# RIOS1931 Watch Band Corner | Fine German Made Watch Bands



## Panatime

This thread is a place to share pictures, comments, questions, and requests exclusively related to *RIOS1931 watch bands*. 

  

RIOS1931 was founded by Oswald Riemer in 1931 and remains a family run enterprise in its third generation. 
RIOS1931 was built on the values of family, precision, and quality, offering only the finest quality watch bands 
crafted with the utmost attention to detail. *To Browse the RIOS1931 Catalogue, Click Here*.​


----------



## Nokie

The do make some quality straps. I have always been more than satisfied with this brand and their attention to detail. 

Very nice.


----------



## gmads

Big fan of the buffalo Typhoon:


----------



## wkw

RIOS Colorado on my Dekla pilot. German strap for a German watch.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## BRN

Rios Kaluga Racing Strap


----------



## Panatime

Showing off these three Panerai style vintage leather straps crafted by RIOS1931. 
(From left to right: Chestnut Vintage Leather, Olive Distressed Vintage Leather, and Brown Raw Vintage Leather)


----------



## Panatime

*Pictured Above (left to right)*: RIOS1931 Montreal, Monza, and Silverstone​
The RIOS1931 Montreal, Monza, and Silverstone are sporty genuine leather watch bands with high quality carbon embossed top leather. These straps have a racing style at the heart of their design and are crafted with precision detail.


----------



## wkw

RIOS cashmere strap, very soft and I love it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## slcbbrown

I like lots of strap brands, but Rios is probably my favorite.


----------



## bth1234

I got a nice Rios cordovan in honey. With white stitching. Either the New York or Chicago. I wish they would include QR pins.


----------



## TheBearded

My Tourby came with a couple of Rios straps. Was pleasantly surprised by the quality.


----------



## mudmud

I had a couple of Rios straps before and they are very good quality. Wouldn't hesitate to buy them again.


----------



## Panatime

*Image:* RIOS1931 Brown Raw Vintage Leather Watch Band with Classic Box Stitching. ​


----------



## Quartersawn

Rios1931 Seattle shell cordovan on the blue Stowa









Rios1931 Blizzard


----------



## Panatime

RIOS1931 Sofia | Canvas One-Piece Watch Band on a Panerai Luminor​


----------



## Panatime

RIOS1931 Monarch | Genuine Alligator Watch Band​_The RIOS1931 Monarch is an Ultra-Premium, Genuine Alligator Watch Band. Each Monarch is crafted from the finest cuts of Genuine Alligator Skin - a Full-cut with Large Square Grains. The inside lining is also crafted from Genuine Alligator Skin - a Flank-cut that is smooth and comfortable for all-day-wear. The Monarch is crafted by RIOS1931 in Germany and undergoes a 172-step production process by an expert craftsman. It is finished with a Hand Stitched Saddler’s Seam – an exquisite stitching that takes approximately 40 minutes to complete._


----------



## Gungoboom85

Makes 18MM lugs not seem so unbearably thin. I'm really excited to see what it looks like after some wear. Apologies for the poor photography.


----------



## SMP300M

I bought RIOS1931 Chicago Shell Cordovan (cognac, padded, and without contrast stitching) on black Friday and just received it. Looks really nice. I haven't installed it yet. 

With the leather surface being so shiny, scratches and surface defects really stand out (and not in a good way). If you have RIOS1931 Shell Cordovan (or other Shell Cordovan) watch strap, what is your experience? Do you have to baby the strap? Or have to take steps to maintain the strap (oil and buff)?









Below are the 2 watches I plan to use with this strap.

Omegas Seamaster Professional 300M:









Baltic Aquascaphe blue gilt:


----------



## SMP300M

Follow-up on the RIOS1931 Chicago shell cordovan strap. Looks really nice. But does not fit well. The spacing between the holes are too far apart: around 7 to 8mm. So going down 1 hole is too tight; going up 1 hole is too lose. I tried on 2 different watches. Both watches flap around, and gradually end up inside of the wrist. I had the same issue previously with Tropic rubber strap, which has hole spacing 8-9mm. 

In comparison, I check my other watch straps. The hole distance are around 5.5 to 6mm apart. I have no problem with other leather and rubber straps. Kind of surprised that just 1-2 mm can cause such a big difference.

Not sure if fit will get better as the strap is worn in (curvature/bend is developed around my wrist). I hope so. And not sure if this issue is compounded with the weight of the watch. I'm using the strap with divers, which are not the lightest watches. 

