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Old 8 January 2017, 05:41 PM   #1
Ruud Van Driver
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Real Name: Chopped Liver
Location: S. Wales Valleys
Watch: Mickey Mouse
Posts: 9,924
Icon14 Dangerous9 on my 689 (and 359). Pic heavy.

I received the email from John Glance at the back of November to let me know my strap was ready (a month earlier than scheduled too). I was heading back to the UK the following week, so John offered to ship it there instead. Happy Days!

Unfortunately, Ruud Van D-head forgot to take his Panerai tools home so I couldn't fit the strap until coming back to Singapore I'm not one of these guys who's into bodgeneering with a pen and rusty bread knife, no way Jose, so I was just going to have to wait and be patient.

Anyhoo, enough of my buffoonery, on to the strap. I followed John's online instructions to the letter regarding measuring my wrist (you should read them, they're bang on and hilarious ) and he recommended a 130/80 (holey side/buckley side) and the fit is fine. I was a little concerned because it's one up from the OEM Panerai size but it works, job done. In a way, this actually fits better because I have more length of strap to fit through the keepers, so all good there.

I went for a dark walnut Teju lizard skin with a black 'Cclone' patterned Kangaroo lining and ecru stitching. The Kangaroo skin is moisture resistant, which is going to come in handy with the humidity here in Singapore. I also opted for the thick curved lug system with padding at the lugs, double keepers with one floating and one stitched, and a brushed D9 screw in buckle.

First off, it's a mild PITA to fit with the thick curved lug system and padded lugs, although I suspect it's because it's totally new to me. John does provide a link to video instructions but I winged it and got there in the end with a few Ruud words

The strap though is a masterpiece. It looks and feels total quality in everything from the aesthetics, the feel and the weight (it's not heavy but it does have substance, if you know what I mean).

I also went with the in-house screw in buckle. For the extra few €, it was silly not to. Talking of buckles, John does offer some special stuff of Mammoth fossil. They're mad money at up to €200 a pop but then this is a totally sensible hobby. Said no-one ever!

Whilst I had it made for my 689, I'm actually thinking it looks better on my 359. You can see for yourselves from the pics, when I eventually get there.......

I will most definitely have John make me another strap, most likely when I pick up my final (ha ha) PAM in August this year.

I can recommend John without hesitation but patience is required because his turnaround time is 12 to 16 weeks. They take a while but nothing this good is produced in a hurry.

In summary, this ain't a strap, this is art.

Here we go with the pics.......
Attached Images
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116520 Black, 116610 LVc, 116660 D-Blue, 116610 LNc, 116622 Blue, PAM359, PAM689, PAM737

"Why should you allow an AD to shake you down, just so you can buy a watch" - Grady Philpott
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