Hermes Leather Watch Straps

In this article we’re going to explore the Hermes leather straps by Hadely Roma.

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As many of you know I’m a huge fan of changing out watch straps to totally change the look & feel of a watch.

Above you can see the Patek Philippe 5034 with the green strap, which I recently wore to a black tie function.

Personally I thought the dark green and black straps were the most classic, and plugged some holes in my 18mm strap collection.

They can be bought from Dapper Lapel for a 20% discount off the retail of $59.95.

Hermes Leather Straps

As one should select their attire to suit the occasion, the same can be said of the marriage between watch head and strap.

Selecting The Right Color

The straps come in a variety of 10 different colors, and feature a distinctive grain associated with the Hermes brand.

Further, they also come in a variety of widths:

• 16mm
• 18mm
• 20mm

And feature a medium pad that wears well right out of the box.

The best way to describe how one might decide upon the right color, is to show you an example of a recent decision I made.

I had a black tie event fast approaching with the theme of “The Emerald City”. Thus I knew the event was 1) formal, and 2) had a green theme.

With these two pieces of information, I wanted to wear my most formal watch the Patek Philippe 5034 “Travel Time,” and pair it with a still slightly fun but classic strap. The green Hermes leather seemed like the perfect fit for my needs.

Changing Out The Straps

The Patek 5034 comes with a stock black strap, so I needed to change out the strap. Be careful to always work from the back of the watch in order to prefect the face a crystal. You can use a watch band tool as shown, or a small pocket knife blade also does the trick.

Wearing The Strap: Front, Side & Buckle View

Below you can see four different views of the strap as worn at the aforementioned event.

I had several complements on the strap, as it’s not a usual color. But with that being said, it did not detract from the pure elegance of the classic Calatrava watch case and face of the watch head.

It’s all about balance, and knowing where to take a few chances depending on where you are and who you’re with.

A Little History On Hermes

Hermes was founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermes (1801-1878). Thierry was born in Germany, but raised in France.

Thierry was a skilled artisan and the company started as a harness-maker and saddlery for the Parisian upper class. This was the start of Hermes becoming known for its leather products. In the beginning, Hermes was purely a family business and its owner was fully dedicated to his craft.

Thierry became particularly well respected thanks to his ability to create an exceptional saddle-stitch at a time when everything related to horses and their equipment was of extreme importance. Moreover, the Hermes saddle was specifically designed to make it easy to carry it. Thierry’s clients included Napoleon III, and empress Eugenie.

The business expanded primarily under Charles-Emile, Thierry’s son. He took over management of the firm in 1879, and moved the shop to its current address on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in 1880 (seen below).

It wasn’t until 1922 that the company introduced the first handbags. In 1924, they expanded into the United States. In 1929, Hermes released the first women’s fashion apparel collection in Paris.

Hermes became increasingly famous thanks to the “Kelly” bag and the “Birkin” bag. The Kelly bag was launched in 1935, and it was originally intended as a saddle bag. It was later redesigned and became the ladies bag made extremely popular by Grace Kelly in 1956.

In the 1937, Hermes opened the first scarf factory.

In 1946, they began selling silk ties and in 1949 they launched their perfumes collection.

After Charles-Emile retired, Robert Dumas-Hermes took over. He is best known for adding ties to the collection. Interestingly, Robert was related to the family by marriage, but added the Hermes name to his own.

During the 1970s the firm expanded. Shops were created internationally in Europe, the US, and Japan. Jean-Louis Dumas-Hermes took over from Robert and began to travel the world in search of modern ideas that he would then turn into successful products.

By 2008, Hermes had 14 divisions covering a wide variety of products, including, according to The Richest, “perfume, jewelry, menswear, footwear, clothing, leather, luxury goods, ready-to-wear, scarves, and ties”. In the US, they had more than 20 boutiques. According to The Richest, Hermes’ sales are currently made up of 30% leather goods, 15% clothes, 12% scarves, and 15% ties.

In terms of ownership, according to Fashionista, the family still holds 71% of the shares with 29% being held by the public.

Final Thoughts On Strap

Overall I was very happy with both the quality of the Hermes leather, and the construction of the strap itself by Hadely Roma.

I shall be looking into getting several more colors, especially in the 20mm width to match up with my Omega Seamaster 300 Spectre, and Rolex GMT Master-II “Batman”.

They can be purchased at Dapper Lapel here [with a bulk discount]. Or on Amazon.com here.

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