Strap for Royal Oak Ultra Thin Tourbillon Pink Gold / Westime

The bracelet is integrated directly into the pink gold case: a standard strap has no way of attaching. There are no universal adapters that hold up, either aesthetically or structurally. If you want to change the look, the only route is to build a bespoke lug from scratch, starting from the actual case. That is what I do in the atelier, piece by piece.

I work by appointment only, at <a href="/pages/casati-booking">Casati Milano</a>, Via XX Settembre 15, Milan. I take measurements directly from the case at the bench — I do not work from sketches or photographs. Every lug is shaped by hand to integrate with the original octagonal geometry. The finished strap is born from that specific watch, not from a template.

For a Royal Oak in pink gold my preference goes to naturally aged Barenia Fauve. The warm tone of the hide works with the pink gold without overpowering it, and over time it develops a patina that tells the story of use — which on a watch with this sportive-elegant character makes a great deal of sense. Mississippi Alligator is a valid alternative if more visual structure is desired, but I remain convinced that Barenia is the most coherent choice for the spirit of this piece.

A strap built with quality leather and hand-stitched easily lasts five, eight, even ten years with proper care. The care is simple: keep it away from prolonged exposure to water, let it breathe between wearings, and occasionally apply a neutral conditioner. The leather ages, certainly — but it ages well, developing character. That is very different from deteriorating.

Gérald Genta drew the Royal Oak in a single night, responding to a market challenge that seemed impossible. He proposed a sports watch in steel — and later gold — with an octagonal bezel secured by visible screws, at a time when nobody would have bet on that solution. What I have seen over the years at the bench is that watches with a clear structural logic do not age: every element has a reason. This pink gold reference with integrated chronograph carries that same formal coherence forward, without adding anything superfluous.