Dangerous9 Watch Strap Review
Discussion
So in the last few days I took delivery of a new watch strap to go on my Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph. I have had the watch for almost 10 years, and the original perforated leather strap is long gone. It was replaced 3 times over now with an economical perforated leather strap from various online stores. Whilst these were perfectly functional, they really lacked the weight and feel of the original, and they only lasted around 2-3 years each on my daily watch.
Now, a replacement from Tag is not insignificant cost, and having had one on the original watch, whilst it wore well, I didn't see the point in paying out a sizeable sum for a leather strap that is still run of the mill.
After some research on custom straps, I found Dangerous9, and I heard good things about it. The other driver to me was that I now wanted to dress up my Carrera a little, and have always wanted a nice alligator strap. I did not want another perforated strap. I also wanted to retain the original Tag deployant clasp, and have a strap of suitable weight and feel that it balanced out the watch. What I mean with that is the more economical straps were still quite thin (despite being padded) and tended to be pulled around by the watch case (which is both quite thick and weighty).
I reach out to John Glance, of Dangerous9, and began to discuss what options I had. John was a pleasure to deal with from the start. Despite initially only presenting him an query of what was on offer without any commitment to buy, he continued to keep me informed of all the information I wanted and provided his guidance on what I could do to improve the fit of the overall strap/watch combination. His passion for his work and pride in what he does is self evident.
I ended up ordering what he calls the "Million Dollar" ebony alligator strap, with baltic blue kidskin leather lining, and metallic silver french linen thread stitching. The strap was made in a custom length to centre the clasp release on my wrist, and with padding extending 60mm from the lug ends.
The strap arrived with a nice touch by way of a grey felt stitched case, that also doubles up for me as a travel and travel case for another watch. It was accompanied by a letter of thanks from John which also contained some tips on how to look after the strap in use.
Overall, the strap is outstanding. There is nothing I can say that I would like changed. Its perfect, and to me, worth every penny of what I paid. The alligator hide is amazing, with a really good deep sheen, plenty of grain that adds a nice tactile touch. The lining adds a nice custom touch and breaks the monochrome look. Stitching is also very very good, and I have every faith this strap will last a very long time. Fitting it was relatively simple, and it was supplied with new spring bars. The only struggle I had was to fit the open end of the strap into the adjuster, and I think that was just down to the natural uneven nature of the alligator hide. That said, with some gentle persuasion (using the old strap as vice jaws and a pair of pliers) I managed to get it to fit without any damage or marks. That is a testament to the quality of the strap in itself.
For the first day that I put it on, I was loving the strap, but hating the fit. The custom strap length that we set to align the clasp to the centre of my wrist meant that the folded section of the clap now sat in a odd position on the side of my wrist. It was digging in to my wrist. I started to wonder if I had made an expensive mistake, but alas, I bared with it, thinking/praying that the strap just needed to break in a little. I was right (phew). Two days in, and it was perfect, and all settled in, leaving me with a very comfortable fit with not rubbing anywhere on my wrist.
Following images are all from my phone, and I will aim to get some decent photos up again soon, but for now, I wanted to get this up and also just to enjoy my new strap.
Now, a replacement from Tag is not insignificant cost, and having had one on the original watch, whilst it wore well, I didn't see the point in paying out a sizeable sum for a leather strap that is still run of the mill.
After some research on custom straps, I found Dangerous9, and I heard good things about it. The other driver to me was that I now wanted to dress up my Carrera a little, and have always wanted a nice alligator strap. I did not want another perforated strap. I also wanted to retain the original Tag deployant clasp, and have a strap of suitable weight and feel that it balanced out the watch. What I mean with that is the more economical straps were still quite thin (despite being padded) and tended to be pulled around by the watch case (which is both quite thick and weighty).
I reach out to John Glance, of Dangerous9, and began to discuss what options I had. John was a pleasure to deal with from the start. Despite initially only presenting him an query of what was on offer without any commitment to buy, he continued to keep me informed of all the information I wanted and provided his guidance on what I could do to improve the fit of the overall strap/watch combination. His passion for his work and pride in what he does is self evident.
I ended up ordering what he calls the "Million Dollar" ebony alligator strap, with baltic blue kidskin leather lining, and metallic silver french linen thread stitching. The strap was made in a custom length to centre the clasp release on my wrist, and with padding extending 60mm from the lug ends.
The strap arrived with a nice touch by way of a grey felt stitched case, that also doubles up for me as a travel and travel case for another watch. It was accompanied by a letter of thanks from John which also contained some tips on how to look after the strap in use.
Overall, the strap is outstanding. There is nothing I can say that I would like changed. Its perfect, and to me, worth every penny of what I paid. The alligator hide is amazing, with a really good deep sheen, plenty of grain that adds a nice tactile touch. The lining adds a nice custom touch and breaks the monochrome look. Stitching is also very very good, and I have every faith this strap will last a very long time. Fitting it was relatively simple, and it was supplied with new spring bars. The only struggle I had was to fit the open end of the strap into the adjuster, and I think that was just down to the natural uneven nature of the alligator hide. That said, with some gentle persuasion (using the old strap as vice jaws and a pair of pliers) I managed to get it to fit without any damage or marks. That is a testament to the quality of the strap in itself.
For the first day that I put it on, I was loving the strap, but hating the fit. The custom strap length that we set to align the clasp to the centre of my wrist meant that the folded section of the clap now sat in a odd position on the side of my wrist. It was digging in to my wrist. I started to wonder if I had made an expensive mistake, but alas, I bared with it, thinking/praying that the strap just needed to break in a little. I was right (phew). Two days in, and it was perfect, and all settled in, leaving me with a very comfortable fit with not rubbing anywhere on my wrist.
Following images are all from my phone, and I will aim to get some decent photos up again soon, but for now, I wanted to get this up and also just to enjoy my new strap.
Edited by JatHanspal on Monday 29th October 13:34
Minor update, but figured someone may be interested, somewhere.
I have had the strap over year now, and almost been worn daily over the period. I can say, it is wearing very well. Basically it looks like it has just been fitted. Obviously a little of the sheen has gone, but the strap itself is still solid as a rock and not really showing any wear and tear. The shine is restored somewhat by some neutral show wax and a gentle polish with a soft cloth.
Really a testament to the build quality of this thing, I would again say its far superior to an OEM strap.
I have had the strap over year now, and almost been worn daily over the period. I can say, it is wearing very well. Basically it looks like it has just been fitted. Obviously a little of the sheen has gone, but the strap itself is still solid as a rock and not really showing any wear and tear. The shine is restored somewhat by some neutral show wax and a gentle polish with a soft cloth.
Really a testament to the build quality of this thing, I would again say its far superior to an OEM strap.
This was around 450 EUR. An to be honest, I think its worth every penny.
This was a bespoke one, made exactly how I wanted it. There are lower cost options depending on what you want and how fast you want it.
Best thing to do is email John (Dangerous9) and he will share a full price list covering all options.
This was a bespoke one, made exactly how I wanted it. There are lower cost options depending on what you want and how fast you want it.
Best thing to do is email John (Dangerous9) and he will share a full price list covering all options.
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