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Strap care
https://www.breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1595		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Driver8 [ Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:58 am ]
Post subject:  Strap care
Does anyone who how you should best look after and maintain Breitling leather and croco straps?

The Panerai website recommends washing theirs periodically in lukewarm water and then leaving them to air-dry naturally (i.e. not over a heat source), but Breitling don't offer any advice on how to maintain theirs.
Author:  sportback [ Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:19 am ]
Post subject: 
I think it rather depends on the treatment they get when they're manufactured. Panerai got to great lengths to explain how they dip bits of strap in fake sweat etc. to test the resistance to marks - I haven't noticed any particular marking appear on the OEM straps, but the others that I've bought seem prone to water marks.

Equally, some Panerisiti maintain that the marks etc. add to the general 'patina' and should be encouraged.

I have a liquid polish given to me when I bought some posh shoes (very unlike me) and I would imagine a quick buff up with that would help 'oil' the leather and keep it supple, as well as protecting the surface and preventing the ingress of water.

Anyway alligators (and crocodiles) are waterproof aren't they? Haven't ever seen anyone going around polishing crocodiles...

Of course, by far the best way would be to take them off and put them in a box at the back of the wardrobe...and never use them!
Author:  Driver8 [ Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:58 am ]
Post subject: 
sportback wrote:
Anyway alligators (and crocodiles) are waterproof aren't they? Haven't ever seen anyone going around polishing crocodiles...

:lol: Apparently croco is no more waterproof than cow when made into a strap. And I've not noticed too many farmers polishing their cows either! (Hmmm wasn't there a "gentleman's film" that involved that??! :wink: )

sportback wrote:
Of course, by far the best way would be to take them off and put them in a box at the back of the wardrobe...and never use them!

Funny you should say that, but I've been getting paranoid about getting scratches of late, so I may have to consider that as an option!
Author:  aleister [ Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:01 am ]
Post subject: 
Driver8 wrote:
sportback wrote:


Of course, by far the best way would be to take them off and put them in a box at the back of the wardrobe...and never use them!

Funny you should say that, but I've been getting paranoid about getting scratches of late, so I may have to consider that as an option!


What are we actually talking about here? Putting the gators in your wardrobe? Or posh shoes? Or the Breitling straps? :wink:
Author:  sportback [ Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:12 am ]
Post subject: 
I meant the alligators - what else? :wink:
Author:  Flynbyu [ Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:30 am ]
Post subject: 
In my neck of the woods, saddle soap works well on leather goods.

~Brian
Author:  rhequest [ Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:17 pm ]
Post subject: 
i'm curious about what is the best way to care for a croco strap too. with the winter weather finally starting to really kick in, its getting too freaking cold to wear a steel bracelet some mornings. is there anything i should do with my croco strap before wearing it for the first time? and anything to make sure it lasts as long as possible? deployant buckle btw.
Author:  Driver8 [ Wed Jan 23, 2008 5:23 am ]
Post subject: 
rhequest wrote:
i'm curious about what is the best way to care for a croco strap too. with the winter weather finally starting to really kick in, its getting too freaking cold to wear a steel bracelet some mornings. is there anything i should do with my croco strap before wearing it for the first time? and anything to make sure it lasts as long as possible? deployant buckle btw.

Brian's response aside, it seems that no-one knows, rhequest! This may be a question to fire off to the Breitling contact email address that Admin found for us. The only think I can think of using to clean it is a product designed for cleaning leather car seats by Autoglym. It works really well on my car seats and apparently it replaces the natural oils in the leather to stop it from drying out and cracking. In the absence of any better ideas, it maybe worth giving it a go if and when the strap gets a bit dirty over time.

In terms of making a strap last as long as possible the only things I can think of are - firstly, a deployant clasp as it takes the stress off the strap when taking it on and off. And secondly, not wearing a strap everyday as they benefit from being allowed to rest (i.e. lets any sweat evaporate, etc, etc).
Author:  Flynbyu [ Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:10 am ]
Post subject: 
Here's a product that I've used on a leather jacket of mine.

Click here: http://www.leathermagic.com/

~Brian
Author:  rhequest [ Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
i'm sorry, i think i misphrased my question. i was trying to ask is there a difference in the way you're supposed to treat/care for calf leather, croco leather and whatever other variations might be out there, or is it basically all the same? there that sounds more like what i was strying to say.

jason
Author:  Driver8 [ Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:02 am ]
Post subject: 
rhequest wrote:
i'm sorry, i think i misphrased my question. i was trying to ask is there a difference in the way you're supposed to treat/care for calf leather, croco leather and whatever other variations might be out there, or is it basically all the same? there that sounds more like what i was strying to say.
jason

Ah-ha, yeah I think I misinterpreted your post. :oops: However, my answer isn't going to be much help as I honestly don't know if croco or leather should be treated/cared for differently! :( I think I'll fire off a note to Breitling and try and get a definitive answer on this. I'll keep you posted.
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