Watch Strap Review 66 — Atelier Romane

After January, Watch Strap Review took a break. As you might have seen (or heard if you tune in to Fratello On Air), I’ve been busy with other things, including our new Fratello × Nivada Grenchen Racing Chronograph watches. But I’m back with another brand, this time from France. Atelier Romane has been on my radar for a while now. So I contacted the folks there, and they were happy to support this article. It took us time to get into gear, but finally, I’m ready to talk about Atelier Romane and its fantastic leather goods.

Atelier Romane has tons of designs in stock if you are looking for a watch case or roll. But this time, I’m only going to focus on the company’s versatile selection of leather straps. Versatility is vital, so Atelier Romane offers its straps in several sizes. But let’s not jump the gun. Here’s the whole story.

Atelier Romane

As mentioned above, Atelier Romane is a French company with all of its products made in France. All the straps are fashioned by hand in Atelier Romane’s workshop using the finest materials from French or Italian tanneries. When it comes to styles, there is a multitude of choices, including classic dress-watch straps, sporty rally straps, and more. AR also offers its straps in several widths from 16mm to 22mm. In terms of length, you can choose between short, standard, or extra-long straps. This means you don’t have to worry about the strap style you pick. Atelier Romane will have one in stock that fits you both in length and width. Mickael from AR sent me three straps with three distinct looks from classy to sporty. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Blue racing taurillon

According to Mickael, the first straps to come out of Atelier Romane were inspired by vintage Heuer models. As a result, they were mostly rally and racing-style straps. This blue racing taurillon strap is an accurate representation of those times. Taurillon is a full-grown, drummed, and grained bull-calf leather from France. The strap is incredibly soft and easily adaptable to your wrist. It’s not stiff at all, so break-in time is needed. I got the blue version, but AR also offers it in a black rally style. Like every strap, this one comes with quick-release spring bars and Atelier Romane’s stylish buckle with hidden branding. In terms of width, you can pick one up from 18mm up to 22mm with a cream or tone-on-tone stitching. My straps, as you can see, have the latter.

My vintage Heuer Montreal is an excellent fit for this strap. The watch is not a Monaco, and the strap is not black, but this is a pairing that I dig. After all, you cannot go wrong with a racing-style strap on any watch, just as long as it has a bit of sportiness to it. When it comes to the measurements aside from the length mentioned above, the strap is 20/16mm wide and 2.5mm thick. As such, it is comfortable, easy to wear, and does not feel too thick, even on smaller timepieces. Atelier Romane offers the blue racing taurillon for €105 with a variety of shipping options depending on your location. If you order over €250, though, the shipping is free.

Deer leather brown

The second strap in the lineup might be the most neutral one. The color is brown with a bit of a burgundy undertone. I love it because this color works with everything. You can match it with a dress watch or, as I did, with a chronograph. It just works well with them all. But the color is not the only reason it’s so versatile. The deer leather is soft with a minimal grain. That, in combination with the calf lining, gives this strap an incredibly soft and flexible feel. I’d say its even more supple than the previously mentioned racing strap. The thickness here is only 2.2mm, and the sizes, widths, and stitching are all the same as before. But you can order this strap in a 16mm width as well. The price and shipping are also identical. If you are looking for an excellent-quality strap, look no further.

Whiskey grained calfskin

Finally, we have another grained strap here. This time, it is a calfskin strap in a whiskey tone. Like before, the leather is grained, but the calf leather differs significantly from deer or taurillon. This is the material that you see the most often with other straps. Since I got it in the 18mm size, like the deer leather, it also went onto a vintage timepiece. While all three straps have painted edges, I like them best on this one. It could be the overall combination of the tone-on-tone stitching and the color of the leather with the color-matching edges. Or it could simply be because I like this color since it’s quite versatile. In any case, this whiskey-tone grained calfskin Atelier Romane strap is an excellent choice. Like the previous two straps, this one costs €105.

Closing words

Atelier Romane has been in the business for over 20 years. The company started by making watch cases, so the website is packed with watch rolls, travel cases, pouches, and so on. And if you’re only in the market for straps, you’ll find the selection very satisfying. Atelier Romane offers curved-end straps and classic two-piece designs in several colors, leather, and styles. You’re sure to find one that tickles your fancy and fits your budget. Make sure you check out the full selection on Atelier Romane’s website or Instagram page.