I’ve been in the market for some new leather watch straps. Being that I’m a slave to the Amazon overlords, I did a quick search and discovered the brand Barton which manufacturers many different watch straps. One line of straps that really stood out to me was the Alligator Grain Leather quick release straps. So, I reached out and Zach over at Barton was kind enough to send over the entire current line up for review.
Here they are, the Barton Alligator Grain Leather quick release straps. These straps currently come in 6 different colors: black, coffee brown, toffee brown, navy blue, smoke grey and crimson red. They are currently available in 3 sizes: 18mm, 20mm and 22mm. To further add to the customization, you can also choose the buckle hardware color. With this, there are 5 options: stainless steel, black PVD, gunmetal grey, rose gold and gold. I decided to get stainless steel on all the straps that I received because that is the best option for the watches that I own.
All of the straps are crafted from top grain leather and embossed with an alligator texture. Holding the top and bottom layer together are matching colored stitching. The hardware of these straps are made from 316L stainless steel and are mirrored polished. The straps are approximately 8 inches in length and should fit wrists from 5 1/2” to 8” in circumference. No matter the lug width size that you buy, all straps will feature a 2mm taper from the lug end to buckle end. The straps are also thicker at the spring bar than at the buckle and that’s because these are padded watch straps. Sandwiched between the top and bottom leather is an additional piece of material. This helps to add to the comfort of the strap but comes at the expense of bulk. In this case, the straps are 5mm thick at the spring bar and 3mm thick at the buckle. This is a noticeable difference in hand but on the wrist, little difference can be felt and I don’t mind the bulk for the increased comfort.
One thing that I haven’t mentioned and is my main attraction to these straps is the quick release spring bars. These function the same as the typical spring bars but on the side of the spring bar, is a quick release lever. This allows you to remove and install these straps without the use of any tool. Just use your nail to pull on the lever and the end will retract into the spring bar body. This is such a simple design but very effective and I wish that all watch straps featured something similar.
In the short time that I’ve had these straps, they’ve quickly become some of my favorites. When I want to wear a leather strap, these are often the first choice. The straps mold to my wrist very quickly and are extremely comfortable. At under $30, I think that these Barton Watch Bands Alligator Grain Quick Release Watch Straps are hard to beat. If you’re in the market for something similar, I think they are worth a try.
Although these straps were sent to me for review, the opinions that I’ve stated are my own. I was not obligated to say anything about the product.
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