# Strap options for the El Primero Tricolor?



## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

I'm new to Zenith. Please post pictures of your El Primero Tricolor. I'd love to get some strap ideas for my Striking Tenth. Hopefully this thread might become a sticky for present and future Tricolor owners!


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## vkalia (Oct 26, 2014)

I have gotten an ABP ostrich leg strap, in black, as an alternative to the bracelet. 

Will post photos once I get it.


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## Fantasio (Apr 5, 2009)

Custom made Cordovan by Greg Stevens.


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## pablosimon2000 (Sep 1, 2015)

for me the best is the original rubber strap, it fits great and it gives the watch a sporty look... don't have pics, sorry!!!


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## Alex_TA (May 7, 2013)

You can order mesh bracelet from Pilot Special. It's 21mm at lugs so it will be OK for 42mm Tricolor 
It costs a solid dime but worth it.


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

Here's a strap that John Glance from Dangerous9 Straps made for a client with the El Primero Tricolor. Ostrich leg leather. What do you think of the blue stitch?


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

Pablosimon2000,

Your rubber strap?


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## Alex_TA (May 7, 2013)

John is real high end strap producer, on ABP level. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## vkalia (Oct 26, 2014)

Posted this in the WRUW a few days ago, but adding it here for the record: blue croc strap with white stitching, from a strapmaker in Bangkok.


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

I ordered a tobacco brown Ostrich leg strap with all the works from John Glance / Dangerous9. Definitely not cheap! I'll post pictures eventually. His turnaround time is many weeks out.


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## WTSP (May 6, 2012)

You should also get a red and white NATO strap to sport on the McGill campus. :beer:


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

WTSP said:


> You should also get a red and white NATO strap to sport on the McGill campus. :beer:


Sadly, I'm not a student on campus anymore!


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## maik (Sep 20, 2012)

vkalia said:


> Posted this in the WRUW a few days ago, but adding it here for the record: blue croc strap with white stitching, from a strapmaker in Bangkok.
> 
> View attachment 5239354


Do you have any other pictures in more even light? I like this color combo.


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## hengkyganda (Dec 5, 2013)

love this combo 
with burgundy horween strap


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## ed21x (Feb 11, 2011)

on a debeers 19mm alligator. really nice strap, especially for the money.


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## Ajax_Drakos (Aug 20, 2014)

I'm not wearing mine right now, so unfortunately this is the best pic I have in my files at work:









Basically, I think a tobacco brown or burgundy strap works best for my liking on the EP. I searched and searched for a 21mm strap that would property fit the EP and look good. But most of them were too thick or not the right color or not the right size. Then I finally stumbled upon this: 21mm Padded Red Brown Alligator Crocodile Leather Skin Watch Strap Band 1922 | eBay

For a $30 strap, the quality is actually very, very good -- better than on a lot of my straps that I've paid more money for. It fits great, feels great and looks great.

The original strap on the EP is excellent, but I had two problems with it. One, I couldn't get that thing to fit right. I was basically in between sizes. Where I normally wore it, it was a little too loose and would ride to the top of my wrist, and if I tightened it, then it was just too tight. The other problem I had is that I found the strap to be a little too thick, so the watch wouldn't fit comfortably under a shirt cuff. With the new strap, both problems have been solved.

Unfortunately, because the original EP strap was on there very, very tightly and because I got sloppy and stupid, I scratched up the lugs pretty good on the front of the watch -- in other words, the worst place. My watchmaker did as good a job as he could to repair the damage, but I don't think it will be properly repaired until I send the watch to Zenith for a full service. Basically, I'm an idiot.

I'd never previously scratched the lugs on the front of a watch, and I couldn't pick a worse watch to do this on. Just remember that the original strap is on there very snug, and it's a bit tricky -- at least it was for me. Be very careful when removing that strap. In retrospect, I should have just let a professional do it when I didn't feel quite comfortable with the snugness.


