Strap for Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked Titanium / Boutique Edition

The bracelet is integrated into the case: there are no standard lugs to attach an off-the-shelf strap. The attachment is proprietary, designed by Audemars Piguet as an intrinsic part of the watch's architecture. In the atelier I build every strap directly on the client's case, measuring the geometry of the attachment by hand. It is the only way to do it properly.

I handle this type of watch exclusively through <a href="/pages/casati-booking">Casati Milano</a>, my atelier at Via XX Settembre 15 in Milan, by appointment only. The client brings the watch in: I take measurements directly from the case, shape the first piece by hand and refine it until the integration with the titanium is right. I do not work from photographs or technical data sheets — I need the watch in front of me.

For a watch with this character — brushed titanium case, sporting soul, bold octagonal design — I choose matte-finished alligator in a dark tone, with minimal contrast stitching. Matte leather holds up better to daily wear and works with the texture of the titanium without overpowering it. I would avoid glossy leathers: on this watch they simply do not sit right, even visually.

A quality alligator strap, properly cared for, will comfortably last five or six years of regular wear — sometimes longer. The leather should be kept away from prolonged exposure to water and conditioned occasionally with a neutral cream. Over time it develops its own patina, which reflects how it has been worn: that is not a flaw, it is exactly what I expect from good leather.

Gérald Genta built an octagonal geometry that makes no concessions: every element of the case follows a precise logic, and any strap that does not respect that logic is immediately visible. The brushed titanium adds a further variable — it absorbs light differently from steel, shifting throughout the day. I have seen technically correct straps that looked out of place simply because they did not account for this. That is why I measure everything by hand, on the actual case.