Alligator leather watch strap is one of the favorite leather accessories thanks to its high durability, aesthetics, uniqueness, easy to mix & match and suitable for many different styles and ages.
Why are alligator leather watch straps so popular?
Durability: Alligator leather is soft, smooth and highly elastic, so it is used in the production of watch straps. Alligator watch straps will not experience breakage, folding, explosion, peeling after a long time being used. The time-defying durability is a big advantage that makes alligator leather strap so popular.
When using, you should regularly clean the alligator leather watch band with a dry cloth. This helps to prolong the life of the alligator leather strap.
Feel: Alligator leather watch band or other genuine leather can avoid skin occlusion, bringing a comfortable feeling when worn even on hot and humid days.
Style: Alligator leather ranks among the most durable, beautiful and stylish leathers. The longer it is used, the more beautiful and shiny it becomes, so leather users often prefer products made from alligator.
Alligator leather straps are not only appreciated for their durability but are also favored by top aesthetics. Using genuine alligator leather watch straps can obviously reinforce one man’s strongest power as well as personality. The prominent and sharp scalloped textures on the leather surface make the products made from alligator unique. The ridges of each alligator are not overlapping, which creates diversity and uniqueness for products.
Usually, alligator leather watch bands are made from belly or back leather. The belly band is soft and delicate; while the back leather strap is disruptive and strong. The price of these two leather positions is also different, so in the alligator user community, there are always underground hunts to own the desired leather accessories.
How to identify genuine alligator leather watch bands
Pattern
The real alligator leather does not have a perfect pattern and the scales are not perfectly proportioned. Real exotic skins always have imperfections. The patterns are not completely uniform. Look for varying scale shapes and sizes to identify real alligator skin. Patterns should vary within a product and between products, so no two real alligator items ever look exactly the same.
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 genuine leather, 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.
Color
Usually, the popular colors of watch straps made from alligator skin are cockroach brown, red brown, gray-blue, navy blue, moss green and black. These products have beautiful clear colors, but the colors will not be 100% uniform. This is characteristic of natural alligator skin. You can easily see this on accessories with large sizes such as wallets, belts or bags. With an alligator leather watch band, it will be more difficult to recognize.
Heat test
Heat testing is also one of the popular ways to identify real leather. When making a purchase, you can ask the staff to check the authenticity of the alligator leather watch band by heating up the leather surface with a lighter. If the strap quickly turns black and has a burnt smell, it’s a fake. On the contrary, if the product has good heat resistance, it is a real alligator leather watch band.
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 leather 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.
You can apply a combination of the above tests to ensure the authenticity of alligator leather.
How to maintain genuine alligator leather watch bands
- When not in use, alligator leather should be maintained in a cool, dry location. Do not fold alligator items in odd ways or bend them with a radius greater than 8 inches.
- If your leather watch bands become wet, first gently wipe off excess water with a soft dry absorbent cloth, then dry them naturally and slowly without direct sunlight or auxiliary heat. Ensure that they have plenty of fresh, dry air circulating over and under them. A little fan might be useful. To speed up the drying process, turn them over every few hours. Apply leather conditioner to all exposed leather as directed below when they are completely dry. In a day or two, reapply the conditioner, and your alligator leather should still be usable. It’s too late once the leather cracks.
- Excessive heat, water, and direct sunlight should be avoided.
- To clean your alligator leather, never use household chemicals, alcohol, or other solvents. Keep in mind that the burnished classic finish on alligator is very fragile in reference to solvents, cleaners and conditioners commonly used for some other types of leather. These aggressive conditioning products may destroy the finish on any alligator leather.
- Always test anything that you apply to the leather on a hidden or inconspicuous surface before treating the entire product. Keep an eye on the color, since some conditioners might make the finish less glossy or darker in color. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations while applying the conditioner.
Popular alligator leather 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.
