Alligator leather is rare, expensive and always sought after by watch lovers. Therefore, fake alligator leather products have been really popular in the market recently. Let’s find out 8 ways to spot a genuine alligator watch strap with B.A Handmade in the article below
1. By looking for irregular patterns on alligator watch strap
One of the easiest ways to tell if a watch strap is genuine leather or not is by looking for irregularities in patterns on the leather material.
If you’re online shopping, you will not always have access to the watch strap so the only way you may be able to tell if the watch strap is genuine alligator leather or not is by observing the surface patterns.
Real leather is made from a living creature so each piece of leather has a unique pattern, just like every other animal’s skin looks different than the next. If the watch strap is real leather, it will likely have flaws in these patterns because of natural irregularities such as scars, insect bites, weather, etc – all influence the look of the leather.
Fake leather is usually made from a synthetic material and does not have these irregularities. If your alligator watch strap has a perfect pattern with the scales perfectly proportioned and features a uniform geometric pattern, it can be a fake alligator watch strap
2. By smelling the alligator watch strap
Another way you can use to tell if your watch strap is genuine alligator watch strap or not is by smelling it. There is no reliable way to fake the smell of real leather. Leather has a distinctive smell that no other fake leather will be able to imitate or mimic.
Genuine alligator watch strap that are leather will have a natural organic smell or skin scent that cannot be manufactured. Leather watch strap will have a strong leathery that will prevail no matter how long the watch lasts. This means whether old or new, you can expect the smell of the leather watch strap to be the same rich leathery smell.
Watch strap that is synthetic alligator leather on the other hand will often have a plastic or chemical smell that will be very different from the smell of leather.
If you want to know whether your watch strap is genuine alligator watch strap or fake, just take a quick whiff. If you get the strong leathery scent of leather, it is real; if not then it’s a fake or synthetic material.
3. By checking the alligator watch strap elasticity
Testing the elasticity of an alligator leather watch band is quite simple. You just need to press firmly on the surface of the leather strap and observe. If it is a genuine alligator watch strap, after pressing, there will be a hole on the surface where it was pressed, but they will quickly disappear completely because alligator skin has good elasticity. If it’s fake leather, the dent will disappear long after that.
4. By doing the heat test
Another way you can tell if your watch strap is genuine alligator watch strap or not, is doing the heat test.
Using a simple lighter (or a match), you can tell if your watch strap is made from leather by holding the flame over it.
If the material on top of your watch strap is made from leather, then the flame should not be able to burn or singe it. If your watch strap is plastic or synthetic, then the flame should burn right through it, the strap can turn black and have a burnt smell. On the contrary, if the product has good heat resistance, it is a real alligator leather watch band.
Note: Not to damage the products, you should do it with the shop’s sample.
5. By doing the water test
You can put a few drops of water on the surface of the alligator leather band and watch. The surface of the genuine alligator watch strap has better water absorption, while the synthetic leather has better water resistance. You can test the water absorption of the strap by dipping your finger in water and wiping it across the surface. If the water absorption is good, it is genuine leather, the water absorption is poor or it does not absorb at all, and most of them are synthetic leather.
Note: Due to the fact that leather is tanned and painted a layer of protective paint, the leather will slowly absorb water. Therefore, you should do it on a sample of the shop so that products will not be moldy.
6. By checking the label
It seems obvious, but look at the tag or label. If it’s real leather, it will proudly say so. If you see “100% real leather,” “full/top grain leather,” or “genuine leather,” you’re headed in the right direction. (You can also learn more about the different types of real leather). However, watch straps that are labeled “Genuine Leather” will not always be 100% genuine leather. It is important to bear in mind that some of these labels can be misleading so you would want to be very careful when it comes to authenticity.
If the label says “man-made material,” it’s synthetic—most likely flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC). If it doesn’t say anything at all about the material, again, it’s probably PVC or some other synthetic polymer because real leather would be proudly noted.
7. By checking the price
This is often not the best way to tell if your watch strap is leather or not. But when you combine this with other factors discussed earlier it will definitely help you know more about the watch strap.
Leather is usually sourced from the skin and hide of animals. This means it takes more time and effort to produce leather goods than fake or synthetic material. This is why real leather watch straps are certainly more expensive than fake ones. So if the watch strap is very expensive, this may mean it’s made out of high quality or genuine leather. And if you walk out of a store with a $20 alligator watch strap, it’s an imitation.
However, just because a watch strap is expensive does not mean it’s real leather.
8. By how you’re instructed to take care of your genuine alligator watch strap
Another way to spot if your watch strap is made from genuine leather or not is by following the guideline of how to take care of it.
If you get a leather watch strap, there will be clear instructions on how to care for it. These instructions will guide you how often and when to put a leather conditioner on your watch strap, as well as what kind of leather conditioner to use.
If the instruction does not tell you that, then we can assume either there is no need for the leather conditioner or the watch strap is not made out of genuine leather.
Leather has to be maintained so it can remain in a good condition. Without proper care and treatment, the leather will eventually start to wear out or crack which means you’d have to get a new watch strap quickly. Watch straps that are not genuine leather will not have any mention of treating or maintenance..
Popular genuine alligator watch straps at B.A Handmade
Alligator leather straps at B.A Handmade are made from genuine leather with a variety of colors and designs, handcrafted by skilled workers with many years of experience. We don’t sell synthetic leather watch straps and almost all of our products are made from full-grain leather – the best sort of leather available nowadays. Owning and wearing a genuine leather watch will help you show your sophisticated, selective fashion sense and express your own personality.
If you are looking for luxury and genuine alligator watch bands, please don’t hesitate to see more HERE or contact us to request your own customized leather strap.
