Modell company

While the focus of Christopher Ward’s output is the company’s mechanical watches, CW puts as much thought into its straps as it does its timepieces. Its chosen supplier is Di-Modell, a German company based in Tauberbischofsheim, in Baden-Württemberg – an area famed for its leather workers.

Di-Modell uses leathers from all over the world, and every strap is handmade in the company’s factory, including their ‘rembordé’ straps which are sealed to deliver water-resistance to 100m. Here, we talk to Di-Modell CEO Manuel Hug about working with Christopher Ward, his company’s mix of innovation and tradition, and why you should never sleep with your watch on.

Hi Manuel! How does Christopher Ward order a strap from you?
They come to us with an idea. Then they give us the dimensions of the watch, how wide and how long the straps should be, plus how thick they’d like the stitching, and what kind of clasp or buckles should be with the strap. We send them samples so they can choose what they want for material – that might be a calf-leather strap in green – and then they make their choice. After that, we start production.

Tell us about the structure of a Di-Modell leather strap
Our straps come in three sections. The top part is the leather that you can see – and which Christopher Ward has chosen. In the middle is a fabric section which

How do you make a ‘rembordé’ Bel Canto strap?
We cut up the upper leather and lining and then split both, before punching up the upper leather, lining and welt. Then we ‘skive’ the edges of the upper leather, weld the upper and lining together, emboss the seam and add the stitching. Glue is applied to flaps, weld flaps, stamp and punch holes, before we install the buckle so the strap is ready for final inspection.

“I’m a watch collector myself and love the ability to change the way my watches look with a quick strap swap”

What about those buckles and clasps?
Christopher Ward sometimes ships their buckles and clasps to us for us to put on the straps, but other times they’ll do that themselves. We put CW’s quick-release system into the straps, which is a great way of swapping between your favourites. I’m a watch collector myself and love the ability to change the way my watches look with a quick strap swap.

How should we take care of our leather straps?
Ideally, with a ‘regular’ leather strap you don’t want to submerge it in water. So, don’t swim with it too often, wear it in the shower or sleep with it on – because of how sweat reacts with the leather. That’s why in terms of hygiene, you should clean your strap with a soft wet towel.

How’s the business in general?
There's a trend for metal straps at the moment, but trends come and go. We’re convinced that the classic leather strap is coming back into fashion. Leather is a timeless material with style and elegance, and it’s very comfortable to wear. When it comes to our people, we have a lot of long-term staff, some of them have been here for over 40 years, but as they retire we need young people, too – we hired five people in the last month. They’ll learn to work leather in our way – and hopefully stay with us for another 40 years!