A bespoke ostrich-skin watch strap? Coming right up

In the often homogenised world of modern shopping, it’s exciting to find a genuine workshop with artisans actually making things in the background…

In the often homogenised world of modern shopping, it’s exciting to find a genuine workshop with artisans actually making things in the background – just as I did when I stumbled across Atelier du Bracelet Parisien. This tiny outlet sells truly luxurious bespoke watch straps and was set up in 1997 by Jean-Claude Perrin, one of the world’s top makers.

You can have a strap made out of anything from snakeskin to ostrich, alligator to galuchat or denim to cork. It can be of virtually any colour you like, of any thickness, with any type of lining and with any hue or style of stitching – and, remarkably, it could be on your wrist just three days after ordering.

Furthermore, if you’re not heading to Paris anytime soon, the process of choosing your dream strap can be carried out using ABP’s brilliant online system, which I have just taken advantage of (I couldn’t make my mind up on the spot) to summon a new, inky blue croc strap for my IWC Portuguese. It looks kinda snappy.

Prices from €135-€800.

Fact Box:

ABP, 28 place du marché Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris (+331- 4286 1370; www.abp-paris.com).