Author: Mrs Saving-Time

A Year Down the Line, My Strap Is Still Beautiful

February 16, 2026 / February 16, 2026 by Mrs Saving-Time | Leave a Comment

For my birthday last year, David made me a strap from aquatic leather. It had sentimental value, because it was destined for a family heirloom – my father’s Tissot Seastar that he was gifted when he retired after working for the same company for thirty years. That kind of service is rare in our time […]

An Icon of Elegance: Introducing Ostrich Straps

July 19, 2025 by Mrs Saving-Time | Leave a Comment

Ostrich leather is a relatively new type of leather with the first tannery opening in 1970 in Klein Karoo. Before this, little was known about tanning ostrich skin. It quickly gained popularity with fashion houses in Europe and the United States who made luxury boots, belts, and bags from ostrich crown, a very smooth material […]

Yes, Finally! A New Watch Strap for Mrs Saving-Time

June 13, 2025 / June 27, 2025 by Mrs Saving-Time | Leave a Comment

You’d think living with a leather craftsman would make you spoilt for choice in the watch strap department. Well, think again. With orders rolling in from all corners of the world, I’m always demoted to the bottom of the list. I’ve been wearing my vintage Longines from the 1960s on a cognac Badalassi Carlo Wax […]

Ancient Craft, Modern Luxury: The Aquatic Leather Renaissance

June 13, 2025 / June 13, 2025 by Mrs Saving-Time | Leave a Comment

When someone mentions salmon, your thoughts probably spring to dinner rather than luxury leather goods. Yet, crafting leather from fish skin is undergoing a modern revival and it emerges as a sustainable material with the future ahead of it. Not only is it eco-chique – it’s also water-resistant and highly durable due to the criss-cross pattern […]

Sustainability in Every Stitch: How Certified Alligator Leather Supports Conservation

April 9, 2025 / April 9, 2025 by Mrs Saving-Time | Leave a Comment

There are two types of alligator species still in existence, the American alligator (A. mississippiensis) and the Chinese alligator (A. sinensis). They’ve been roaming the planet since ancient times, first appearing as long as 37 million years ago. The term “alligator” is most likely an anglicized form of el lagarto, Spanish for “the lizard”, which […]

Napa Leather: A Californian Innovation from the 1800s

April 8, 2025 / April 8, 2025 by Mrs Saving-Time | Leave a Comment

Napa leather, sometimes also spelled nappa, is derived from calves, lambs, and young goats. As these animals have incredibly soft hides, the leather they produce have a soft feel which makes napa excellent as lining leathers for watch straps. Unlike Zermatt calf, another favourite here at Ateliér D. James, napa comes in a wide range […]