Aftermarket Panerai Review

Atelier Du Cuir Zulu Straps Review

Atelier Du Cuir Panerai Straps

Origin: Korea
Construction: Hand-Stitched
Materials: New and Exotic Leathers and Hides
Buckles & Tubes: Tubes and Buckles Included
Price Range: $55-300
Website: Click Here
Date of Review: February 26th, 2013

Atelier Du Cuir, which translates to "Leather Workshop" in English, is a Korean Leathersmith who produces handmade watch straps as well as other meticulously crafted leather goods. This is the first Korean strapmaker that I have encountered, and they are certainly not a dissapointment. I never heard of them until the owner emailed me on one of my other sites, and I was introduced to the world of Atelier Du Cuir. I visited their Etsy site, which has some interesting items, and could tell that the company definately takes pride in their work. I am always much more excited with straps when there is that care and craftsmanship that indicates a deep passion to produce beautiful wares.

The Zulu straps are the company's more affordable straps, costing a mere $55 - chump change in the world of Panerai and straps. The straps use only the best leather that Italy has to offer, and their deeply fragrant vegetable tanned straps are an attestation to that. This particular model uses Buttero leather from Italy, and the color called "Light Maroon".

The strap features typical Zulu construction with single layer leather and foldover stitched in stainless steel rings. The back and sides of the strap appear to be burnished, and are cut very straight and precisely. This strap has a very polished feel to it - Atelier Du Cuir did it justice, ticking all the right boxes and making sure not to miss the small things that make great straps great. Make no mistake, this is a great strap, especially at this price range - IF you like Zulu straps.

The Atelier Du Cuir logo is smartly stamped into the middle of the strap, where the watch head sits so its not visible when in use. The stamp oozes class and just puts that final cherry on top for me. I am really impressed by this little $55 strap - I am really looking forward to seeing what else these guys can do! Its a simple design, but they've done everything right here in my book. The strap is a bit shorter than some straps I have owned, and seems to be good to about a 7 1/2" wrist, depending on what kind of watch you are putting it on.

Note the logo tag that's attached on the back of the strap along with a serial number, another nice touch and elevates the class of the strap.

Overall this is a superb strap. It does everything right if you like Zulu straps. Their other offerings are significantly more expensive, so this Zulu is a way to get into one of their straps at a lower price. Beautiful Italian leather, meticulous cutting and burnishing, clean precise stitching, precision stamped and serial numbered - This is the nicest Zulu strap I've ever experienced! Highly recommended

Strap As Shown:
Model: Leather Zulu
Leather: Buttero Treated and Finished in Italy
Color: Light Maroon
Thickness: 1.8 - 1.9 mm
Stitch Color: Light Grey
Edge Finish: Raw Edge
Price: $55