Is Atelier du Bracelet Parisien the world’s finest watch strap supplier?
By Straight-Six, published on 21 May 2010
There is a country. In this country is a city. And in this city is a small unassuming store called Atelier du Bracelet Parisien, or ABP. And it may just be where us horological fanatics can buy the world’s finest watch straps.
We’re heading over there today to order a special something for Straight-Six’s vintage Rolex 6536-1, while a friend is lugging his Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Geographic to replace the reedy standard strap.
Yeah, we haven’t yet been and are making this grand proclamation from the comfort of our sofa and behind our computer screen. So, what gives?
Well, more than a few of our fellow watch lunatics on the Interwebs have made mention of ABP before as being a reference. And we have every reason to trust what they say. But beyond that are some tangible signs of something very special that lies inside ABP’s workshop. You can order quite literally almost anything your little heart desires. Everything from the leather used and colour, through the thickness, lining, and stitching all the way to the shape of the tip, edges, and keepers for your bracelet, well it’s all up to you to decide.
The possibilities are mind-boggling and what was usually a limited selection and often forced decision becomes a universe of creative choice. You’ll know by now how much we’re into our watch straps – particularly the NATO – but this is at the very highest levels, folks. And while we have no doubt NATO straps are far more comfortable – fit and forget – nothing beats a spectacular leather strap. Consider it the equivalent of alloys on a fine car: they can make or break it. And far too many OEM leather straps are sub-standard.
The online order form is several pages long, ferchrissakes! But enough of the tease and pre-sell. We need to get showered and shaved and head over to the train station to find out if this place really is the be all end all of watch straps.
More, much more, to come…
Is Atelier du Bracelet Parisien the world’s finest watch strap supplier?
There is a country. In this country is a city. And in this city is a small unassuming store called Atelier du Bracelet Parisien, or ABP. And it may just be where us horological fanatics can buy the world’s finest watch straps. We’re heading over there today to order a special something for Straight-Six’s vintage Rolex 6536-1, [...]
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18 Responses to “Is Atelier du Bracelet Parisien the world’s finest watch strap supplier?”
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Straight-Six
22 May 2010
I would have taken the M3, old Fool, but the boozy celebratory lunch that followed the ABP visit meant that wasn’t the thing to do. 270 kph crashes while juiced ain’t so smart…
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The range of hides at ABP is mind boggling. You will be able to choose from range of elephant hides amongst other things, and when you are finished, France’s poshest Audi dealership is opposite……
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I feel another Prodigal Run coming on…
Or maybe our first ever Prodigal Meet-Up?
Who fancies meeting in Paris for a day of watches, cars, food and gadgetry?
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Straight-Six
22 May 2010
Mind-boggling indeed, and it’s funny you mention elephant cause…um, wait for the follow-up post, dammit!
)
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Ian Skellern
21 May 2010
If it is pure watch porn you are after, a visit to Chronopassion in Paris is a must. I do not think that I have ever seen so many interesting watches within such easy reach in my life.
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Another place with a great website that warrants a ‘real world’ visit. Paris, here we come…
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Straight-Six
22 May 2010
“…right back where we started from..”
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Straight-Six
23 May 2010
Ian,
I could not agree more with your statement about the Chronopassion pieces being interesting. In fact, they are downright stupendous.
Trouble is, I find the vast majority of these six-figure pieces to be, well, the equivalent of horological masturbation. Don’t get me wrong: the work, craftsmanship and expertise that goes into them should be acknowledged and hailed. But the stink of sheer excess and visual overload hangs over such groupings of watches.
Bottom line: it wouldn’t be the price that would stop me from strapping one of Chronopassion’s pieces on. It’s the exhibitionist designs…
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Straight-Six
22 May 2010
Folks,
Wait for the follow-up post which will reveal so much more and move the Fool’s suggestion about a Paris meet-up and ABP visit onto firm ground. Why? Cause I’ve already negotiated it with the owners! YAY!
