JLC Reverso TT1931 Strap Mod

[hi_bri]

Got my Reverso TT1931 from Puretime last week.

Quite happy with the look and without a seconds hand the Rhonda Quartz is fine.

Being a cheapo I decided against the gen croc strap but I will have to admit the standard leather strap is quite uncomfortable.

Suddenly I had the following idea:

It was a tight fit to get the spring bars in place but I've never seen a Reverso with a 20mm Nato strap before so I wanted to share this innovation. The colors seems to work well with the black dial.

The whole watch looks a bit more informal now. Plus you don't get the overhang issue that some have described by using a routine leather strap without the plastic risers which was my concern when I thought of ordering different leather strap.

So it's definitely a much more comfortable watch to wear now :laugh:

 

[philwongnz]

Can't say I like the combo, to me is like wearing high tops with a suit (nothing wrong with that but I wouldn't do it myself). If you are budget conscious, you can get a Vietnamese strap maker to make you a gen croc strap for around 40USD.

https://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/showthread.php?t=236662

Congrats on the pickup and enjoy.

 

[joybuzzer]

I think the nato strap adds to the piece. Did you look at the straps from Timefactors? They have a black nato with grey trim that I saw on one of the Omega threads that would be gorgeous on your watch.

Sent from my SM-G900P

 

[joybuzzer]

Here is the link:
http://www.timefactors.com/natostraps.htm

Sent from my SM-G900P

 

[Eschenpod]

Prefer genuine black gator.

 

[moodyticker]

Can't say I'm that struck on a nato on this piece. Would benefit more from a casa fagliano type strap imo.

 

[hi_bri]

Can't say I like the combo, to me is like wearing high tops with a suit (nothing wrong with that but I wouldn't do it myself). If you are budget conscious, you can get a Vietnamese strap maker to make you a gen croc strap for around 40USD.

https://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/showthread.php?t=236662

Congrats on the pickup and enjoy.

Thanks for the suggestion. I eventually will get a croc strap to go with the watch. The only issue is that the official strap has a plastic riser which stiffens the strap outwards so you don't get the lug overhang. Not sure if anyone else out there has changed out the strap on the TT1931 to a regular 20mm croc. Would like to see some pictures if anyone has done that.

I did recently order a cheaply priced beige Camille Fournet ostrich strap + an OEM 20mm JLC deployment clasp from eBay. I am waiting for those to come in to see if they match well with my watch.

It is unconventional to consider a NATO with the TT1931 but for comfort it is the only way I can wear this rep at this time.

 

[hi_bri]

I received my Camille Fournet beige ostrich strap today and installed it on the Reverso:

It is definitely a comfortable strap. Only large size was available at the bargain price range so I had to punch an extra hold for my 7.5 wrist. There is a bit of lug overhang but I'm trying to shape the ostrich leather so it doesn't bend as much at the lugs.

I would have preferred a darker strap but it would be about 3 times the cost. The Camille Fournet I got was a 20mm/20mm OEM for Gucci in only beige. The leather is soft and it is one of the most comfortable straps I've put on. I don't mind the color since I've been trying to make the watch more casual so I can wear it on all occasions.

Now waiting for the OEM JLC 20mm depolyment clasp to see how everything finally fits in place. It apparently is being sent from Greece so might take a while to arrive.

I will also consider getting a Horween strap from Aprell based on the suggestion of some other users to try to simulate the more expensive Casa Fagaliano strap. Just waiting for the clasp to properly size the strap. Cheergiant in Taiwan is another source for a JLC style Horween but the price is a bit more than Aprell.

 

[hi_bri]

OK so here's and example of a first world problem.

I get my Camille Fournet strap for my TT1931 Reverso and it's super comfortable. I'm shaping the leather to avoid the lug overhang and the traditional TT1931 strap had a plastic insert and the prevent the overhang. However, I like to wear my strap relatively snug so I still run in the lug overhang issue:

Pretty ugly and makes me want to shell out big $$$ for a gen TT1931 strap.

So I start figuring out a way to solve the problem.

Enter the DIY plastic insert:


STEP ONE:

Find any piece of plastic with an overhang that I can cut and shape:

STEP TWO:

Plastic insert cut to shape with intention to place into the back of the strap:

STEP THREE:

Make sure the inserts fit properly in the back of the strap the stiffen the degree of curvature. Here I placed it on the right to show the amount of curve with vs. without the insert on the left:

STEP FOUR:

Secure the inserts to the back of the watch case with a piece of tape. I decided to just use some painter's/masking tape to make it easy to remove:

FINAL RESULT:

It is reasonably comfortable and I've yet to have the inserts fall out after an afternoon out at the driving range.

First world problem solved!

 

[ChronoMega]

OK so here's and example of a first world problem.

I get my Camille Fournet strap for my TT1931 Reverso and it's super comfortable. I'm shaping the leather to avoid the lug overhang and the traditional TT1931 strap had a plastic insert and the prevent the overhang. However, I like to wear my strap relatively snug so I still run in the lug overhang issue:

Pretty ugly and makes me want to shell out big $$$ for a gen TT1931 strap.

