SKU: 701-BLK-20-ST
For a Pilot Mark XVIII or a Big Pilot, the choice of strap is not about aesthetics—it's about character. The black Novonappa has just the right texture: soft enough to conform to the wrist in a few hours, structured enough not to lose shape over time. It's a leather that doesn't announce itself; it reveals itself.
Military style is not a fashion aesthetic. It's a constructive logic: robust stitching, a slim profile, nothing superfluous. This strap follows that logic without compromise. The matte black of the Novonappa absorbs light instead of reflecting it—a sought-after discretion, not a suffered one.
Made in Italy, it naturally pairs with IWC pilot watches but fits any case with standard lugs. Color variations between one piece and another are characteristic of the material: each leather has its own story even before it reaches the wrist.
Technical specifications:
Estimated shipping times: 2-3 business days (Italy), 7-9 days (European market), 15-21 days (international market).
We are committed to preparing and shipping every order as quickly as possible, working carefully to ensure your items are on their way to you as soon as possible. Need to make a return? Contact us.
It starts firm and, week after week, takes the shape of your wrist. The surface grows warmer to the touch, the colour gains depth where the light hits it. No plastic on top: leather that ages honestly.
The next step
From the atelier appointment to delivery, every step is made for those who know that things done well take time. Rare leathers, one piece at a time, eighteen months of warranty.
Request an appointment →By appointment only · Milan
Changing your strap should be as simple as changing your shoes. With us, it is.
Every strap has integrated quick-release spring bars: swap it in one gesture, no tools, no risk of scratching the lugs. The same watch shifts mood with the moment.
Picked for you
The strap is available in two configurations: 20mm × 16mm or 21mm × 18mm. The first measurement is the standard one for the Mark XVIII. The 20 refers to the lug width (what enters the case), the 16 is the width of the central portion. If your watch has standard 20mm lugs, this is your size. No forcing involved.
The Novonappa used here is structured enough to keep its shape over time. It is not a delicate leather that wears out. It is soft at the beginning — in fact it takes only a few hours to adapt to the wrist — but that initial softness does not mean fragility. The military logic behind the project specifically excludes shortcuts: robust stitching, calibrated thickness (4mm at the keeper, 2.5mm at the tip). It holds up.
It works. It was designed for the IWC Pilots, but it is built for ‘any case with standard lugs’ — if your lugs are 20mm, the strap fits. The military style does not belong only to IWCs. The aesthetic is no-frills: matte black, slim profile, no ostentation. On a black Submariner or a black Speedmaster it does its job.
Black is black, but Novonappa is real leather: chromatic variations from one piece to another are normal and intrinsic to the material. It is like when you buy two pieces of Horween or Shinki — leather has its own history before it even reaches the wrist. These are not rejects or defects. If you want two straps identical down to the pixel, natural leather is not your world.
It is not a compromise. It is a constructive choice: 4mm at the keeper where the structure is needed (where the strap bends), 2.5mm at the tip where rigidity is not required. It is the exact logic of the military strap — nothing superfluous, everything functional. The thickness is calibrated to last without becoming heavy on the wrist.
