Stinky Leather Watch Bands

[Douglas]

This is sort of a stupid question, but I'm wondering if others run into problems with stinky leather watch bands.

I don't ever wear steel-banded watches, because I simply don't like the way they look for me, but after a while, my leather bands just start to take on an odor from the slow buildup of sweat. Though a thorough drying is good, the minute any moisture starts to go back into it from wearing, the smell bounces right back.

Fortunately, I'm only wearing relatively inexpensive vintage Omegas with generic $20-25 bands, but I wonder if I ever bought a really nice IWC or something with deployment buckle, especially that I'd be tempted to wear more often (my current watches are in something of a rotation), that it would cost a small fortune to be replacing the bands all the time. (Maybe once a year or every two years, and I'd imagine a nice IWC band has gotta be a couple hundo, right?)

Is this just part of the cost of owning a nice watch with a leather band? Or is there something I can do to prevent this, or extend the life of a band? I'm hoping some of the WISs on here have some thoughts.

 

[yachtie]

You sniff your watch band? Kinky.

 

[whiteslashasian]

How stinky are we talking here?

Like "if you're warm and begin to sweat everyone in the conference room can smell?"

Or is it more like "you can smell some stank when you shove the strap against your nostrils?"

I usually get pretty warm on my walk to work and my strap never really smells. I almost always wear the original black leather strap on a pretty low key Raymond Weil FWIW.

 

[Twotone]

Switch to a lined water-resistant leather band or nylon NATO band for hot, sticky summer months. Try wearing your watch a bit looser -- air circulation reduces the amount of sweat soaked leather.

Twotone

 

[chuckseabreeze]

Originally Posted by Douglas

This is sort of a stupid question, but I'm wondering if others run into problems with stinky leather watch bands. I don't ever wear steel-banded watches, because I simply don't like the way they look for me, but after a while, my leather bands just start to take on an odor from the slow buildup of sweat. Though a thorough drying is good, the minute any moisture starts to go back into it from wearing, the smell bounces right back. Fortunately, I'm only wearing relatively inexpensive vintage Omegas with generic $20-25 bands, but I wonder if I ever bought a really nice IWC or something with deployment buckle, especially that I'd be tempted to wear more often (my current watches are in something of a rotation), that it would cost a small fortune to be replacing the bands all the time. (Maybe once a year or every two years, and I'd imagine a nice IWC band has gotta be a couple hundo, right?) Is this just part of the cost of owning a nice watch with a leather band? Or is there something I can do to prevent this, or extend the life of a band? I'm hoping some of the WISs on here have some thoughts.
I'm no expert, so I don't know if you want my opinon. My impression is that this is inevitable, can only really be delayed by not wearing the leather band in warm weather, and possibly a "water resistant" strap will also prolong the time before the band is stinky. I'm sure you can clean it, but I doubt that will permanently solve the problem. I think it just comes down to, if you can afford a 5K IWC, then you need to also be able to afford a $100 strap replacement once a year to keep it on your wrist, odor free that is

 

[longskate88]

Tough one. You could try wearing the strap slightly looser to prevent absorbing so much sweat, but in the long run, they all do.

They make waterproof leather straps, if you can find one in the style you like that could be an option. Try Watchprince.net/.com to see if they have any.

There are always washable bands like rubber, NATO, etc. I think a rubberized backing on the leather strap would be your best bet.

 

[upnorth]

you need to let leather breathe, so two watches if you have sweaty wrist.

If you sweat excessively, you will have to remove the watch a few times a day and wipe it.

 

[gdl203]

Don't wear the same band two days in a row. That's it.

If you really sweat profusely, you can clean the band with a lexol wipe from time to time.

 

[porcelain monkey]

Two ideas:
1)Swap out for a nylon band in the summer. Buy a couple in various colors for weekend or work wear.
2) Get a good quality alligator or crocodile band. It will set you back at least a hundred bucks, but it will last three or four times as long as a cheap leather band and mine have never gotten the odor of the leather ones.

 

[Douglas]

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like this isn't all that abnormal.

It's not going to stink up a whole conference room, but I can smell it if the watch is near my face, so I'm a bit self-conscious about it. I'll try to be more diligent about rotating, and I'll try some leather waterproofer maybe on my bands, and I'll just hold off on the Portuguese until I can afford the full maintenance regime!

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Hmm, how about a cedar watch stand, sized like your wrist, to absorb the sweat.

 

[Hany]

Buy a shark skin band. You can wash it since it is waterproof.

 

[Petyot]

Kevlar or Carbon fibers could be an option too. Hirsh, Hadley-Roma or Di-modell are good brand not too expensive (between $20 and $90). A model with holes (like that one : http://www.thewatchprince.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1980/.f) would also be a good option. Pierre Edit : mesh bracelet could also be an option

 

[Wes Bourne]

Wear your watch over your shirt cuff like Agnelli?

 

[ecs135]

You might try the "tropical" versions of these Jurgen watch straps. They have a rubber layer on the inside of the strap to protect it from sweat. http://www.fredawatchstraps.com/miandpistbyj.html