why not just buy a new one when the old one starts to look a bit funky, that's what i do anyways.

 

[RJR]

I have leather on several Panerais and just wipe them down with Bick 4 occasionally.

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

Best treatment and skin friendly is olive oil...it works also perfectly for jacket treatment...
Try it...its not costly, does not harm and works immediatly.