Anyways, this strap is not wearable like this. I hope it will not be a waste of money. Or have a cool looking strap that is not wearable. 😭


----------



## Panatime

SMP300M said:


> Follow-up on the RIOS1931 Chicago shell cordovan strap. Looks really nice. But does not fit well. The spacing between the holes are too far apart: around 7 to 8mm. So going down 1 hole is too tight; going up 1 hole is too lose. I tried on 2 different watches. Both watches flap around, and gradually end up inside of the wrist. I had the same issue previously with Tropic rubber strap, which has hole spacing 8-9mm.
> 
> In comparison, I check my other watch straps. The hole distance are around 5.5 to 6mm apart. I have no problem with other leather and rubber straps. Kind of surprised that just 1-2 mm can cause such a big difference.
> 
> Not sure if fit will get better as the strap is worn in (curvature/bend is developed around my wrist). I hope so. And not sure if this issue is compounded with the weight of the watch. I'm using the strap with divers, which are not the lightest watches.
> 
> Anyways, this strap is not wearable like this. I hope it will not be a waste of money. Or have a cool looking strap that is not wearable. 😭
> 
> View attachment 16282425


Thanks for sharing these pictures - I'm sorry to hear about the issues with the spacing of the holes. If you purchased this strap from Panatime, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] or by phone at (914) 919-2066. We would certainly be happy to set up an exchange, refund, or another solution so that you are 100% satisfied. As as side note, this band is a bit smaller in thickness as compared to some vintage leathers (like 4-5mm thick Panerai Style bands) so it will likely feel less substantial than the heavy diver watches - but if it's strapped securely on the wrist it should like great. Also, if you find the leather is a bit stiff, there may be a slight break in period for the band to "loosen up"...In any case, please feel free to contact us if we can assist in any way!


----------



## rhubarbsuburb

SMP300M said:


> The spacing between the holes are too far apart: around 7 to 8mm. So going down 1 hole is too tight; going up 1 hole is too lose.


I wear RIOS straps exclusively on all my watches. Matte finish gator Connoisseur or President for high end pieces, New York or Chicago cordovan for tool/sport pieces, depending on whether I want contrast or matching stitch; Honey Tan cordovan for summer, Cognac for fall/winter.

I bought one of those leather punches off 'zon that has the rotating tip for different size holes. I use the smallest to punch in between factory holes on straps, and a larger one for exotic leather belts. The good thing about RIOS hole spacing is that it allows for this. My wrist expands and contracts based on season, water retention, altitude. Sadly, my waist only expands.

To your other question about treating the cordovan, I do not. Wear adds character to them IMO, and treatments alter the color of the stitch.


----------



## kplam

I've had numerous Rios straps in the past and I really liked them. However, one thing missing from their lineup is shorter length straps. I've had to punch holes myself in several of these straps. I've since moved to other brands because I can't find shorter lengths unfortunately.


----------



## Teeuu

Gungoboom85 said:


> Makes 18MM lugs not seem so unbearably thin. I'm really excited to see what it looks like after some wear. Apologies for the poor photography.


I agree


----------



## Panatime

Shop RIOS1931 Watch Bands Specially Crafted for Panerai Deploy Clasps.
These premium bands are compatible with original deploy clasps and aftermarket deploy clasps alike!










Each band is stamped with the "RIOS1931 for Panatime" Logo.

Note the Saddler's Seam - a Precision Hand Stitch which utilizes only one piece of thread. It takes an expert craftsman approximately 40 minutes to complete the Saddler's Seam on each strap.


----------



## DC Lavman

Have had this Hamilton on a Louisiana in Navy from the jump and it's held up great for years. Might be time for a new one...


----------



## StufflerMike

Subdelta chose for a Rios1931 for their new Ace MK 2


----------



## timestampaviator

Have their pilot style strap on my Revue Thommen Airspeed. Had to end up punching holes in as it was slightly too large for my wrists (7in wrist).


----------



## BRN

New Pensa strap in Cognac. Picked it up along with a black one during the latest Presidents’ Day sale @Panatime


----------



## BRN

Rios Advance w/Caoutchouc Rubber Lining

A little stiff out of the box. Hoping that some wear will soften things up.


----------



## BRN

Black Pensa


----------



## Panatime

The Pensa is one of our favorites.


----------



## BRN

Panatime said:


> The Pensa is one of our favorites.


Pensa and Kaluga are my favorites from Rios. Going to be ordering more from you soon!


----------

