Established in 1997, the Atelier du Bracelet Parisien (ABP) is the place to go if you want to personalize your watch with an amazing, out of this world strap. “The most incredible strap we’ve created so far was for a Swatch – a stingray strap with two central pearls, stingray lining and a hand stitching, at €8OO, “ says Yann Perrin, son of ABP founder Jean-Claude.
Customers can choose from about 50 types of leather, skins of every variety, which each available in one to 100 colors, depending of the type of leather in question. While some of the straps that ABP has created have been more outrageous than others, Yann Perrin is
quick to point out that all are one-of-a- kind, as each customer (predominantly collectors) is personally involved in the selection.
Straps take about an hour and a half to complete, but some of the more intricate ones can take an entire workday. Skilled leather craftsmen, who have been trained by ABP, fashion each strap in the Parisian workshop. Yann Perrin sees no decline in this kind of skill, as demand is healthy. He explains: “The future seems to be safe, as more and more people appreciate craftsmanship compared to globalization.”