So I start figuring out a way to solve the problem.

Enter the DIY plastic insert:


STEP ONE:

Find any piece of plastic with an overhang that I can cut and shape:

STEP TWO:

Plastic insert cut to shape with intention to place into the back of the strap:

STEP THREE:

Make sure the inserts fit properly in the back of the strap the stiffen the degree of curvature. Here I placed it on the right to show the amount of curve with vs. without the insert on the left:

STEP FOUR:

Secure the inserts to the back of the watch case with a piece of tape. I decided to just use some painter's/masking tape to make it easy to remove:

FINAL RESULT:

It is reasonably comfortable and I've yet to have the inserts fall out after an afternoon out at the driving range.

First world problem solved!

That is absolutely fantastic innovation. Great work. How is it holding up?
I'm not sure if I like it on the NATO or not though.. On some levels it works but I agree with the "high tops and suit" comment. For a one-off it would be okay but I don't think I would keep that as my daily wear. It's an interesting combination nonetheless.

 

[hi_bri]

That is absolutely fantastic innovation. Great work. How is it holding up?
I'm not sure if I like it on the NATO or not though.. On some levels it works but I agree with the "high tops and suit" comment. For a one-off it would be okay but I don't think I would keep that as my daily wear. It's an interesting combination nonetheless.

Thanks for the comment.

I was mainly using the NATO while I was waiting for my other straps to come in. On thing about the NATO is that the strap has to be relatively thin since there's just not much clearance between the push pin and the inner edge of the dial.

I knew that the lug overhang was going to be an issue as it's been commented as being one of the main problems with selecting straps for the Reverso.

DIY plastic insert solves the need to order a gen Reverso strap which costs more than my rep.

The Casa Fagaliano Horween style leather strap is another option since it has a fold in the leather that stiffs the amount of bend. However, I've read the thickness needs to be under 4mm in order to fit the strap into the lug.

So far my DIY solution is holding up well. You just need to choose a piece of plastic stiff enough so it won't bend when you wear the strap. If cut to size, the plastic does not stick out on the watch. Unless you look very closely underneath the watch, it's essentially invisible.

 

[ChronoMega]

Thanks for the comment.

I was mainly using the NATO while I was waiting for my other straps to come in. On thing about the NATO is that the strap has to be relatively thin since there's just not much clearance between the push pin and the inner edge of the dial.

I knew that the lug overhang was going to be an issue as it's been commented as being one of the main problems with selecting straps for the Reverso.

DIY plastic insert solves the need to order a gen Reverso strap which costs more than my rep.

The Casa Fagaliano Horween style leather strap is another option since it has a fold in the leather that stiffs the amount of bend. However, I've read the thickness needs to be under 4mm in order to fit the strap into the lug.

So far my DIY solution is holding up well. You just need to choose a piece of plastic stiff enough so it won't bend when you wear the strap. If cut to size, the plastic does not stick out on the watch. Unless you look very closely underneath the watch, it's essentially invisible.

I can think of a number of occasions in the past where I've had similar fit issues and never really gave enough thought to rectifying them with DIY methods. I've had a kind of "It doesn't fit so that's that, find something else" attitude. It's just laziness really! I have quite a skinny wrist so bigger sized watches are always a problem for me.

I can't see any signs of the modification in that picture so yeah, I'd say it's certainly invisible.

 

[hi_bri]

Finally go the custom Cordovan strap via Aprell's workshop. She (I believe it's a gal) has a flood in the workshop the prior month so it took a while to get the strap made. I was finally able to pair my 20mm OEM JLC butterfly clasp with it:

The OEM buckle I got from e-bay:

There's still a bit of lug overhang despite the strap being thicker at the lug, so I used my strap mod to fix the issue:

Well that's all folks. Spent enough time and resources on making the TT1931 work to my liking. Now it's time just to enjoy the rep.

 

[moodyticker]

very nice!

 

[minty007]

Nice indeed. It looks great on your Reverso. Aprell's listed prices seem extremely reasonable. May I ask what she charges for a custom shell cordovan? I didn't see it on her site.

 

[hi_bri]

Nice indeed. It looks great on your Reverso. Aprell's listed prices seem extremely reasonable. May I ask what she charges for a custom shell cordovan? I didn't see it on her site.

I believe it was about $80 which is a bargain. Only black was available at the time I ordered.

You can e-mail her directly at:

[email protected]

 

[minty007]

I believe it was about $80 which is a bargain. Only black was available at the time I ordered.

You can e-mail her directly at:

[email protected]

Bargain indeed... thanks much for the info!

Sent from my CONTROL shoe phone inside the Cone of Silence

 

[jlcgeologist]

hi_bri did you manage to ever find a permanent solution to the insert/overhang issue? I have a croc leather strap that I would love to keep but the overhang is killing me!