Watches are becoming more and more important in modern life. In Western countries, watches, pens, and lighters were once known as the “three treasures” of adult men, and they are indispensable for every man. On formal social occasions, watches are often regarded as jewelry, and the watches are worn by people often reflect their status, identity, and wealth.
As an important accessory of a watch, a watchband often determines the beauty and taste of a watch. Therefore, the straps of many high-end watches are strictly designed and selected.
The small strap is the least valuable part of the watch, but its price is also divided into different grades. We can often see in watch shops that the price of a watchband ranges from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. Many high-end famous watches, the price of their watch straps is also very high.
However, the strap has to be buckled and removed every day, which is the most easily damaged and old part. If the strap is damaged, it will seriously affect the appearance of the watch. You can choose to replace it with a new strap or send it to a watch repair shop for repair.
If your expensive watch strap is unfortunately damaged and you don’t want to spend money to buy a new expensive watch strap, you can repair it by following steps.
Normally, both steel watchbands and leather watch bands can be repaired. Silicone watchbands are not suitable for repair due to the characteristics of their materials. The following will introduce the simple repair steps for the leather watch bands.
Step 1 Clean the leather
To make the adhesive and the patch bond firmly, you need to start processing from the leather surface. Mix a small amount of detergent with water in a spray bottle and shake it to make it soapy. Spray the leather surface with water and wipe it clean with a rag. If any dirt or oily residue is left, the adhesive may not be able to bond to the leather. So be sure to use a dry brush to remove any dirt, dust, or debris on the leather surface.
Step 2 Smooth leather cracks
Pat your leather with a little mink oil. Use the back of a stainless steel spoon to smooth it on the surface, and use light pressure while rubbing the cracks until the cracks don’t look so deep or obvious. When working on belts or similar items, use a hard surface.
Step 3 Processing the leather
Once the crack is as good as possible, you need to condition all the leather on the item. Shoe polish is an excellent product for dealing with cracked leather because it can not only color the cracks in the leather but also mix the color of the entire item. This means that the cracks in the leather will be mixed well.
Use used dry paper to cut into the size of the crack plus extra inches around it. Use a spatula to apply leather glue to the inside and one inch around the crack. With the glue kept moist, use a spatula to move the dry sheet into the crack. Unfold the dry paper so that it is connected to the glue, and then press the two sides of the leather together until the two sides touch. Dry the area overnight, then apply mink oil to smooth the cracks.
After the repair is completed, be sure to use the leather conditioner at least once a week.
Summary
Leather strap repair is a very meticulous job and requires certain skills. If you can’t repair it, you can also replace it with a new watch strap. You can search for “leather watch bands near me” or “leather watchband store” on Google to find the nearest watch band supply. Or buy your favorite strap on Amazon or eBay.