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## hengkyganda (Dec 5, 2013)

works out really well with this Taupe strap


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

Well it's taken this long, but the final product is near completion.


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## Hartmut Richter (Feb 13, 2006)

Nice going. So, what's with the two colours? Red on top piece, light blue on bottom piece? Or red up the left side, blue down the right?

Hartmut Richter


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

Hartmut Richter said:


> Nice going. So, what's with the two colours? Red on top piece, light blue on bottom piece? Or red up the left side, blue down the right?
> 
> Hartmut Richter


I'll keep you in suspense!
The color is actually grey. BUT, I do have a steel blue color also in the mix. Three different thread colors, but only 1 visible when worn.


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

And here it is, near final product minus a few strap holes:


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## Solomente (Feb 24, 2015)

Very cool, can't wait to see it on your watch!


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## estrickland (Dec 31, 2012)

I wear my Striking 10ths on Zenith calf:







It's rubber backed like original black alligator, and wears great:


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## WTSP (May 6, 2012)

sarir97 said:


> And here it is, near final product minus a few strap holes:


That is some serious leather. Great mix of textures. The varying colors of the stitching is a great touch as well.


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

WTSP said:


> That is some serious leather. Great mix of textures. The varying colors of the stitching is a great touch as well.


The lining is SuperMatte Teju Lizard, which is apparently a rubberized finish, which means it's supposedly waterproof, or so says John Glance of Dangerous9 straps.

Can't wait for the postman to arrive!


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## mykii (Oct 22, 2010)

Can't wait to see that strap on the Zenith! 

The grey stitching looks great.


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

Received today. A few iPhone pics... I couldn't be happier!


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## mykii (Oct 22, 2010)

Have to say, I'm impressed. That is the perfect type of strap to complement this watch. 

I know you said it wasn't cheap, but how bad was the damage? A ballpark perhaps?


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## Crate410 (Jun 14, 2011)

Very nice choices. I have always liked this watch and the fact that you have multiple colors on the dial to me means that it is very versatile in terms of type and color of straps that can be used.

Has anyone used a tag style sports strap (black with red stitch maybe) with this watch?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

mykii said:


> Have to say, I'm impressed. That is the perfect type of strap to complement this watch.
> 
> I know you said it wasn't cheap, but how bad was the damage? A ballpark perhaps?


The strap came out to 400+. Add that to the retail cost of the clasp and it gets steep quickly. But I could have done things differently. There was no strong reason to use the more expensive lizard lining. I could have used a simple blue or red leather lining for even greater color effect, at less cost (about 40 Euros less). In any case, the strap costs the same as the genuine Zenith strap, and looks 10 times better, IMO. Here are a few more pictures with different lighting:


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)




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## mykii (Oct 22, 2010)

Well, gulp, I suppose when I pickup the Zenith next year I will need to allocate an extra $500 for a custom strap to give this bad boy of a watch the treatment it deserves!


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## WISDean (Jan 15, 2012)

To the OP, if you're in Montreal (that's the McGill crest if I'm not mistaken) check out combat straps - Aaron Pimentel is one of the best strapmakers I've ever seen. I have about five if his straps. they're not cheap, but they're unbelievable and the array of materials and colors is dizzying.


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## Geraldo1 (Nov 17, 2015)

I like my striking ten too. It looks great in the bright desert sun . Super watch.


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## sarir97 (Aug 19, 2012)

WISDean said:


> To the OP, if you're in Montreal (that's the McGill crest if I'm not mistaken) check out combat straps - Aaron Pimentel is one of the best strapmakers I've ever seen. I have about five if his straps. they're not cheap, but they're unbelievable and the array of materials and colors is dizzying.


I've seen his website and I do like his straps. What drew me to John Glance and D9 straps was his "thick curved lug system". I love how the strap hugs the contour of the watch!

As to my location, I'm a Montreal explant, McGill alum. Great city, great university.


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