One of the joys of owning a watch is dressing it up with your own style and preferences. Hence, there's a massive market for third-party straps available to help you with that. However, not all straps are made equally. At RZE watches, durability is an essential factor in making our watches. This applies to our bracelets and straps as well; hence, while developing our latest strap, we worked with TecTuff® to create our own TecTuff® watch strap.
If you treat your watch as a tool — something that goes everywhere with you — a TecTuff®-style strap is a reliable, durable, low-maintenance choice: it’s built to last.
So what is TecTuff®?
TecTuff is a synthetic leather known for its durability. It's commonly used in footwear, accessories, and upholstery. The material used to create TecTuff® makes it unique because it is designed with ergonomics in mind. This makes it ideal for developing a watch strap, as it offers good flexibility along with durability.
So why TecTuff®?
When it comes to supporting adventurers in every sphere, we want to ensure the strap you wear is as durable as possible, matching the ultra-durable design of our watches.
A strap with a TecTuff®-style coating is designed for real-world durability: resistant to abrasion, oil, water, and chemicals — often tested with methods like "3000+ abrasion cycles" or for cold resistance, flexing, and harsh environments.
Compared to traditional leather
While traditional leather looks sleek, especially as it patinas, it has a unique appearance. However, it is more vulnerable to outdoor elements like moisture, sweat, and sun exposure. This results in a shorter lifespan for a leather strap than for a TecTuff® strap.
Moreover, leather requires more care. You need to provide proper maintenance for leather, such as applying leather balm occasionally, to prevent it from cracking. It's not to say leather is bad; I personally have a good amount of leather straps that I use. However, it takes more effort to take care of it. A good leather strap can be expensive; hence, maintenance is needed to ensure its longevity.
Should I get a TecTuff® Strap?
If you treat your watch as a tool — something that goes everywhere with you — a TecTuff® strap is a solid, dependable choice: it’s reliable, durable, low-maintenance, and built to endure.
However, if instead your watch’s role is as a lifestyle or dress piece, the subtle comfort and timeless feel of leather still have unmatched appeal. In an ideal world, I would have both because why not?
If you're interested in the TecTuff® straps, you can check out our range here.