Prepare your wallets, folks, we’re going hunting. Quite literally…
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Cap
7 December 2010
ABP is a mecca for me at least once and year and every time I am in Paris…to say I love their straps would be an understatement…as a matter of fact that pic that you used of the AMVOX DBS is my watch with a strap they made for it and me when I was there this past January…Totally agree with Ian about Chronopassion too…Laurent and staff are absolutely fantastic…but don’t miss out on the fabulous JLC Boutique and many others including a Panerai Boutique now
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[...] anything, the ABP preview post of ABP ahead of our visit with a friend last week was too sedate and reserved. Reality, it turns [...]
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[...] recent weeks you’ve heard us rave about L’Atelier du Bracelet Parisien (ABP). We were excited enough before our first visit and positively drooling after it. This place really is one of the finest watch strap suppliers in [...]
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[...] We’ve raved about ABP so much already that we won’t dwell on it again. Suffice to say that Straight-Six’s glowing report was reconfirmed: the staff we’re charming and patient, the collection of hides available unbelievable and the workmanship and skill that goes into making the straps was evident in both the activity going on in the atelier while we were there and the stunning finished product that Straight-Six and Mark collected. He died for a good cause [...]
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Keith
6 July 2011
I’m right on the cusp of ordering fro ABP. The crappy OEM watch strap that Oris put on my Miles Complication finally fell apart at the glue seams and to be honest I was as pleased as punch that it had. It took a while to convince myself and my wife that paying out 250 Euros for a watch strap was an investment, so I truly hope I won’t be disappointed. I’m going for the Ostrich leg simply because I can’t bring myself to pay more for the dearer stuff like Alligator.
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Keith – you won’t be disappointed. They’re simply the best in the business.
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Keith
7 July 2011
Thank you, kind sir!
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Keith
14 September 2011
Good morning you Prodigal Fools! I received my Ostrich leg watch strap from ABP-Paris yesterday (13 Sept 2011). I had no idea what to expect, as those who know ABP well were telling me how wonderful these straps are. It’s odd isn’t it? How easily we can get excited about a small strip of leather! It arrived after lunch by FedEx in a foolscap card envelope that was at least ten times larger than necessary, for which I opened very carefully I might add. There it was then, nestling secretively in its long white paper bag, waiting for me to pluck it from its darkened hideaway and make comments like, Brilliant, fantastic, beautiful, superb, cool – so many adjectives to use for such a small piece of leather. All this talk about owning an ABP-Paris strap was now a tangible reality. I was actually holding it, stroking it, smelling it. Strangely enough though, I wasn’t as impressed with it at first glance as I thought I might have been. I made none of the comments (Re., above) that I thought I might have. However, it wasn’t until this little piece of luxury was fitted to my Oris Miles Complication that it suddenly burst into life. I had sent the old strap to ABP as a template, so the new one fitted like a dream in every way.
Let me tell you – these things don’t come cheap. But just to feel one on your wrist tells you that this is a whole different ball game from the OEM rubbish that manufacturers use on their watches, or any of those aftermarket straps you can buy quite cheaply by comparison for that matter. I still try and convince my wife of the sense in paying 250 Euros for a watch strap. I tell her it’s the same difference that she experiences when she buys a Radley bag as opposed to a Mark & Spencer’s bag. She still isn’t 100% convinced of course.
Whether ABP-Paris straps are worth the money you pay in terms of the materials they use and the time it takes to make a watch strap (about 1.5 hours as I understand it), isn’t really the point. What you get for your money also, is a product expertly made, wonderful to the touch, superb to wear, great to smell, and is a pure luxurious indulgence that even poor people like me can afford to wallow in. I now have a new love in my life and I may well buy another from them in time. Well, I do have to save my hard made cash first.
The Prodigal Fool
21 May 2010
Ahhh yes, ABP…
I’ll be making my own pilgrimage there later this year to find straps worthy of my vintage Navitimer 806 and Speedmaster 321.
Their website alone is like watch porn. Actually being in the shop may be more than I can take.
Incidentally though Straight-Six, “the train station”!? What are you thinking? This is surely the kind of epic quest that calls for the services of the M3…