New member introduction

[baptistsan]

Thanks for the pics Toshi. Absolutely love it. May have to make do with my Monster for now. Off to sell some body parts

[Stitch]

Toshi

you haven't mentioned that your passion for watches extends to straps.

Particularly hand made, high quality straps in a great range of colour combinations!

Great photos

[Spice_Weasel]

Hi Rich, and welcome!

[Toshi]

Spice_Weasel said:

Hi Rich, and welcome!

Thanks Alastair

[Debaser]

I love the chunky look of the watches in your pictures. I especially like the IWC Aquatimer, the Seiko Marinemaster and the Sinn. Welcome to the site.

[okgo]

Glad you have joined, I saw your work via here, and am still loving the strap you made for my Planet Ocean 6 months later.

Some lovely pieces you have there!

[CmdrBond]

Welcome Rich

[Arun_D]

Welcome to the forum, Rich. Love your pics of some of your collection.

Gotta say a big thankyou for the great green-stitched black leather strap you made for my girlfriend last month. It looks great on her new Fossil, will have to get a pic up.

[tomw2000]

Welcome Rich.

(strap looking great on the Franck Muller btw, so thanks for that. Just need decent pics now)

[dustybottoms]

Hi Toshi and welcome!

I have admired your watch straps for some time now having seen them on Pistonheads and TZ-UK, lovely items all of them.

I would be interested to know how you got in to your craft, were you a saddlemaker or did you learn your trade some other way?

Regards,

Dustybottoms

[Toshi]

dustybottoms said:

Hi Toshi and welcome!

I have admired your watch straps for some time now having seen them on Pistonheads and TZ-UK, lovely items all of them.

I would be interested to know how you got in to your craft, were you a saddlemaker or did you learn your trade some other way?

Regards,

Dustybottoms

No, never a saddlemaker, but always a WIS with big wrists

I like leather straps on certain watches, but because I have 8" wrists most pre-made straps were too small (and quality wasn't always as good as I liked). I'd bought straps from a few strap makers in the US, but at £100 - £170 per strap it was getting quite expensive.

Two years ago I decided I needed a holiday after a particularly stressful period at work, but my wife had no days left to take, so I was trying to decide what to do on my own with the week off work I'd booked. I didn't want to stay at home (she'd have me doing all the DIY I'd been putting off if I did) so was thinking about a weeks diving in Dahab. I can't remember why I thought of it, but I did an internet search for a leatherwork course and got talking to a master saddlemaker "up north" who agreed to teach me the basics. I signed up for the week and loved it. Came away with three straps I'd made myself (and thouhght they were very good - but looking back now they weren't LOL)

When I got home a couple of mates liked the straps and asked me to make some for them, and it went from there really. They told their friends etc. Last spring I decided that I was spending too much time answering emails and PMs about my straps and I should put up a website so that people wouldn't need to ask me so many questions (not that I mind answering questions, but it's so much easier if people can see the leathers / buckles / thread colouyrs I have without asking me to send pictures), and spent 4 months building the site from scratch (which was tough for someone with no knowledge of html or java).

So although it's still a hobby I work around my day job I'm busier now than I was before, but it's nice to hear that people like my straps

[dustybottoms]

Thanks Toshi for your indepth reply, really interesting! I love to hear about people picking up new hobbies and then turning them in to a business. Good on you, for choosing something that has a real old school art about it! I hope to be in touch soon for a strap for one or two of my watches. All the best to you!

[leginigel]

I'm fan too of your straps but have only just started to play about changing them around.In fact this is my first go,today.

Hope you put some of your work on here to gives us some ideals.P.S you will soon get in to the cars.

[Dr G]

Hi Rich, lovely collection you've got there!

I'm looking to buy my first 'proper' automatic and the Sinn 857/tan strap in your gallery is a very pretty thing.

Do you know where in the UK one can be obtained from without bending over? Your strap certainly transforms it from the standard black.

[Toshi]

Dr G said:

Hi Rich, lovely collection you've got there!

I'm looking to buy my first 'proper' automatic and the Sinn 857/tan strap in your gallery is a very pretty thing.

Do you know where in the UK one can be obtained from without bending over? Your strap certainly transforms it from the standard black.

As far as I know there are only 2 official Sinn ADs in the UK. Chronomaster and (recently) Jura Watches. Sinn's prices have gone up a little over the last 12 months (due I expect to the changes in GBP v Euro), but I would imagine you'll be able to negotiate a little off the list price with either of these.

Good luck, it's a lovely watch

[wazza]

Welcome aboard Rich!

[gib6933]

wow! your straps look fantastic! am a big bracelet fan normally, but now im wondering about a strap for my seamaster

Would you ever consider making something else? eg a car key cover / fob in the same leather as the watch strap?

[GTIR]

Hi.

I have only just started getting into watches (rc helicopters are too expensive) over the last month and I have heard of you! Your reputation proceeds you.

Surprised your a 40's bloke based in England mind



Eta: where does the name Toshi originate from?

Edited by GTIR on Thursday 27th August 20:45

[darko]

[quote=Dr G]

.... the Sinn 857/tan strap in your gallery is a very pretty thing.

quote]

Looks tremendous.

So much so my 'almond with black stictching' arrived last week!

Nice to see some quality craftmanship these days. Cheers Rich

[cyberface]

GTIR said:

I have only just started getting into watches (rc helicopters are too expensive)

Mwuahahahaaaaaa



Just you wait.