Vecchio Times Watch Straps Review

Updated - June 21, 2020

I needed a new strap for my Blancpain so I decided to try another local strap maker, Vecchio Times by Lyndon. He is based in Western Australia and is an active member of Australia’s biggest watch group where I found his listing.

I inquired through his personal Facebook page and he’s very prompt in responding. In just a matter of minutes and on my way to Sydney, I have purchased a custom made strap.

Pricing

He has off-the-shelf straps and also offer bespoke ones. Off-the-shelf ones start at USD$105 and can go to as high as USD$150.

I opted for a bespoke premium strap which costs me AUD$175 ($115 USD) with an option of $5 less without the quick release pins and uses the premium Hermes Berkin leather strap.

Shipping and packaging

VT lives up to its premium service by providing fast shipping and premium packaging. The item was sent to me via Australian Post Express which arrived in two business days and inclusive in the price. International purchasers might need to contact him with regards to international shipping.

Packaging was in the form of a rectangular box with a personalised thank you card. The box is very sturdy and tough which would protect the strap even without bubble wrap. Inside is the the strap loosely wrapped in a VT branded paper.

Strap

I am very impressed with the strap. The leather is not stiff nor too soft outside the box making it very easy to use the moment I received it. There’s still a bit of stiffness into it but it’s due to the straps being 3mm thick rather than his default of 2.5mm.

For a handstitched strap, I am impressed yet again with how straight the stitching is. It’s almost like it’s machine stitched due to how straight it is. There’s also no visible sign of glue marks on the ends. The edges seems to be painted and sanded lightly but very consistent and smooth.

I had no problems using an Omega spring bar. The lug holes are big enough that the spring bar slid without any major resistance.

The buckles are your usual buckles that most watch strap maker will put. Nothing exceptional.

Of course I had my brand name engraved as well. Engraving is  perfectly close to being aligned in the middle of the strap. In addition, there’s also a good amount of spacing between letters that it’s easy to read and every letter is aligned.

Final Verdict

Overall, I am pretty happy with the strap. Pricing wise he’s on the low to middle range while offering high quality straps similar to the middle to top range. Overall, I would happily rank him as 10 / 10. You can buy his straps here.