While collecting watches is an obsession, owning varied straps for them goes toe to toe for collectors. Changing from one strap to the other, gives the valued timepiece a whole new styling and appeal – one that collectors are addicted to for obvious reasons.
Most watch straps are made out of leather, rubber, textile or fabric which goes a bit against sustainability. Considering the green wave taking over the watchmaking industry, it was time Hodinkee ventured into the realm. The New York-based brand has created its first-ever watch strap, which is 100-percent vegan.
Lives up to the expectations
There are vegan straps out there in the market but Hodinkee claims its version is actually good for the planet. Dubbed the Amogoh Strap collection, it is made completely using fiber extracted from pineapple leaves. The good thing is, it looks and feels similar to leather with a unique textured finish that becomes soft and pliable with usage.
The process involves salvaging leaves after the pineapple harvest and then processing them to extract fibers. After sun drying and purification to eliminate contaminants and pectin. The finished soft material is what the industry calls PALF (Pineapple Leaf Fiber).
Biodegradable straps you’ll not feel guilty about
Thereafter, PALF undergoes through a series of processes to end up as a green vegan strap for the eco-conscious crowd. It is completely water-resistant and also confers to the ISO international standards as far as weather proofing goes. Even the lining for the strap is done with layers of the same material giving the strap an added layer of sweat-proofing.
Watch collectors are very particular about their strap colors, so Hodinkee presents the collection in five classy options – Kilauea, Carlsbad Caverns, Mesa Verde, Death Valley, and Glacier Bay. The strap colors are made from 100-percent organic textile-grade pigments, making it a truly biodegradable strap collection worth its $110 price tag.