Aftermarket Panerai Review
Atelier Du Cuir Pinceau Strap 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: May 21st, 2013
I'm proud to show off and review my second strap from Korean leathermaker Atelier Du Cuir! This one is a brand new offering from Atelier Du Cuir and is dubbed the "Pinceau", which is tidily stamped on the back of the strap in case you forget it. This strap started out as naturally colored Italian-tanned leather before they worked their magic on it! The strap also comes with a signed Atelier Du Cuir Panreai style sewn-in bent buckle.
The stitching is absolutely fantastic on this Pinceau strap, among the best I've ever seen when it comes to hand stitching. Tight, straight stitches that are very close to the edge of the strap, very nicely done. The strap also has that decadent, rich, vegetable-tanned leather smell that I personally find intoxicating.. you can tell a lot about the quality of a strap by its smell. The strap is a medium stiffness, but has softened over time since I've been wearing it.
The strap comes with two keepers, one fixed and one floating. The hand-painted strap has an incredible depth of color to it, which reminds me a lot of D9 straps, one of the best in the business. There is no doubt in my mind that Atelier Du Cuir produces straps that rival the best I've ever owned.
The finish on the leather hasn't changed since I have been wearing it for about a week, and continues to look fantastic. The style of this strap is more on the gentlemanly side, which is a refreshing change from the majority of the strapmakers out there that produce primarily the thicker, chunky style of strap that many prefer.
The back of the strap is stamped with some nice professional markings including a serial number, the Atelier Du Cuir logo and a "cuir veritable" mark - French for "genuine leather". These stamps all add a little to the professionalism and attention to detail that impress me so much about Atelier Du Cuir.
Some other nice details on the Pinceau are the smooth burnished interior on the keepers, finished interior of the tang holes, meticulous edge tooling on the keepers. The keepers also have a rigidity to them that allow them to keep their shape very nicely.
Overall, Atelier Du Cuir has impressed me even more with this fantastic strap. The Pinceau is not a budget strap, priced at $265, which is up there with some of the highest end straps in the market for regular leather. However, I feel the price is justified because this is a fantastic piece of leathercraft. I highly recommend the Pinceau strap and Atelier Du Cuir in general if you are looking for a meticulously finished, and brilliantly executed strap for your Panerai.
Strap As Shown:
Model: Pinceaux
Leather: Natural Italian Leather Hand-dyed/Painted by Atelier Du Cuir
Color: Dark Brown
Thickness: 3 mm
Stitch Color: Matching Dark Brown
Edge Finish: Painted/Sealed
Price: $265