The Breitling Watch Source Forums

So... I was hoping someone can explain this to me.
How is a leather strap $160 and the leather croc is $480?

THEY ARE BOTH LEATHER! (right? ) Is there something that makes is THAT valuable or is it just because Breitling knows our dumb a$$s will buy it and rip us a new one:uplaugh:

Im scratching my head on this one.

Anyone feel the same way?

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Past: BlackBird, Navi World, SA, Rolex DJII, IWC Yacht Club
Present: CE, DSSD
Future: Changes daily

There are a lot more cows than crocodiles in this world.....

I'm not a tanner, but my guess is that it's a bit more difficult to prepare/work with alligator/croc.

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“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” - Albert Einstein

The material cost of croc and leather is also different.

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Breitling Navitimer 1461 jours silver dial with dark glazed cognac alligator strap

Yeah, after watching an episode of Swamp People on the history channel, I can see that getting calf leather would be a lot easier than crocs or gators

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Justin
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I understand that "croc" is expensive....my argument here is that- isn't the croc strap actually made out of 100% leather. Isn't it more of a Croc pattern on leather?

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Past: BlackBird, Navi World, SA, Rolex DJII, IWC Yacht Club
Present: CE, DSSD
Future: Changes daily

maybe someone can answer this as well.....I came across a hornback strap being sold where the guy said that only one hornback strap can be made from an entire hide. Was this specific to his strap, the case for most hornback straps, or was he full of it.

In most places where the crocodiles live, it is illegal to hunt them.
Not the cows. We can kill as much as we want.
That's why the croc straps or anything made with crocs are more expensive than leathers.

I think the croc strap is made of 100% croc, no cow included.......

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Steel Fish (Blue Dial)

No. Faux croc and genuine are completely different. Breitling's croc straps are made from crocodile skin which has been tanned (preserved) and cut, tooled, and stitched for use as a strap. this is not just a matter of stamping a pattern on calfskin leather.

More about how leather is made:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanning

You can make leather from all types of animal skins.

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“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” - Albert Einstein

I think generic made too good to be true priced "croc" straps are made from cow hide but just have the croc pattern stamped. The ones from Breitling and well-known strap makers that say croc straps are most likely made from crocodiles. That would be my guess at least.

On the other hand, Crocodile Dundee probably got/made his strap for free so in that case, Crocodile is cheaper than leather.

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Current:
Breitling Chronomat Evolution

You are thinking of the cheap "croc look" straps. Basically regular leather with a pattern embossed into it. Breitling straps are genuine crocodile. The pattern is the actual pattern cut from the croc hide. Like Thomas says, some pieces are very rare and only comprise a small portion of the entire croc hide, and those pieces are even more expensive. Its like a filet vs. a NY strip.

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-RJ

If I see a croc strap listed for less than $75 I assume it is embossed. It is the same with belts, shoes, etc.

I am sorry but I for one refuse to pay $480.00 for two little strips of leather!

As a result and I may offend the Breitling Gods – LMAO - I have my 1461/52 on a Tourneau Alligator Strap and to the untrained eye they don’t know the difference!

However, if someone makes an enquiring comment about my watch while I am wearing it, I am the first to explain the complications followed by the fact that the strap is not a genuine Breitling. Lol As of this writing all but I person agreed with me & he just wanted to sell me the Breitling strap and no he was not my regular AD!

Hope that my comments aren’t seen as sacrilegious to the Breitling Gods

Best Regards,
Enezdez

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IWC - Big Pilot 5002 - 01
IWC - Pilot Chrono 3717 - 04
Panerai - 183
Omega - Speedmaster 145.012 / 67
Rolex - Explore II (Black Dial) - 216570
Rolex - Explore I 114270
Blancpain FF 5015

Not at all. I think it really just comes down to crocco leather is expensive no matter what form it takes. A small wallet will run you a few hundred just the same, and dont even get started looking at high end luggage. That is just ridiculous!

As for the straps....If an embossed strap is all the same to you I would say put that extra $300+ towards your next B

Very few croc scales have horns (just the ones down the back) so while you might be able to get more than one from a large hide, you won't from a smaller hide.

Same thing with shagreen (stingray) - only one pearl per hide so price is very high.

As has been said to the OP's question - genuine croc straps are made of croc, the fakes are cow as are the aftermarket 'crocodile pattern'.

Incidentally, a lot of suppliers now use alligator instead of croc because they can get the hides more easily and cheaply as a by product of the alligator meat farming industry.