Strap for Royal Oak Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon Stainless Steel / Blue

Not in the conventional sense. The bracelet is integrated into the case: there are no standard lugs to attach an aftermarket strap. The only viable route is a fully bespoke piece, built directly on the watch, millimetre by millimetre.

I work exclusively by appointment at <a href="/pages/casati-booking">Casati Milano</a>, Via XX Settembre 15, Milan. I bring the watch to the bench, study the exact angles of the case connection and hand-build every attachment element to suit that specific piece. There are no templates: each strap is made from scratch.

For a chronograph with this sporting structure and this presence on the wrist, I prefer Mississippi Alligator with a brushed finish — it picks up the satin texture of the steel without overpowering it. Alternatively, naturally aged Barenia for those who want the strap to tell the same story as the watch over time. I avoid overly glossy leathers: they do not suit the octagonal geometry of this case.

With ordinary care — keeping it away from prolonged water exposure, conditioning the leather two or three times a year with a neutral grease — I comfortably reach eight to ten years of daily wear. Alligator and Barenia age well: they develop a patina that, in my view, makes them more interesting with time. The quality of the hide from the outset is everything.

In 1972, proposing a sports watch in steel at the price of a gold watch was considered a commercial mistake. Gérald Genta bet on an industrial aesthetic — exposed hexagonal screws, Tapisserie texture on the dial — that no one in fine watchmaking had the courage to pursue at the time. I have seen many watches pass through the bench over the years: few have this consistency between form and identity.