I’m going to stick my neck out here and say that of all the leathers I’ve worked with, Emerald leather is my absolute favourite. I realise that is a very strong statement, but it really is a fabulous leather. Believe it or not, a green leather wasn’t very high on my wish-list when I made my trip around the country last month, but as soon as I set eyes on this I had to have it.
Emerald ticks all the boxes for me – it is a full grain, fully vegetable tanned calf leather. It’s also fully analine, and is beautifully soft and pliable, so it’s a perfect leather for a watch strap. It has a wonderful deep matte green appearance, and I knew that the strong colour would work well with my white dial Panerai so I had to find the time to make myself the strap shown here.
I’ve always found it a little strange that many people disregard white dial Panerai, but I adore mine. I first saw one in the steel many years ago when a customer visited me wearing his Panerai 49. I knew that the 40mm Luminor 49 was too small for me, so as soon as he left I went online to see if Panerai made a 44mm Luminor with a white dial. I decided I had to have one, and my 114 was purchased a couple of weeks later from a dealer in Belgium. Of all my watches it’s the one that gets worn the most – I suppose I like the fact that it’s a little different.
I’ve been wearing this strap for the last 10 days now and my opinions of Emerald have only been strengthened as a result. It was beautifully soft from the start, and although it’s a strong green colour the fact that it’s a flat matte finish means it works really well with the butterscotch stitching and polished watch case / buckle. I’m aware this won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I can see this is a strap that will stay on my 114 for a good while yet. I’m very happy with this combination.
Emerald leather is available to order now. If you’re looking for a colourful strap for the summer this is one I recommend very strongly.