AboutTime Issue #16 Fall 2018 | Page 126

PARTNER BRAND – Save Our Straps! (or stop our stink!) O ne simple but effective new product that should find favor If you wear a watch with a rubber or silicone strap Bandlin- with the majority of watch enthusiasts is the (patent pend- ers will mitigate the sweat and slide tendency endemic to these ing) “Bandliners” featured here. materials as well. Knowing that a high quality alligator strap can cost any- What about steel? According to the Center for Disease where from $200-$800 or more, why not invest less than Control, between 10-20% of the population is allergic to nickel, twenty bucks to extend their lifespan? while a smaller but appreciable 1-3% of the population is al- When Ryan Zaczynski first reached out to me with the lergic to chromium. Both metals are present in the ubiquitous concept and early prototypes of his Bandliners, it immediately 316L steel, and occur in even higher percentages in the 904L brought me back to my first “real” watch, a Baume & Mercier steel that Rolex prefers. Applying a Bandliner to these bracelets Formula S I received in 1991. Supplied on a buffalo leather places a hypoallergenic barrier between sensitive skin and the strap, I wore that watch almost non-stop for a full year. I can metal bracelet. Not to belabor the point, but I clearly remember tell you that after a while the trenchant aura that emanated my own grandma Nellie used to wrap a piece of fabric around from that strap left an indelible mark in my memory as a rank her wrist under her watch for exactly this reason. combination of old cheese, popcorn and onions. Between then Here’s a bit of good news: In the following pages you’ll find and now I’ve worn hundreds of leather straps and to varying a variety of watch partners in our new catalog section. For a degrees they all succumb to sweat and moisture. limited time, every customer that buys a watch via the links on Available in three sizes; 18-20, 20-22, and 22-24mm, the following pages will receive a free three-pack of Bandlin- Bandliners are easy to use, apply, and remove. The fabric is ers (while supplies last) in the size of your choice -