Journal

Alligator vs Crocodile Leather Watch Straps: How to Tell Them Apart

What separates alligator from crocodile, why looks alone cannot confirm a skin, how to question an embossed strap, and what matters more than the species.

What Is Saffiano Leather? A Watch Strap Guide

Saffiano refers to a crosshatch pattern pressed into leather. Here is how the Saffiano calfskin we use from Superior wears as a watch strap, where it falls short, and the four styles we make in it.

Epsom vs Saffiano Leather: Which Watch Strap Should You Choose?

Epsom and Saffiano are trade names for two textured calfskins. We compare the versions Cernir uses: their surface, feel when new, available styles, wear and care.

What Is Epsom Leather? A Guide for Watch Strap Buyers

Epsom is a calfskin with a machine-printed (embossed) grain. Here is how the Epsom we use from Tanneries Haas looks and wears as a watch strap, and when another leather may suit you better.

Why Cernir Uses Hand Saddle Stitching

Why we saddle stitch our stitched straps by hand, how a saddle stitch compares with machine stitches, and what the durability of a seam really depends on.

How to Choose the Right Leather for Your Watch Strap

A side-by-side guide to the 11 leathers we make watch straps from: where each comes from, how it looks and feels, how it changes with wear and which styles we make it in.

Behind Every Watch Strap: How a Cernir Piece Comes Together

How a new strap takes shape at our Da Nang workshop, from sketches and leather samples to four-layer construction, hand-checked hides and the final stitch.