Aftermarket Panerai Strap Review

Celdy Straps Review #2

Celdy Straps Panerai Straps #2

Origin: Indonesia
Construction: Hand-Stitched
Materials: Mostly New Leathers
Buckles & Tubes: Tubes and Buckles Extra
Price Range: $80+
Website: Click Here
Date of Review: September 2nd, 2014

Hopefully you've read the first review I posted on Celdy Straps, but if not you should check it out. I liked the straps so much I got two more! Priced right, and carefully crafted, Celdy straps are fantastic values and offer a significant level of customization for the price. This time the straps came in a neat little wooden box.

First up is the Tanned 01 Patina, named so presumably because it develops a nice patina over time. I haven't had the chance to experience this yet, but I have seen some photos and am excited at the prospect. The Tanned 01 Patina is a very pliable strap, with a fold-over construction designed as an OEM replacement strap for most tang buckle tapered Panerai straps. It has a bit more personality than the OEM stuff, but still lets you use the Panerai buckle.

The Tanned 01 Patina has great surface texture and feels like a good quality calf leather. Celdy Straps stitching really shines on this one as it is very straight and short - more work than longer stitches when you're doing it by hand. The longer strap bears the familiar Celdy logo, and the shorter strap has no stamping.

Here you can see the padding on the strap, which takes the strap to about 5mm at its thickest point. You can also see a good shot of the fixed and floating keepers on the short end.

Last shot of the Tanned 01 Patina to show off the fantastic texture and Dy's great stitching. A really great strap that looks fantastic on an OEM buckle for a PAM112 or similar watch, and I really enjoy it on mine! Only complaint I might have is that I think Dy should build them with tubes installed so that they have a nicer hole and are easier to install. Its just a nice touch. He can remove the tubes after if there is a cost issue, but installing them while making the strap produces more consistent results and just looks more polished.

This next one here, the Ammo 01 is a special strap. I had Dy make it with my initials and '78' stamped into the strap. You can have whatever you like stamped into it, which is a cool little extra customization. Notice the '78' is stamped into the keepers as well! The stitching breaks where there are tooled designs on the leather to give the strap that Ammo style that is so popular these days. While the Ammo 01 doesn't feel like a true vintage ammo strap, it gives you that ammo style.

The back of the strap is not painted like the front of the strap, even though it is the same leather. I had the Ammo strap made in the 2.5 layer construction on the long tail, because I find that it is more comfortable and easier to put on. I really like the option to have it made in 2, 2.5 or 3 layer construction as its not an option I often see available.

Now take a look at the close-up of the cool stamping of my initials and also of the rustic paint job that Dy gave the strap, which is very nicely done. Just a note: The leather and painting style of this strap is very similar to the Blackwood and Dark Ruby straps in the first review, with the rustic/antique style painting and wrinkly texture which I quite like.

I had this strap made specifically for my PAM288, and I think it looks fantastic on it. I wasn't sure how well the ammo style would work with a Panerai Chronograph, but the Radiomir case combined with the Chronograph dial have just enough of a hybrid look that it works well with this strap.

Again, I am very happy with the way these straps turned out, and would heartily recommend Dy at Celdy straps if you are looking for a strap in his wheelhouse. Great personalized service, attention to detail and custom strap options for what I would consider a very good price.

Straps As Reviewed:
Model: Tanned 01 Patina
Lug Width: 24/22mm
Thickness: 3mm (Padded at 5mm)
Keeper Type: 1 Fixed, 1 Floating
Stitch Color: White
Edge Finish: Smooth Burnished
Price: $110

Model: Ammo 01
Lug Width: 26mm
Thickness: 4mm tapering to 3mm
Keeper Type: 1 Fixed 1 Floating
Stitch Color: Ecru
Edge Finish: Raw Burnished
Price: $125