When it comes to watches, many folks probably do not give much thought to the strap, other than making sure they like one that the watch comes with. For those of us who have fallen down the rabbit hole of watch appreciation and collection, then things like watch straps get more attention. As we have said here time and again, changing out the strap of a watch can really change its character, especially if you go with something that is particularly colorful. With that in mind, today, we will cover three different watch straps we had in from Da Luca Straps.

When it comes to watch straps, you have all manners of companies vying for your attention. You can get downright affordable ones that allow you to pick up a variety, or you can go the fully custom route, made out of some very high-end leathers. The ones we have today from Da Luca Straps try to strike a good balance between the price, materials, and quality offered.

When I went through their catalog to see what made sense for review, I kept an eye towards what I had not necessarily seen before. Over time, I have reviewed quite a few straps, and they generally are simpler affairs, providing clean lines and styling; while here, I wanted to mix things up a bit.

First up, we have the Da Luca Straps Yin ($135). Often, when you pick up a new strap, you are limited to a single color. With this one however, you have a two-tone pattern that is reminiscent of the Yin and Yang symbol. This is a great option, as it can work as both a brown and a black strap – think of it like the variability of a reversible belt, without the reversing.

The Da Luca Straps Yin paired quite well with my Michelsen Arctic Explorer (review here), and rather changed the looks up – as I expected it to do. While I would not call the Yin a dress strap by any means, it is a great every-day option, certainly appropriate for the office. The thinner leather was very soft on the wrist and pliable, making for a comfortable fit.

This made for a very nice fit right “out of the box,” as it were, for this 20mm strap. Sometimes, when you pick up a thinner watch strap, you expect to trade off flexibility for strength. With the Da Luca Straps Yin, that was not a concern at all.  While the strap is thinner, it felt pretty strong, and the unfinished back (which approaches, but is not quite, sueded) was soft against the skin.

If you prefer your straps to be a single tone, but still want some flash to what is on your wrist, then the Da Luca Straps Timbuctoo ($125) may be more to your liking. This has a sort of a leafy tattoo pattern embossed on to the leather. As the strap remains a single color, this allows the pattern to be a bit more subtle, unless the light is hitting it at an angle.

Since the Da Luca Straps Timbuctoo seemed to call out for a subtly bold watch, that one got matched up to the Seiko Orange Monster (newer SRP313K1 model reviewed here). It is worth noting that in the images with the Timbuctoo paired to the Seiko, it picks up an orange cast, while it truly has a bit more of a brown tone to it (this can be seen in the “strap only” photos). Something to be aware of as you make your selection – sort of like deciding if you want your shoes to be tobacco or chocolate brown, I suppose.

This strap is only available in 20mm, and is sized in 136/70mm. This means the longer end is 136mm long, while the buckle side is 70mm. In contrast to the Yin, this is a slightly thicker piece of leather. Like the Da Luca Straps Yin, it has an unfinished back which, again, helps the comfort against the skin. This is a slightly thicker strap than what we saw on the Da Luca Straps Yin, but it was still decently pliable. This is the sort of strap that will break in over time, and end up with a perfect fit to your wrist. I have a feeling it may look better over time as it picks up some patina, and gives some high and low lights to the embossed pattern.

Those cover the “standard” style of straps that we looked at. What if you are looking for a B10 NATO-style strap that is a bit different from anything else you have seen? Well, then the Da Luca Straps Limited Edition USA NATO ($135) may be more along the lines of what you are looking for. This one caught my eye due to the colors used.

It has a dark blue color used for the main portion of the strap, with white and red contrast stitching showing up. On the inner portion of the strap, there is a dark maroon red showing up, with an embossed American flag. In short, this is very much a red, white, and blue bit of patriotism you can put on your wrist.

This one is a bigger strap (as leather NATOs tend to be), so I had it paired up with the Benarus Sea Snake. This is a great diver, and beefy enough to pair up with the leather NATO. The leather here is not overly thick, but when you get the multiple layers in a strap like this, you do end up with something that is a bit bulkier.

Of the three straps we had in, this one was probably my least favorite, just due to the feel on the wrist. Don’t get me wrong, it was a comfortable strap, it just made for a much bulkier feel on the wrist than I (and my shirt cuffs) tend to favor. On a bigger wrist, or perhaps destined solely for warmer-weather wear, this could be a decent option.

Compared to other leather NATO straps I have experienced, the Da Luca Straps option was about on par with what I’ve experienced. That is, aside from the paper-thin leather NATOs you can find everywhere. This is precisely the opposite of that – it’s a hefty thickness along the length of the 290mm strap that means this is one that will be there for the long haul.

While I think it is a better fit to a larger watch (and why we had it come in a 24mm width), you can get it in 18, 20, 22, 24, or 26mm widths. Just know what you are getting into. While the leather is decently comfortable, the thicker layers that sit on top of each other (and you then fold through the buckles) makes for a very bulky proposition.

All in all, this was a rather interesting set of watch straps to review. It just goes to show what can be done with leather, and the amazing variety of options that we do have available.  The Da Luca Straps catalog is extensive, and I suggest perusing through it, as you will likely find something that is a good fit to your watch. dalucastraps.com