The Watch Steward strap was born in 2017 while perusing an Army Navy surplus store on vacation along the Alabama Gulf Coast. I came across a partial roll of surplus military elastic that smelled like an old gym sock, but had a distressed look that spoke to me! I happened to be wearing my Seiko 6105-8110 from July 1975 that day and much to my chagrin this material was nearly a spot on 19mm match. Needless to say, I spent the remaining days of my vacation choking back that old gym sock smell and trying to figure out how to mate this strap to my watch. After a little testing, I settled on a design that allowed the strap to wrap around my arm while allowing the watch itself to sit directly on my wrist. It was at this moment that I discovered how comfortable this design was with large watches like the current, and vintage, Seiko divers! The hunt was on for a 22mm version!
My initial inquiries about USA manufacture were unproductive. So I tuned my attention overseas. However, after many months negotiating and hundreds of dollars spent shipping samples back and forth, I decided that USA production was my only option. Many, many phone calls, emails, and rejections later, I finally found manufacturers that were willing to put my ideas and designs into production and we are very proud to say that The Watch Steward straps are MADE IN THE USA!!
My initial inquiries about USA manufacture were unproductive. So I tuned my attention overseas. However, after many months negotiating and hundreds of dollars spent shipping samples back and forth, I decided that USA production was my only option. Many, many phone calls, emails, and rejections later, I finally found manufacturers that were willing to put my ideas and designs into production and we are very proud to say that The Watch Steward straps are MADE IN THE USA!!
