Best Watch Deals

Panerai Watch Bands

There seems to be a steady interest in hefty watch bands to fit Panerai watches. These oversized watches are well-known for the unique straps that are usually attached to them. Panerai watch bands stand out in the crowed, partly because of their larger-than-standard sizes (22mm, 24mm, 26mm), but even more so because of the oversized buckles that keep them on the wearer's wrist.

Outside of OEM parts, there are basically two types of Panerai-style buckles for watch bands. One is what I'll call the standard P-style, and the other is the oversized P-style buckle. The oversized tends to be the more popular. A photo of these "big guys," complements of TCStraps,
As you can see, these buckles fan out from the strap to become much wider than the watch band, itself. Their size seems to counter-balance the huge watch case that is strapped on to the other side of the wearer's wrist.

Now that we have an understanding of the Panerai watch band design, where does one look for a replacement watch band? As one might suspect, there are many options. We'll not get to all of them, but you should be able to find one that fits your feature and/or price requirements.

As with most fine watches, there is always OEM equipment. You can see what's avaiable (by model) on the Panerai website. If you see something you like, contact an authorized Panerai dealer. A primary reason that many Panerai watch owners don't go this route is that the straps are quite expensive, and dealers often must place a special order, resulting in an undesirable wait.

As with most products and services, buyers of leather watch bands are usually anxious to get their new straps fast and avoid any delays. Two popular websites offering quick turnaround times are TCStraps and The Watch Prince. It would seem that TCStraps offers more reptile straps in the $100+ range, while The Watch Prince has a wider variety of less expensive models, including The Mazama — a very thick calfskin strap for only $24.95. There have been positive mentions of this one in some of the watch forums.

Some of you may choose The Watch Prince for budgetary reasons, while some will want to choose from the genuine alligator, crocodile, or other exotic models from TCStraps. Yet, others are patient and want orginal equipment. Others, still, want to express themselves with a custom-made Panerai strap. Again, there may be many options, but it seems that there are many happy customers of Shane Delaurian and Greg Stevens Design (aka Greg Straps). If you have the time, and your budget allows, there are some very interesting and exciting options from both of these craftsmen.

This is just a start. However, it should be enough to get you on your way to finding a new leather watch band for your Panerai. If not, ask around in one of the watch forums. WatchUSeek.com is one site that features a Panerai Forum.

P.S. You don't have to own a Panerai watch to wear a P-style watch band.