Strap Check: Boundary Layer Studio Signature Straps Made Of Premium Loro Piana Fabrics
You may not know this, but in the Netherlands, we celebrate Christmas on the 25th and 26th of December. This means many Dutch people still have one fancy dinner tonight before Christmas is officially over. What do you do for such a nice occasion? Exactly — you dress up nicely, which means you also wear your favorite dress watch on a slightly nicer strap than usual. Well, that’s where the straps from a company called Boundary Layer Studio come into play. Its Signature line of straps uses premium fabrics by the famous Italian company Loro Piana. Even though this Strap Check article might come a bit late for this year’s Christmas holidays, let’s see if these straps are worth considering for next year’s celebrations.
These straps came to us courtesy of Mattisson Crowe. He founded Boundary Layer Studio in an effort to “enable watch enthusiasts to express their individual style with straps that feature luxury fabrics and Italian craftsmanship.“ Mattisson sent us all four straps that are part of his Signature collection. Let’s see what the Fairmount, Chamonix, Derby, and Aberdeen are like.
Premium straps using Loro Piana fabrics
If you’re not familiar with Loro Piana, let me help you out a little bit. It’s a company founded in 1925 that specializes in textile manufacturing and ready-to-wear clothing. The headquarters are in Milan, Italy, and LVMH owns a majority stake. Its wool fabrics are very soft, the linens are very supple, and the silk is from another world. However, so are the prices of these fabrics. For example, a ready-to-wear beanie costs just over €520, and if you’d like a full-cashmere jumpsuit, you’ll have to pay around €5,000. This puts the US$249 price for the Signature straps from Boundary Layer Studio in perspective.
The Fairmount in slate gray and purple
I’ll start with the Fairmount strap. This one features a textile that combines 98% wool and 2% silk, both from Loro Piana. Of the four straps, it looks closest to the typical fabric you’d make a formal suit out of. It feels super smooth and soft, and the striping pattern is very subtle. Just like the other four straps, it has a 20–16mm taper and comes with a fairly standard but solid stainless steel pin buckle. The keepers, one of which is fixed, are made out of the same material as the rest of the strap.
The dark Fairmount strap looks good in combination with the off-white dial on my Oris Art Blakey. I like how the lighter pattern on the strap matches the minimalist dial.
The Derby in olive green
Next up is the slightly more informal Derby. This looks more like a fabric that you would wear on your next hunting trip. It’s made out of 100% Loro Piana wool. The main color here is olive green, but there are some hints of brown and light blue in the subtle windowpane pattern. As there is no silk here, it feels a bit coarser, but it’s still very soft.
The strap might be a bit thin for the Omega Speedmaster Professional, but the style does suit it, I think. It also works on the Oris as it makes it look a bit more informal.
The Aberdeen in olive green and blue-gray
Now we get to the more exciting straps in the collection. First up is the Aberdeen. It has a much rougher texture than the previous two straps, but, again, it’s still pleasantly soft. Like the Fairmount, it’s made of 98% wool and 2% silk, yet it has a completely different look. Its windowpane pattern is less obvious, which makes it seem more informal, and the plusher feel of the fabric reinforces this. With the previous two straps, it looks like you put your watch a suit on. With the Aberdeen (and the Chamonix below), it’s more like your watch is wearing a warm wool sweater.
The thicker texture of the Aberdeen matches the bigger Speedmaster. But I also kind of like how it looks like a warm winter sweater on the Oris Art Blakey.
The light gray and off-white Chamonix
Like the Aberdeen, the Chamonix has a fuzzier texture than the Fairmount and Derby. In fact, it’s the fuzziest of all. The texture works really well with the light gray and off-white tone of the fabric, which consists of 88% linen and 12% polyamide. Because of its more distressed look and the absence of a windowpane pattern, it’s also the most informal-looking one of the bunch.
The Chamonix looks perfect on the Speedmaster. This is my hands-down favorite of the four Boundary Layer Studio Signature straps.
Construction of the straps
All four straps feature a beige nubuck lining. This leather feels soft and connects to the outer layer with both glue and stitches. Boundary Layer Studio produces these straps in Italy, and I have to say, the finishing is great. I didn’t see any fringes anywhere, and the stitching was done properly. Conveniently, these straps also have quick-release spring bars, which makes it easy to swap them quickly. By the way, you can get these straps in 18mm, 19mm, and 20mm widths.
Like many fabric straps, they’re very straight and quite rigid right out of the box. I compare this to my textile and leather strap from Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Casa Fagliano collection that I got for my Reverso. I put that watch (including the strap) on a wrist-shaped cushion when I’m not wearing it, and now it’s one of the most comfortable combos in my watch box. All I want to say is that it just takes some time to get to this point. But I’m sure these Boundary Layer Studio straps can become just as comfortable as that one.
Not your only option
Yes, US$249 is a lot of money for a strap. However, price is a very personal matter, so whether it’s too much or not is totally up to you. I paid €300 for my Casa Fagliano strap from JLC. I think it suits that watch so well, and I wear it non-stop. That’s why I think it was worth the investment. But again, this is very personal.
Luckily, if you’re a fan of this style of strap, Boundary Layer Studio isn’t your only option. For example, Joseph Bonnie also has similar offerings in its James strap collection. These straps do feature contrasting leather keepers, though, which have to be to your liking. A nice bonus is that they’re a bit less expensive at €129. Another company called Strapsuits also has a very large collection of suit-style straps. Most of these cost US$55, making them more reasonable if you’d like to see whether this style of strap works for you.
Let me know in the comments below what you think of suit-style straps. Which of the above options would you wear during next year’s Christmas celebrations?
