Bund Strap: Remaking an old Watch Band

A customer found an old Paul Frank watch and wanted the band remade. The watch still worked; however, the band was ragged and worn out. He envisioned a new band reminiscent of the old band with superior looks and quality. This was a fun exploratory project where I could replace and refine the old strap.

I first looked at the old strap to gather measurements and see how the watch fit. The band looks like fake leather by the way it is worn out. It could also be reconstituted leather, bits of leather dust glued together. You can see the thin top layer flaking away and the cloth base revealed underneath.

What intrigues me about this kind of project is the forensic-like task of identifying the wear points. I anticipated the holes and the billet end to be the most affected, as the constant action of taking the watch on and off would naturally subject this part to much stretching and bending.

I did not expect this tear on the buckle side. It seemed like a random failure on the strap. Examining it further, I suspect this wear is from the keeper rubbing on the strap during use and when opening the buckle. It’s another consideration to file away for future designs.

The wraps at the lugs are also a common fail point as they are a thin part of the band and subject to stress as the strap curves around the wrist and pulls against the rigid watch body.

The seams surprisingly held up the best. Even over the billet, there isn’t a single worn or loose stitch. The thread is thin, and the stitch holes are tiny. It’s a machine stitch and very accurate. The top thread is a hair thicker than the bobbin thread. If the company cheaped out on materials, they did not skimp on the sewing. Either that or this was a machining lucky fluke. 

The whole thing is starting to disintegrate. The thin red upper layer is peeling in ever larger chunks. The liner, while thicker than the upper, is cracking throughout. Big flakes are coming off the billet side where the continual wear from the buckle tongue has shredded the back.

What is a Bund Watch Strap

This strap design and the larger second piece have a history. It’s a derivative of a bund strap. These straps were initially made for the Federal Republic of Germany Air Force, that is, the Bundesrepublik Deutschland. The bund strap design added a layer between the pilot’s wrist and the metal case, which could get hot and cold because of the extreme cockpit temperatures. It also attaches the watch more securely to the wrist and dampens vibrations.

Many derivatives have been made from the original straps throughout the decades. Many older Americans might remember bund straps because of Paul Newman and his use of one with a Rolex Daytona in the 1970s. The overall effect of the second strap, sometimes called an ‘American plate,’ is to make the whole band much more sturdy, almost cuff-like. Many modern designs make the strap into just that, ranging from a smaller under-plate to a thick and wide bracer.

Back to The Beginning

Knowing more about the history of the strap’s design and its function, I wanted to bring the strap’s design back to its roots. The old strap combined the two pieces and added two smaller straps to attach to the main one. It’s not bad, but you lose versatility here. The attached smaller straps cannot be adjusted, so this band will only ever fit this watch or ones of identical length. I separated the strap and the plate like the original design, so you can wear the strap with any watch and optionally remove the plate.

This also goes back to the old military design in that you can replace the parts without servicing or tossing the entire strap.

New Leather Bund Strap, Original Colors, More Functionality

The new strap incorporates the above considerations and keeps the original colors. Of course, I used full-grain leather instead of the faux leather on the original: chevre for the top and natural veg-tan for the liner. The upper red leather matches the watch face’s colors but also adds the ability to remove the plate and have a second, slimmer look and lighter feel when the wearer needs it. Next, I inserted some fillers to add more contours to the bands and give them a more dynamic and luxurious look. They also reinforce the strap, though, with the plate, this is already plenty sturdy. I shaped the curves of the straps when gluing the layers together. The final look echos the original strap and some modern enhancements but also brings back the flexible design features of a real bund strap.