Home Made Gear: Leather Watch Cover.

Many, many years ago I remember having a leather watch cover that served me well for quite a while, but when it finally gave up the ghost, so to speak, I was surprised to find that replacing it was almost impossible. People that wear watches generally fall into two main categories, those that look on scratches, dings and dents as adding character, and those who like to keep their watch looking as near to brand new as possible; I have to admit that I'm planted firmly in the latter, and all my watches are kept as near to pristine as possible, even though they go diving, climbing, abseiling, mountain biking, cross-country running, hiking, kayaking, snorkelling, mountaineering etc. With the best will in the world, if you wear your watch doing all those things it 'will' get marked occasionally, well, more than occasionally really! In many respects, as a toolmaker in a previous life I'm fortunate; I can replicate many of the finishes to match perfectly with that of the manufacturer, but to be fair, it's way better to avoid having to do this in the first place. After a recent fall, and the resulting damage to the watch, I decided that as I couldn't find a suitable watch cover that I'd make one. This fiasco is often described as 'closing the door after the horse has bolted' and one that's unlikely to be repeated.

The Criteria

There are one or two covers available on the internet, but they go under the watch and this approach raises the watch off your wrist, making it unstable; it also increases the watches vulnerability as it's more prominent. I generally wear my watches on Zulu straps, as they're 'beefy', strong, utilise both spring-bars for additional security and are completely impervious to water. The way I fasten a five-ring Zulu means that there is only one thickness of the strap that passes under the caseback; even so, it still lifts the watch around 1,5mm off the wrist. I decided that the current designs were of little use and set about sorting out a design that only went over the top of the watch. A mug of tea got the job off to a fine start and I decided that the cover should be completely silent in use, that meant no press studs. I also determined that it should offer protection to the crown in addition to the watch head. In order to meet the requirements, the cover would need to be shaped, sturdy and completely secure. It immediately dawned on me that in addition to a mug of tea, some chocolate biscuits would also be required in order to expedite further progress.

To Work!

The watch strap that I decided to use is a 4 year old, black, 5 ring Zulu strap from ZULUDIVER, complete with black metalwork; even after 4 years of heavy use it still looks new! I then went on the hunt for some 2mm black leather that was left over from another project, returning to the office with a large piece. Deciding on the watch was the next job, and as this is predominantly for land-based escapades, I decided that the Geckota Sierra Zero One Phalanx fitted the bill nicely; it's 300m/1000ft capability means that water isn't likely to be a problem and I've been diving in it anyway on more than one occasion, so I'm more than happy with its performance. This was very kindly supplied by Geckota and has been on long term test for a while; it's as tough as old boots and has an ETA 2824-2 under the bonnet, enough said! The next step was to make a pressure mould and plug; out came the Vernier caliper and a set of dimensions quickly materialised. All this sounds very technical and involved, but in reality the whole thing took no more than 45 minutes to draw up and make the mould complete; the leather was then soaked in hot water for 15 minutes or so to make it supple. I smeared a little Vaseline on the mould and the plug so that the leather wouldn't drag or stick. I then pressed the leather into the mould using the plug, clamping the whole thing together with a couple of hand clamps; it was then placed in the boiler room to dry overnight. The next morning I removed it from the mould; and marked out the final shape using the centreline of the pressing as my datum. A sharp utility knife made short work of the cutting and a couple of minutes later it was done. A black keeper from an old Zulu strap was used so as to match the others and I proceeded to attach it to the cover; the retaining keeper tab was folded back on itself to give double thickness and both of these were held in place with contact adhesive before being hand stitched.

How Many Attempts?

Although the pressing was correct, the first prototype wasn't right aesthetically; the radii were incorrect and when fastened didn't follow the case properly. The second prototype was fine and this is the one in the photographs. All looked well, but looking well and working well are far from the same thing! The cover would have to be tested in all sorts of conditions before knowing if a third prototype would need to be made.

The Next Step

Now that the cover was finished it had to be protected before testing could take place. I dyed all the edges black and applied three coats of wax, finishing off with two coats of JoJo clear waterproofing agent; special attention being paid to the stitching areas. Into the sink it went and it stayed there, submerged in the cold water for 30 minutes as a primary test. I pulled it out, shook off the water and gave it the once-over; it hadn't suffered in the slightest! At that point the kettle went on again and the biscuit jar made another, very welcome appearance. After wandering around the house in it for a couple of days and everything working well, it was time to get out and find out how it performed in the real world.

Real-World Testing

There's much more to this than many would think! Although protecting the watch is the primary function, it also has to release and fasten easily. Cold, wet hands are commonplace and this also has to be taken into consideration. Concerns on whether the sleeves of jackets would pull the cover open along with how it would interfere with rucksacks and the suchlike were also things to be on the lookout for. When testing gear it's important not to make any special allowances, but also not to go out of your way to intentionally destroy it! It all has to be done as naturally as possible while constantly assessing its fitness for purpose in a wide range of situations and conditions. Over a three week period I wore the watch/cover combination continually and it's success has surprised even me! It's been out in heavy rain, submerged in water, covered in mud and it's also had a little sun, but only a little as I'm in the UK. On returning, it's removed, thrown in the sink along with the watch and scrubbed with a toothbrush in warm, soapy water before being dried with a clean cloth; when thoroughly dry it's re-proofed with JoJo and refitted. Not once has the cover come open unintentionally, and that's the biggest surprise; I thought that if one thing would let it down it would be that. I've even slept in it (the things I do for these articles) and on awakening, the cover was still in place and hadn't budged. The downside! Yes, there's always one! Because the face of the watch is completely covered, the Super-LumiNova is unable to absorb any light. I suppose a watch with tritium illumination would be the answer if it's really that important, although, to be honest, during the test period it's not been that noticeable.

The Last Word

For me, the cover has exceeded my expectations in that it's fulfilled all of the criteria and passed every test without a single failure! What more can you ask? It slides off the strap in a few seconds so you don't have to wear it all the time and it can be stored in the top of your rucksack just for those times when you're scrambling up rocky gullies or inside caves. It was easy to make and really quite enjoyable. Kit that you've made yourself offers that little extra something in my opinion, and I've had quite a few complimentary comments on it. It'll go in the gear store and make an appearance as and when required, just as all the other stuff does.