I purchased my first dress watch last month, a Frederique Constant reference FC-260WR5B6. This is a quartz, day/date and moonphase two hand watch, and it's the perfect budget (my budget 
) moonphase watch.
The only thing I dislike about it is the strap it came with, a matte black, padded faux-croc calf leather strap. It's pretty decently padded, and that contributed to my main dislike about the strap- it was super stiff. So stiff it made the watch hover above my wrist, or else slide to the side.
So I decided to replace it. I'm the kind of guy that hates faux or inauthentic things, and so I decided on a genuine croc strap. Panatime had a fantastic sale this Black Friday, and so I decided to buy from there. This is the first time I've ordered from them.
Thanks to the sale I was able to order three straps, all 20mm. I received them today; this is what they look like, and my initial thoughts.
1. Rios1931 Lord Genuine Crocodile
This strap is really, really beautiful. It's very lightly padded- the perfect amount to match this watch's slimness, in my opinion. The glossy black is just classy, and slightly to my surprise, the gloss doesn't make it look cheap at all- I think this is an advantage of the genuine hide. You can tell this is quality. Construction is flawless and it is reasonably soft- it will take a bit of breaking in of course, but it's very comfortable out of the box. The croc pattern isn't as bold as some watches and is ab it more subtle, which I like- again, this doesn't look faux or cheap at all.
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2. Rios1931 Avenue Genuine Teju Lizard
This strap is a clear winner as well. Again, construction is absolutely flawless, and the strap looks fantastic. It has a beautiful subtle lizard pattern, and the dark brown color (mocha) is rich and even. This strap is very lightly padded as well and has a glossy finish. Really most of my thoughts about the crocodile strap apply to this one as well. I especially like the deep, rich brown of this strap- it looks like a really classy, dressy alternative to black. I notice that in the pictures it almost appears a bit burgundy- in real life this isn't really the case. It's pretty much a straight dark brown.
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3. Panatime White Java Rock Python Skin
I admit I went a little crazy here, but boy am I glad I did. I'm a quiet guy, dress pretty conservative (avatar is not me), and not into flash or exotic stuff much- but this strap is incredible. First thing I notice is that beautiful brown/gray/white mottled pattern- accentuated by the rich texture of the hide. The python skin is matte and extremely soft and supple. It is an absolute pleasure on the wrist. I love the bead blasted silver buckle, and the whole strap is just breathtaking. I really, really love this strap- I may not keep it on this watch since it's rather conservative, but you can bet I'll be looking for another 20mm lug watch to keep on it permanently. So thanks, Panatime- the watch industry owes you for making this strap. :-d
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All straps:
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All told I am extremely satisfied with the quality and appearance of both the Rios1931 and Panatime straps. I will most certainly be making more purchases from them in the future.
) moonphase watch.The only thing I dislike about it is the strap it came with, a matte black, padded faux-croc calf leather strap. It's pretty decently padded, and that contributed to my main dislike about the strap- it was super stiff. So stiff it made the watch hover above my wrist, or else slide to the side.
So I decided to replace it. I'm the kind of guy that hates faux or inauthentic things, and so I decided on a genuine croc strap. Panatime had a fantastic sale this Black Friday, and so I decided to buy from there. This is the first time I've ordered from them.
Thanks to the sale I was able to order three straps, all 20mm. I received them today; this is what they look like, and my initial thoughts.
1. Rios1931 Lord Genuine Crocodile
This strap is really, really beautiful. It's very lightly padded- the perfect amount to match this watch's slimness, in my opinion. The glossy black is just classy, and slightly to my surprise, the gloss doesn't make it look cheap at all- I think this is an advantage of the genuine hide. You can tell this is quality. Construction is flawless and it is reasonably soft- it will take a bit of breaking in of course, but it's very comfortable out of the box. The croc pattern isn't as bold as some watches and is ab it more subtle, which I like- again, this doesn't look faux or cheap at all.
2. Rios1931 Avenue Genuine Teju Lizard
This strap is a clear winner as well. Again, construction is absolutely flawless, and the strap looks fantastic. It has a beautiful subtle lizard pattern, and the dark brown color (mocha) is rich and even. This strap is very lightly padded as well and has a glossy finish. Really most of my thoughts about the crocodile strap apply to this one as well. I especially like the deep, rich brown of this strap- it looks like a really classy, dressy alternative to black. I notice that in the pictures it almost appears a bit burgundy- in real life this isn't really the case. It's pretty much a straight dark brown.
3. Panatime White Java Rock Python Skin
I admit I went a little crazy here, but boy am I glad I did.
I'm a quiet guy, dress pretty conservative (avatar is not me), and not into flash or exotic stuff much- but this strap is incredible. First thing I notice is that beautiful brown/gray/white mottled pattern- accentuated by the rich texture of the hide. The python skin is matte and extremely soft and supple. It is an absolute pleasure on the wrist. I love the bead blasted silver buckle, and the whole strap is just breathtaking. I really, really love this strap- I may not keep it on this watch since it's rather conservative, but you can bet I'll be looking for another 20mm lug watch to keep on it permanently. So thanks, Panatime- the watch industry owes you for making this strap. :-d
All straps:
All told I am extremely satisfied with the quality and appearance of both the Rios1931 and Panatime straps. I will most certainly be making more purchases from them in the future.
