Customer Reviews
It is definitely a little different than the photos, but in a good way. Mine has much more of a matte appearance and a deep, dark navy color most of the time. Nice touch of visible pattern/texture to the leather. Leather itself is soft to the touch but the band has a little stiffness from the padding material. The leather does feel a little fragile, like it is a thin skin and might scratch easily. The keepers feel solid. And actually the keepers are so solid and the leather so soft that I put an abrasion in the strap just pulling it through the keepers. Overall I think this is a nice looking strap for the money and the blue is right on the money (hard to nail color at this price point). Hard to photograph the color, but I think the 2nd photo that shows the watch from the side is most accurate.
I was looking for a smooth calf or pig skin leather to dress down a formal looking watch to give it a more every day wearable look. Honestly I was tired of shiny gators and crocs and definitely tired of the Hermès style Saffiano you're starting to see on EVERY watch out there on the interwebs.
The Colareb Bologna in "brown" looked quite attractive to me since it was a smooth but unusually textured sheepskin leather that came in a good spread of colors. The brown in this case was not really a traditional brown (chocolate-y) but rather a taupe-ish brown that really sits nicely against rose gold. I didn't want TOO much of a tannish brown that would just melt in with rose gold, making things monochromatic.
What really hooked me though were the dimensions: a nice taper from lug to buckle that paired well with dress watches without overpowering the focus of the watch case. I find the taper of the 20-16 is perfect for a smaller cased watch such as 36mm-40mm and the OEM strap was almost too much (20-14). But the slam dunk was Colareb's lengths: 120-75. For me, that is THE SWEET spot! I've always found traditional 115-75 just a wee bit too short and 120-80 too long. My perfect strap lengths in a perfect world would be 120-75 or 115-80. And what do you know? Colareb offers the former! YIPPEE!!
For the price you pay for a Colareb, you're getting excellent workmanship, consistent stitching, and a product that exudes quality without gouging you in the wallet. I have surfed many, MANY strap vendors and inevitably I ALWAYS come back to Holben. The selection, prices and fast shipping are all tops. I'm a strap junkie and he's my go-to dealer.
I was hoping it would be darker like the picture on the website but it’s more of a regular grey. It’s a nice strap and still works for my watch so I am keeping it. Holbens should probably update their listing picture.
Purchased for a Cartier Tank and it looks absolutely fantastic.
The strap is excellent quality and comfort. I'm very pleased with my purchase. Holbens has been my go to website for quality straps. They carry the best. No need to be jumping around websites. The quick release option is wonderful for my watch.
Customer Reviews
It is definitely a little different than the photos, but in a good way. Mine has much more of a matte appearance and a deep, dark navy color most of the time. Nice touch of visible pattern/texture to the leather. Leather itself is soft to the touch but the band has a little stiffness from the padding material. The leather does feel a little fragile, like it is a thin skin and might scratch easily. The keepers feel solid. And actually the keepers are so solid and the leather so soft that I put an abrasion in the strap just pulling it through the keepers. Overall I think this is a nice looking strap for the money and the blue is right on the money (hard to nail color at this price point). Hard to photograph the color, but I think the 2nd photo that shows the watch from the side is most accurate.
I was looking for a smooth calf or pig skin leather to dress down a formal looking watch to give it a more every day wearable look. Honestly I was tired of shiny gators and crocs and definitely tired of the Hermès style Saffiano you're starting to see on EVERY watch out there on the interwebs.
The Colareb Bologna in "brown" looked quite attractive to me since it was a smooth but unusually textured sheepskin leather that came in a good spread of colors. The brown in this case was not really a traditional brown (chocolate-y) but rather a taupe-ish brown that really sits nicely against rose gold. I didn't want TOO much of a tannish brown that would just melt in with rose gold, making things monochromatic.
What really hooked me though were the dimensions: a nice taper from lug to buckle that paired well with dress watches without overpowering the focus of the watch case. I find the taper of the 20-16 is perfect for a smaller cased watch such as 36mm-40mm and the OEM strap was almost too much (20-14). But the slam dunk was Colareb's lengths: 120-75. For me, that is THE SWEET spot! I've always found traditional 115-75 just a wee bit too short and 120-80 too long. My perfect strap lengths in a perfect world would be 120-75 or 115-80. And what do you know? Colareb offers the former! YIPPEE!!
For the price you pay for a Colareb, you're getting excellent workmanship, consistent stitching, and a product that exudes quality without gouging you in the wallet. I have surfed many, MANY strap vendors and inevitably I ALWAYS come back to Holben. The selection, prices and fast shipping are all tops. I'm a strap junkie and he's my go-to dealer.
I was hoping it would be darker like the picture on the website but it’s more of a regular grey. It’s a nice strap and still works for my watch so I am keeping it. Holbens should probably update their listing picture.
Purchased for a Cartier Tank and it looks absolutely fantastic.
The strap is excellent quality and comfort. I'm very pleased with my purchase. Holbens has been my go to website for quality straps. They carry the best. No need to be jumping around websites. The quick release option is wonderful for my watch.