Strap for Royal Oak Tuxedo

The bracelet is integrated into the case: there is no standard lug to attach an off-the-shelf strap. The sculptural geometry of the Royal Oak makes any generic solution unworkable. In the atelier I build the strap to measure, directly on the watch, starting from the actual shape of the case.

I work through <a href="/pages/casati-booking">Casati Milano</a>, by appointment only, at Via XX Settembre 15 in Milan. I bring the watch to the bench, take measurements directly from the case, and build the strap piece by piece. I do not use pre-formed templates: every curve is born from direct contact with the Royal Oak head.

For a white gold Royal Oak with a blue dial, I go without hesitation to Mississippi Alligator. The leather's texture speaks to the Grande Tapisserie pattern on the dial without overpowering it. The sporting-elegant character of this watch calls for a leather that ages with dignity, not one that looks perpetually new.

A strap built with serious leathers and worked by hand easily lasts five, eight, even ten years with minimal care. Keep it away from water and let it breathe between wears. Good leather does not deteriorate: it changes, gains character, moulds to the wrist. It is one of the few things that genuinely improves with time.

In 1972, Gérald Genta built something that belongs to no clear category: it is sporting, it is formal, it is architecture before it is a watch. The eight visible hexagonal screws and the octagonal case form a unity that tolerates no compromise. When I build a strap for the Royal Oak, I always start from this: the strap must continue the logic of the case, not contradict it.