- 16/2/16
- 1,794
- 921
- 113
First of all, some brief history. The cuff watch band, loosely defined as that on which a watch rides atop a wide pad through which the straps are fed, was around a lot earlier than the 1970s. There is evidence that some early wristwatches, as far back as the 1920s, were worn on leather cuffs, possibly to ward off the discoloration of brass watch cases from skin perspiration (and the associated skin discoloration that would inevitably result). But, as is often the case, these bands took on more serious and functional use thanks to their military deployment.
The German air force was the first to fit its pilots’ watches on thick leather pads. The cockpits of fighter and bomber aircraft can be alternately very cold and very hot places making a metal watch case riding against a bare wrist uncomfortable. In addition, in the case of a cockpit fire, a leather cuff strap kept the case away from the skin, where the extreme heat could melt flesh. Their initial use for this purpose by the pilots of the Bundesrepublik gave these straps their nickname – “Bund” – which has stuck ever since. (Credit Hodinkee)
The German air force was the first to fit its pilots’ watches on thick leather pads. The cockpits of fighter and bomber aircraft can be alternately very cold and very hot places making a metal watch case riding against a bare wrist uncomfortable. In addition, in the case of a cockpit fire, a leather cuff strap kept the case away from the skin, where the extreme heat could melt flesh. Their initial use for this purpose by the pilots of the Bundesrepublik gave these straps their nickname – “Bund” – which has stuck ever since. (Credit Hodinkee)
