Strap for Royal Oak 67651 Quartz Stainless Steel / Silver / Strap

The bracelet is integrated into the case: the attachment is proprietary and a standard strap simply does not fit. There is no conventional lug width to work from. The only viable option is to build a strap from scratch, working directly on the watch.

I work on these watches exclusively through <a href="/pages/casati-booking">Casati Milano</a>, the atelier at Via XX Settembre 15 in Milan, by appointment only. I bring the watch to the bench, study the geometry of the attachment and shape the strap piece by piece on the actual case. I do not use templates: every example has its own particulars.

For a watch built like this — steel, geometric lines, a sporting character worn equally well in formal settings — I favour Mississippi alligator with hand-selected scale. The natural texture of the scale works well alongside the octagonal bezel without overpowering it. I also keep naturally aged Barenia as an alternative for those who prefer a warmer tone that develops over time.

A strap built from quality leather and hand-stitched will comfortably last five, even eight years of regular wear, given proper care. I avoid prolonged exposure to water and condition the leather two or three times a year. Alligator in particular ages by developing a personal patina: after a few years it tells something about the person who has worn it.

When Gérald Genta drew it, offering a sports watch in steel at that price was considered a commercial mistake. The octagonal bezel with exposed screws and the integrated bracelet were an entirely new language. I have seen many watches from those years on the bench: few have maintained that formal coherence over time without altering the substance of the original design.