Aftermarket Panerai Review

Bob Watch Straps Review

Waccex Bob Panerai Straps

Origin: Germany
Construction: Lock-Stitched
Materials: New Leathers
Buckles & Tubes: Tubes Included
Price Range: $88-108
Website: Click Here
Date of Review: August 20th, 2008

I received my four Bob Straps from Christian of Waccex the other day, and have been wearing one of them ever since. Of the more gentlemany looking straps, I have to say that Bob straps are my favourite right now. The first three straps (from left to right: Antigua, Brandy, Mondena) are from the Marino line, while the fourth strap (Buffalo Brown) is from the slightly more affordable Vertigo line of straps.

I had already heard of Bob straps since they are extremely popular on Ebay and especially amongst Breitling Collectors. They make a fantastic strap for the money, and their new line of Hand Made Panerai straps is even better! The Marino and Vertigo line of straps from Bob Straps are hand made in Germany of Italian Leathers.

As you can see, they proudly display "Handgemacht", German for "Handmade", on the backs of the straps. Also note that there is a liner on these straps, which is rare with aftermarket non-tapered straps of this type. They are commonly seen on OEM style straps, but not this type. I think its a nice touch and makes the strap more comfortable. Nice classy touch!

All four straps I received are 24/24 width straps, suitable for Panerai Luminors.

All Waccex Bob straps include tubes, which is a nice value-added feature. With strap companies charging $9/pair, its really handy not to have to pay extra.

The Vertigo straps are sort of a brushed leather, and have a black, slightly less soft liner, while the Marino straps are a semi-gloss, with a softer liner, which I like better. The Marino straps also have a more supple feel to them, and have a tighter stitch, that sits closer to the edge.

The keepers on these straps are thinner and more low-profile than your typical aftermarket straps. This is a good thing if you are looking for something less chunky and more streamlined. I do like chunky straps a lot, but I found myself absolutely loving this Barillo Calf Antigua strap on my PAM90. This is one of my favourite straps, and not just for the money - I really like this strap!

My initial impression of these straps is that they match anything that I've seen in the $150 range in overall quality. They are handmade, but look absolutely perfect. But given their modest price of $84.50 for a Marino, and $63.70 for a Vertigo, its a no-Brainer - you need to get some of these straps. Very good value if you are looking for a strap in this style.

The buckle seen here is also from Waccex, and is of significantly better quality that other buckles I've bought that look sort of the same. The finish is perfect on these buckles. I am not sure where they were made, but they are better than the usual Chinese products I've seen.

It looks fantastic on my PAM90, and it's not coming off for a while. The pictures make the strap look yellower than it is, its really more of an orange. I really think this strap fits a niche that wants the chunky look and feel of a 24/24 strap with a pre-v style buckle but also has thin and unobtrusive keepers that keep the watch streamlined for easy wear under your cuff.

Awesome straps. I really enjoy these, and they are probably my favourite all-purpose strap!