FAQ

Straps

What makes your straps affordable? (hint- we do not sacrifice quality!)
There are many reasons, namely removing the middle man, economies of scale, and margins. We work directly with several manufacturers to bring you our own 'Crown and Buckle' collection of watch straps. In doing so, we do not have to buy our straps from another brand name, who in turn is paying someone to make their straps for them. Next, we are able to maintain fair prices by stocking a very large inventory of straps and extras. We keep our margins as low as possible in order to reach you, our customer, especially during these tough economic times

The million dollar question is how this affects the quality of our products. It doesn't. In fact, we believe that we have more control over the product quality and can better adapt to changing trends in the watch industry since we directly control our own production. Simply put, you will receive an excellent quality watch strap at a very fair price.

How are your straps made?
We spent over a year developing the collection of watch straps that you will find available on our web site. We have reached the best possible balance of quality materials, fit & finish, and affordability. Our straps are carefully crafted by hand, utilizing modern tools. Despite our low price-point, our straps are not mass produced using robots and machines. Rather, our straps are produced to a quality and standard offered only by a hands-on production environment.

Our leather straps are made using English and Italian leather and are offered in styles current with today's watch strap trends (as well as timeless classic designs). Many models are inspired by the custom strap styles popularized by Panerai (and "Paneristi"), sans the lofty price tags.

Our NATO and Zulu styles feature strong and resilient nylon webbing, which remains extremely comfortable and supple on the wrist. Our nylon straps are high-frequency welded, eliminating thread stitches, for a stronger construction.

How do I know what width/size/length to order?
Please refer to our Sizing page for comprehensive information.

What's the best way to find a strap on your site?
Navigate our site by using the simple navigation bar at the top of every page (the white buttons to the right of the logo). Once you have selected a category to browse, you can further narrow down your search by using the "Shopping Options" bar on the left of each catalog page. The Shopping Options bar allows you to specify a tighter criteria. Say you are shopping for a black leather 20mm strap. You could select first select "20mm Straps" from the "Width" drop down menu. From there, you can select Leather from the 'Type' selection, and then after that, select Black from the 'Color' selection.

If you are still struggling to find what you are looking for, you can use the Search bar that is above the menu on every page. You can also view our Site Map. Lastly, give us a shout and we will gladly help you.

Are your straps more narrow at the buckle than at the lug?
That depends on the model you have selected. The easiest way to tell is to compare the strap width to the buckle width that is listed under Strap Specs. For example, if you are looking at a 24mm strap, and the buckle specs say "Pre-V 22mm", then the strap tapers 2mm from the lug to the buckle. On the other hand, if you are looking at a 20mm strap, and the buckle specs say "Thumbnail 20mm", then it is a straight cut strap.

How do I care for my leather strap?
Our leather straps are not waterproof, therefore we suggest that you shelter them from getting soaked. Besides that, we advocate the belief of "wear it and forget about it!" The longer you wear your strap, the better it will develop it's own natural patina and become a true classic beauty. If you sweat a lot, we suggest wiping the underside of your strap with a leather specific, pH balanced leather cleaner. Only do so on the underside of your strap: avoid getting any on the visible surfaces.

How do I care for my nylon or rubber strap?
There is essentially nothing you need to do to maintain these straps. The underside of the strap can be cleaned with diluted antibacterial hand soap from time to time to keep them fresh. When cleaning nylon straps, allow them air dry (do not heat them).

Are your straps waterproof?
All our nylon and rubber straps are absolutely waterproof. Our leather straps, however, are not.

Our nylon and rubber straps make a great choice for diving and swimming. NATO and Zulu straps specifically, since they lace between the spring bars and the watch. That means if one of your spring bars breaks while diving, the watch will stay attached to your wrist via the remaining spring bar. Please note that swimming in chlorinated pools and repeated exposure to salt water can begin to fade the color on nylon straps. Swim with them at your own discretion - we claim no responsibility for faded colors on straps that get wet.

What is included with each strap?
Of course, each strap comes with the keepers and buckle as pictured. However, any watch heads, spring bars, or tools pictured are purely for illustrative purposes and are not included with the sale of each strap. Additional buckles and spring bars are available separately, under our Extras section.

Buckles

How do I order the correct size buckle?
The safest way is to use a ruler or a caliper to measure the size of the buckle that is currently on your watch strap. If it is a strap that you ordered from Crown and Buckle, give us a shout and we will let you know the correct size to order.

Can I change/replace a sewn in buckle?
It is very difficult to do so without damaging the leather of the strap, therefore we strongly urge you not to try removing a sewn in buckle.

Am I able to change the buckle on my strap?
Our classic, thumbnail, and Pre-V buckles all use spring bars and can be changed easily. Our GPF-Mod Dep buckle is sewn in (see the section above on cutting out a sewn in buckle).

What is a Pre-V buckle?
Pre-V is short for Pre-Vendome. Pre-Vendome refers to the period between Panerai's rebirth in 1993 and their acquisition by the Vendome group in 1996. All of the watches produced in that time period came with this style buckle, and even though you can still buy a Panerai with a "Pre-V" buckle to this day, the name has stuck.

What is a GPF buckle?
GPF-Mod Dep buckles, or just GPF for short, were the predecessor to the Pre-V buckle. GPF-Mod Dep is short for "Giovanni Panerai Figlio Modelo Deposato" and was the trademark engraved on the very first Panerai buckles. GPF-Mod Dep is engraved on the underside of the buckle. GPF buckles are large and flat (no curvature), so they can wear rather large on small wrists. The finish on the GPF buckles we carry was originally polished, but the buckles are pitted and aged for a vintage authenticity. GPF buckles are sewn into the strap and cannot be removed.

Can you change my buckle for me?
Absolutely. All you need to do is add the buckle you would like to your strap order, and let us know that you would like us to install it for you. We will include the original buckle from the strap with your order in case you want to change it again in the future. Additional buckles are available under our Extras section.

Extras

What size spring bars do I need to order?
If your watch is 24mm, order 24mm spring bars. The actual size of the spring bars you receive will be larger than the listed size - they will be the proper size to fit a watch with the listed lug width.

I broke a pin on my spring bar tool. Now what?
We offer replacement pins for our spring bar tools for $1.00. They are available here. If you just need a set of these and don't need to order anything else, contact us and we will mail them to you with no postage charge.

What does your black PVD coating look like up close?
It is a matte, brushed finished black PVD. It has a very nice stealth look to it, and it's perfect for matching black cased watches or black straps.

Have a question that wasn't answered here? Feel free to contact us. Also, check our Customer Service and Privacy Policy pages, as they hold many other questions and answers.