Finally Found My Own "Holy Grail" Accessory

[AntonAAK]

Those are the toggle type. Marc's has a loop and buckle that passes through the buttonhole.

True, they are not identical. Marc's one looks great and he has my congratulations on a fantastic vintage find but it's also good to know that there is a modern production option available.

Also the T-bar version is less likely to damage the button hole as the leather strap does not go through it at all.

 

[Shangas]

Can someone explain to me. How do the straps in that link differ from the one that Marc has?

 

[MikePotts]

Here's mine from Chris Balm, worn 'in' or 'out' I've seen them both ways:

MP

 

[Tommy]

Now I wonder if you could have your favorite college football team logo adorning the strap (just kidding!!!)

Are those watches for the top pocket smaller than the stsandard or the same size, they look smaller to me.

 

[AntonAAK]

Are those watches for the top pocket smaller than the stsandard or the same size, they look smaller to me.

I only have one pocket watch, standard size, and I wear it with a chain if I wear a waistcoat or with the strap otherwise.

 

[Tomasso]

I don't think the strap inflicts any more damage to the buttonhole than a boutonnière. I may have Bea whip me one up in brown crocodile.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Maybe I'm incorrect, but I was under the impression that these leather straps ended with T-bars? If that's the case, how would that damage the buttonhole?

Sadly, you are incorrect. My leather pocket watch strap does not have a t-bar, but a buckle. Leather straps with t-bars are readily found (on eBay and other online sites) in both vintage and new versions. My strap with the buckle is harder to find, unfortunately.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Can someone explain to me. How do the straps in that link differ from the one that Marc has?

Hope these photos will help. They were taken by the seller, and show my buckled strap before I'd reconditioned and polished it.

The strap has no t-bar attached, and never did. To fasten the strap onto a jacket's lapel, you have to unbuckle the strap, run the leather tongue through the boutonniere hole from back to front, pull the tongue down, and run it through the buckle.

Because the strap is flat and wide, it splays open the boutonniere hole, as can be seen in first photos I posted to this thread.


Front view:

Front view, closeup:

Back view:

 

[AntonAAK]

Those photos are helpful Mark, thanks. I've never seen one like that except in photos where they were being worn so couldn't quite visualise how they fastened.

A very nice item, congratulations.

 

[Chasseur]

The strap has no t-bar attached, and never did. To fasten the strap onto a jacket's lapel, you have to unbuckle the strap, run the leather tongue through the boutonniere hole from back to front, pull the tongue down, and run it through the buckle.

VERY nice Marc! I've looked for a couple of years now for one like that and with no success... From what you are saying they are quite difficult to find.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

... From what you are saying they are quite difficult to find.

Either difficult or pricey, or both. They seem to only show up on British eBay.


Here's one that's much nicer than mine, and the winning bid price shows it: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110718543812

 

[Chasseur]

Wow!

That was more than I would have thought one to sell for. I first noticed the buckle ones (rather than the T-bar ones) while watching Jeeves and Wooster, and I've been looking for one off and on for a couple of years now. Perhaps now I'll look more seriously...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Wow!

That was more than I would have thought one to sell for. I first noticed the buckle ones (rather than the T-bar ones) while watching Jeeves and Wooster, and I've been looking for one off and on for a couple of years now. Perhaps now I'll look more seriously...

Well, they're rare, and a handful of people do want them. I was lucky: mine was inexpensive, even with shipping from the UK. But it took four years for me to finally be that lucky.

 

[Edward]

Nice find, Marc. I've never seen one like that before myself. I do have a t'bar type somewhere, but the buckle-stly is very different. Possibly more secure, too.

That wouldn't be a hard item to bring back into production these days, with a lot of room for customization.

Yeah, and somebody could even make then with cool, vintage leather..... some crappy old, war-era A2 would be an ideal source for the material..... (I kid, I kid!!!)

 

[Talbot]

I was thinking more like the thin brown leather straps that are found on old binoculars. Already have a thin buckle and toggles are available at jewelry supplies.

Not that I recommend the wholesale slaughter of perfectly good field glasses you understand...

 

[dhermann1]

Just wondering what distance from you eyeball the watch winds up when you pull it out. I would think that with my (LATE!) middle aged vision the watch face would just be a blurr using that doodad. But it definitely looks cool.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I was thinking more like the thin brown leather straps that are found on old binoculars.

Funny you should mention it. About a year ago, I looked into becoming "McGyver" and making one myself with an old binocular or camera case strap. I found out that those straps have the proper width, but are too thick to properly loop around the lapel through its boutonniere hole. Nothing is as easy as it seems at first sight.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Just wondering what distance from you eyeball the watch winds up when you pull it out.

Well, the strapped watch can extend about 8 inches out from your chest (counting the lapel's extension too).

 

[Mr Vim]

To date I have not heard of such an interesting accessory, oh the things I learn on the lounge.

Marc, what sort of watch do you have on the strop in the photos? I fancy the design on the watch face, is it leather?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Marc, what sort of watch do you have on the strop in the photos? I fancy the design on the watch face, is it leather?

It belonged to my great-grandmother's husband, who was Belgian. It's essentially a wrist watch encased in a circular alligator skin 'biscuit' frame.


Here's a similar one. Lots of good photos: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-MON...7912346?pt=Pocket_Watches&hash=item2313e94e1a