On a watch strap, the stitching is a line of small stitches, a few millimetres from the edge. It is one of the first things the eye finds, and one of the clearest signs of how a strap was made.
Every strap I make is stitched by hand with a saddle stitch. This article explains what that means, how it differs from the stitch a sewing machine makes, and what it changes on something as small as a strap.
Two needles, one thread
A saddle stitch uses a single length of thread with a needle at each end. The stitcher works along a row of holes that has already been marked and punched. At every hole, both needles pass through, one from each side, so the thread crosses itself inside the leather. Then the stitch is pulled tight by hand, and the work moves to the next hole.
The result is a line in which the thread runs continuously along both faces of the leather. Each stitch is tensioned on its own, by hand, and each one locks independently.
How it differs from a machine stitch
Most sewing machines make a lockstitch. It uses two separate threads: one from the needle above and one from the bobbin below. The two threads loop around each other inside the material at every stitch.
| Hand saddle stitch | Machine lockstitch | |
|---|---|---|
| Threads | One thread, two needles | Two threads, needle and bobbin |
| At each hole | The thread passes fully through from both sides | The two threads interlock inside the material |
| Tension | Set by hand, stitch by stitch | Set by the machine |
| Speed | Slow | Fast |
| Thread | Can be thick, waxed linen | Chosen to run through the machine |
A good machine stitch is strong and regular, and many well-made straps are machine stitched. The practical difference lies in what happens if the thread wears through at one point. In a lockstitch, the two threads depend on each other, so a break can let neighbouring stitches loosen. In a saddle stitch, the thread on each side continues to hold on its own, so the seam tends to stay closed around the damage.
On a strap, which bends at the same places thousands of times and rubs against cuffs and desks, that is a reassuring property to have.
What you can see
The difference is visible as well as structural.
- The angle. Hand stitching through punched holes gives each stitch a slight, even slant. It is the signature of the technique.
- The thread. Stitching by hand lets me use Meisi Super Fine waxed linen thread from Japan. Linen has a matte, slightly textured surface that sits naturally beside leather.
- The spacing. The holes are punched by hand before any stitching begins, so the spacing is decided for the strap and meets the corners and the tip cleanly.
- Both sides. Because the thread runs along both faces, the lining side of the strap is as tidy as the top.
Thread colour and stitching style
The stitching is also a design decision. You choose the thread colour, from a palette of more than eighty shades: tone-on-tone for a quiet strap, or a contrast such as cream on dark brown to draw the line of the strap.
Depending on the watch, the configurator also offers three stitching styles:
- Classic stitch: the traditional line of stitching around the strap.
- Side stitch: a more reduced stitching pattern.
- No stitch: a clean surface with no visible stitching, for the most minimal look.
You can see these options on straps such as the Cartier Tank collection.
Why it takes time
Saddle stitching cannot be hurried. Each hole is punched, each stitch is passed twice and pulled by hand, and the tension has to stay the same from the first stitch to the last. It is one of the reasons a strap takes days rather than minutes, and part of why each strap is made to order, usually in 3 to 5 weeks.
It is also the step where the strap stops being pieces of leather and becomes one object. The rest of the process, from cutting to edge finishing, is described in how a handmade leather watch strap is made.
In short
A saddle stitch is one thread and two needles, crossing in every hole and tightened by hand. It gives a seam that holds stitch by stitch, a line with a character of its own, and a strap whose inside is finished as carefully as its outside. That is why I stitch every strap this way.
