How Do You Care for a Leather Watch Strap?
Leather is the most common strap in the Adam & Westcott watch range, and it is the first part of a watch to give up if you treat it like steel.
Last updated: October 2026
Keep a leather watch strap dry, wipe it after wear and let it air before you put it away. Leather is the strap on 39 of the 100 active watches at Adam & Westcott, against 14 on steel and 8 on silicone or rubber, and only 10 of those 100 publish a water resistance figure. That is the case for keeping leather away from the shower.
In this article
- Cleaning a leather strap
- Can leather get wet?
- Care by strap type
- The leather watches
- Steel or silicone instead
- FAQ
How do you clean a leather watch strap?
Wipe it with a dry or barely damp cloth along the grain, then let it air before it goes back in a drawer.
Leather is skin: it takes on sweat and oils, then stiffens as they dry in. Soap and solvent strip the finish, and a soaked strap dries hard and cracks at the fold. Two habits beat any product: undo the buckle so the strap relaxes flat, and use the same hole daily. The 
OBSIDIAN MATTE BUSINESS WATCH at $44.98 publishes a 100% genuine leather strap on a slim 10mm case, and it lasts years on a dry wrist, months on a wet one.
Can a leather watch strap get wet?
No. Water ratings cover the case, never the strap, and 90 of the 100 watches publish no figure, so treat leather as splash only.
Of the 10 that print one, 8 print the same rating in three units: 3 bar, 3 ATM and 30 m all mean 30 metres, which covers rain and hand washing, nothing more. The two exceptions sit at the top of the range. The 
Benyar Avelon Watch at $79.99 publishes 10ATM, the highest figure in the range, and the 
LOBINNI PERPETUAL CALENDAR WATCH at $169.98 publishes 5Bar. The Benyar still wears a leather band, so its case takes more water than its strap does.
Leather, steel or silicone: care by strap type
| Strap | In the range | Care routine | A&W pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leather | 39 of 100 | Dry wipe, air before storing, buckle undone, no soaking |
 Ardenfort Classic Timer $59.99, 41mm |
| Stainless steel | 14 of 100 | Rinse and dry the links, brush the clasp, handles sweat fine |
 STEEL CHRONOGRAPH WATCH $69.98, 42mm sapphire |
| Silicone or rubber | 8 of 100 | Wash under a tap, dry with a cloth, the strap you can get wet |
 BOLD DIAL SPORT WATCH $39.99, 3-bar |
| Not stated | 39 of 100 | Check the listing, then use the leather routine as default |
 PYRAMID TEXTURE SPORT WATCH $59.98, 45mm |
Which Adam & Westcott watches come on leather?
Thirty nine, $29.99 to $79.99. Five that cover the spread:
-
CLEAN LEATHER QUARTZ WATCH $29.99, the cheapest leather strap here, slim 10mm alloy case. -
CRIMSON SWEEP QUARTZ WATCH $38.98, 100% genuine leather on a slim 10mm alloy case, day and date display. -
WEEKEND SPORT WATCH $49.98, a 45mm dial on a 12mm case, mineral glass. -
BOLD SQUARE AUTOMATIC WATCH $51.99, tan 100% genuine leather, 46mm square dial, self winding. -
Urban Performance Quartz Watch $69.99, one of the few leather models with a published figure, 3ATM.
When should you switch to steel or silicone?
Switch when the wrist gets wet or hot: silicone washes under a tap, steel shrugs off sweat, leather does neither.
Gym sessions and anything near water belong on silicone. Our best selling watch of the last 30 days is a silicone one, the BOLD DIAL SPORT WATCH at $39.99, 3-bar, and the 
Chrono-Active Silicone Strap Watch at $59.99 publishes 3ATM. For a watch that never comes off, steel is lower maintenance, and sapphire glass appears on 10 of the 100, including the 
REGAL SQUARE LUXURY WATCH at $44.95, a steel bracelet with an NH35 self winding movement and a published 3 Bar rating.
Full steel bracelet, GMT 24hr bezel ring and a published 30m rating on a slim 11mm alloy case.
Leather watch strap FAQ
Can I shower with a leather watch strap?
No. Hot water and soap strip the finish and the strap dries stiff. Only 10 of the 100 publish a water figure, and a rating covers the case, not the strap.
What does 3 bar water resistance actually allow?
Rain, hand washing and splashes. 3 bar, 3 ATM and 30 m are one rating, carried by 8 of the 10 watches with a published figure.
How do I stop a leather strap cracking at the fold?
Undo the buckle and store the strap flat, not curled. The crack starts at the bend that never relaxes.
Should I oil a leather watch strap?
Go easy. Heavy conditioner darkens light leather and softens it until the holes stretch.
Which Adam & Westcott watch needs the least care?
A steel bracelet. The STEEL CHRONOGRAPH WATCH at $69.98 pairs a 42mm case with sapphire glass, the hardest glass published here.
Choosing the watch itself? Read Quartz or Automatic: Which Watch Should You Buy? and The Best Men's Watches Under $50.
100 watches, one strap that suits your week
Leather for the desk, steel for daily, silicone for the gym.
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