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How-To: Distress your rep factory Panerai strap

P4GTR

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**New pictures added 09/10 strap on watch**

We all hate the stock straps that come with our Panerai. No longer do they have to be thrown away or chucked in your sock drawer. I've tried a few methods to salvage these straps, and believe I have something worth sharing. It's actually quite simple.

A big thanks to CBR for providing me with a replacement strap set! Like I said, I've tried a few methods and lost a few straps to the process. On that, stay away from bleach and microwaves. :?

Take your rep strap and pull the buckle and metal tubes out so your left with just the hides. Use a wire brush (I used a BBQ grill brush) to scrub the strap in the sink, wet, to rough it up a bit.

Apply a generous helping of Comet (the one with bleach in it) to the strap, and scrub it into the strap with your wire brush. I like comet over bleach because it doesnt change the stitching color very much, and doesn't eat the leather up. These straps consist of a thin layer of leather with rubber padding and foam underneath. Leave a pasty layer of comet on the strap and let it sit for an hour or so.

Scrub again. You will see the glossy brown coating they paint on the straps scrub away. Rinse the strap thoroughly, and pat dry with a towel.

You will be left with a distressed looking light brown strap. At this point, you can wait until the strap is completely dry overnight and apply some brown shoe polish. This will darken the leather. After you use the shoe polish, you can then repeat the whole process and have a slightly darker brown strap with consistant coloring throughout the strap. The shoe polish is optional and can also be simply left on and not scrubbed back off. You can play around with this process until you reach your desired goal. Just dont apply the shoe polish to the leather while its still wet.

After being rinsed, still damp. You can see on the far right is the strap that had shoe polish applied and was rescrubbed. It is darker.
strap1.jpg


Shoe polish, center.
straps.jpg

Shoe polish, center. (again)
SDC12298.jpg


Prior to polishing with brown shoe polish:

SDC12307.jpg

SDC12308.jpg

SDC12311.jpg

SDC12313.jpg


After darkening with shoe polish:

SDC12322.jpg

SDC12321.jpg

SDC12320.jpg

SDC12319.jpg

SDC12316.jpg
 

Billio

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looking good!! hope you didnt actually put some straps in bleach and the microwave?! lol
 
D

d4m.test

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I used sandpaper and shoe polish... turned out pretty good... takes very little effort.
If you do this you must be careful on the stiching... you can put some pretty good marks on it...

A nail file works too!!!


:p :p :p :p :p
 

iphreak

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Thanks for the info on the straps... I will give that a go when I get my PAM
 
D

d4m.test

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You can always get a strap made for you... I got a 'Verdi' from Gunny.
Turned out awesome and get many complements on it.
 

P4GTR

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new pics added
 

HB212

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Has anyone tried this on the black rep gator straps that come with the ultimate 312s? What kind of results did you guys get? Pics?
 

Deadbear77

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Just did my first distress job on the rep 24 24 tan leather for my 111. I added some new stitches and brown shoe polish after being roughed up a bit.

624f3d9f.jpg


dae9dc0e.jpg


3649fb31.jpg


353103db.jpg


It was my first one. I'm sure the next will be better but I think its pretty cool.
 

P4GTR

Banned member, the goat does not approve
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9/9/07
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Just did my first distress job on the rep 24 24 tan leather for my 111. I added some new stitches and brown shoe polish after being roughed up a bit.

624f3d9f.jpg


dae9dc0e.jpg


3649fb31.jpg


353103db.jpg


It was my first one. I'm sure the next will be better but I think its pretty cool.

Looks good, D!
 

Deadbear77

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Thanks. Worn it out a couple times while on vacation. Nothing but compliments. I am now convinced that the strap does make the watch. Especially Panerai,