Morellato Racing strap

I got this strap on my recent trip to Malaysia. I wanted a new strap for my self assembled watch, so I went strap hunting. I finally got this strap. This strap is made by the Italian strap maker, Morellato. The model number for this strap is Mt-LCu3222-679. This is a 22 mm strap.

The strap is made from Italian leather and has been traditionally tanned. The leather is dark brown. It has a smooth finish and matte. It has white stitching along the length of the strap and it is terminated by going over the edge of the strap. I have always like this on my straps. It does give it a more robust feel and look. The finish of the stitching is very good as is the strap.

It measures 22 mm at the lug attachment point and tapers down to 18 mm at the buckle end. It is the same on the other end. The other side of the strap has a pointed end. The strap is 5.6 mm thick at the lug attachment point and tapers down to 3.6 mm at the tip. The total length of the strap is 19.8 cm, 11.8 cm on the one side and 8 cm on the buckle end. I was told that the strap is hand-made.

The strap is of the 'Racing' design. This design is identified by the large holes on the strap. There are 3 holes on each side of the strap. The holes gets smaller as it moves away from the lug attachment point.

The interesting aspect of the strap is the loop anchor. This is the first time I have seen this on a strap. I just shows that I have been out of the loop (pun intended) for sometime now. The loop anchor is to prevent the strap keeper from moving too much up and down the strap.

The buckle has a width of 18 mm. It is made of stainless steel/ Inox. The buckle is polished and the finish is quite good. However this only applies to the sides of the buckle that is normally viewed. On the inside of the buckle, the finish is not so good. The buckle is signed with the Morellato Logo, which is the letter 'M' and 3 dots beside it. On the inside of the buckle, we find the buckle width, 18 mm and the material used to make the buckle, Inox.

The strap is unsigned. The only marking on the strap is the 22 mm on the tip of the strap to indicate the lug width. The overall finish of the strap as stated earlier is good. The holes for example is well made and finished. There are some 'spill' of the filler used to seal the leather but it is very minimal.

The strap is very comfortable when used. It fits well over the wrist. It is soft yet at the same time robust. The is a feel of quality and I would say it is a premium product. I would not hesitate to get another. In fact, I will be getting the black version the next time I am in Malaysia.