Aftermarket Panerai Strap Review

Mr TipTop Leather Straps Review #2

Mr TipTop Straps Panerai Straps #2

Origin: Denmark
Construction: Hand-Stitched
Materials: Italian Leathers
Buckles & Tubes: Buckles and Tubes Included
Price Range: €119+
Website: Click Here
Date of Review: November 20th, 2014

I just can't get enough of them! I have a few more Mr. TipTop Leather straps, and these ones are a little bit different from the first three double croupon leather straps I reviewed. A little more pizzazz, and a little more funk - plus they wear AWESOME! The three I'm reviewing today (from left to right) are a Double Croupon Bomber Strap, a Masterpiece strap, and Veggie Tanned leather strap.

First up is the Vegetable Tanned leather strap, painted a dark chocolate brown with a bit of rustic uneveness it gives the strap a distinctively different look than Mr TipTop's pre-colored Double Croupon straps. The finish on this vegetable tanned leather strap has a bit of a sheen on it, which isn't on the back so it must be the painted finish on the front side that is giving it a bit of shine.

The Veggie tanned straps also feature the same maker's stamps as all the other straps. The leather is Italian-sourced and also has a great smell to it, though not quite as nice as the smell of the double croupon straps which I am particularly fond of. This is still a fantastic quality leather and a well-executed strap.

The stitching color used on this one (of which Mr. TipTop lets you choose) is Khaki, which goes really well with the Dark Brown strap colors in general. This one also has a slightly different stitching pattern than the others in that it features a regular box-stitch on the long tail, but on the short strap there is a double-box-stitch. As with his previously reviewed straps, a shorter stitch length gives it a different look than many strapmakers out there. This is a fantastic strap, but I do like the double croupon leather better - the double croupon is more flexible and has a better smell to it. Worth the extra money in my opinion!

Next strap up for review is the Bomber/NATO strap that they designed 39 years ago as a prototype for Sean Connery to wear in one of the 007 movies. It did not end in the movie because they went with a Rolex instead, but a neat story nonetheless. Fast forward to now, and our obsession with history and heritage, the Double Croupon Bomber strap is an AWESOME looking strap with very unique looks and interesting execution.

Made with the same beautiful dark brown double croupon leather used in the straps I previously used, the Bomber has all the blueprints for a wonderful strap. The strap is all connected into one piece and does not come apart unless you remove the buckle as you can see from the photograph above. It allows you to hide the tang and buckle under the long tail when worn, giving the strap a cleaner, vintage look. I absolutely adore this strap... The design is my favourite of all the unconventional designs I have seen.

And saving the best for last - The Mr. TipTop Masterpiece Double Croupon. This piece is in Natural Leather, and painstakingly treated over the course of 4 weeks in order to achieve this look. Each strap is treated with Oil slowly 3-5 times per week for roughly 20 minutes without ever wetting or heating the leather to preserve its durability and integrity. The oil is rubbed in by hand - Mr. TipTop truly made this strap with his blood, sweat and tears! This strap also uses Beeswax thread which can be difficult to work with, but keeps the layers of leather tighter.

The masterpiece strap is also hand-distressed, along the length of the strap as well as around the tang holes. The variations in the texture and color on the strap are very tastefully done, and achieved with no small effort. The GPF buckle is properly stamped, and has a weathered, hammered finish to it which is pretty darn cool. Lots of little things to like about this strap, and shows the care and pride of craftsmanship that Mr. TipTop has for his work.

And one more final shot of all three. I've got six of Mr. TipTop's straps now, and I STILL can't get enough! His genuine enthusiasm and pride in his work is second to none, which makes him such a pleasure to work with when designing a strap. His knowledge of leather and tireless hours he puts into acquiring the perfect leathers and treating them right with different prototypes really shows, and when you have a strap made by him you can tell the leather is just absolutely top-notch. Stay tuned for more reviews because there will be!

Straps As Reviewed:
Model: TipTop Vegetable Tanned Dark Brown
Lug Width: 24mm
Length: 146/120mm
Thickness: 4.5mm
Keeper Type: 1 Fixed, 1 Floating
Stitch Color: Khaki
Edge Finish: Smooth Burnished
Price: €119

Model: TipTop Masterpiece Croupon Natural
Lug Width: 24mm
Length: 152/90mm
Thickness: 4.5-5mm
Keeper Type: 1 Fixed, 1 Floating
Stitch Color: Rust
Edge Finish: Smooth Burnished
Price: €159

Model: TipTop Bomber Croupon Dark Brown
Lug Width: 26mm
Length: 172/95mm
Thickness: 4.5mm
Keeper Type: 1 Fixed, 1 Floating
Stitch Color: Khaki
Edge Finish: Raw Burnished
Price: €159