Fluco Consul Leather Watch Strap - Brown

If you don't own one of the new sub-$100 Casio moon-phase-apple-watch-jokes, there is just something wrong with you. The dial is insane and the concept is hilarious. Shaped like one of those little monsters you can check your email on, but instead of such technology, it's equipped with a moon phase complication... powered by quartz. If you get it, you get it. The bracelet it came on was expectedly atrocious, so I've been shopping. The Fluco Consul is my 3rd try, and I've hit the value jackpot.

The matte black contrasts well with and does not distract from the vertical lines on the silver-white dial. A lot of people would disagree, but they are wrong. White dials belong on black leather and black dials belong on stainless. Don't lie, you WANT people to notice your watch, so go ahead and make it pop.

The strap took zero break-in time and is immediately soft and comfortable out of the OEM packaging. I am attaching some pictures, including a comparison to another strap I bought recently for my Bambino. I want to show how distressed the other strap is after only one day of wear, compared to the Consul. The Consul has only minimal folding near the sizing holes. There is also virtually no folding on the hypoallergenic lining of the Consul compared to the more expensive strap. This phenomenon has never been a deal breaker for me since the folding is not noticeable on the wrist, but it is worth mentioning.

One last point I'd like to make is about smell. One of the straps I bought previously for this Casio MTP-M305D-7A was a very thin and comfortable faux-croco. I stopped wearing it because the smell was just so unnatural. The Fluco is made up of what I would call a very average smelling leather. It doesn't smell bad. I've bought some expensive straps made of higher end leather, like Shell Cordovan and Essex from Horween that smell gooooooood. The Consul doesn't have this quality, but as long as the smell is not off-putting, I am okay with it.

The Black Fluco Consul in 20mm Regular should cost more than it does, and it is torturous that they are now out of stock in that particular fitting. I'd buy another for my 38mm small-seconds Bambino immediately.

Fluco makes good quality bands at an affordable price. This Consul strap is matte and very smooth. The short size fits well for a wrist 6 inches and under. The quality of the leather feels okay, not great, and maybe for a similar price or a little more, one can attain a strap that’s a bit nicer. For the relatively inexpensive price of the Consul, it’s not a bad choice though for this style. There is a some adhesive showing on the edge and the underside of mine says “Juwel” rather than “Consul” as in the product photo. Great service, communication and shipping from Holben’s as usual. Thank you

Really comfy strap that goes very well with the vibe of the vintage Q Timex I helped bring back to life.

The Fluco Consul is a quality strap that is simple and elegant. It fits my watch perfectly and is light, simple, and unobtrusive. Highly recommended. Thanks Holben's for the quick service. Will buy again.

I bought this for my Tissot le Locle. It’s beautiful and looks way better than Tissot original strap. Quality is really good and leather is soft. This one is 19 inch

I am very happy with my purchase. This leather strap is well made. The leather touching your skin is very comfortable and silky. I have put my strap on my titanium Boddery and it is a nice complement to the whole watch.

This was a perfect replacement band for a rather old Mondaine Swiss Railway watch. I had to punch two extra holes because my wrist is small (it's not a "woman's watch;" band is 16mm), but I like wearing bold watches and love the result. The leather feels soft, supple, and strong, and makes a well-used accessory feel new again, elegant and ready to wear for many more years.

This strap provides a unique look. It is very flat matte black and pairs very well with slim dress watches, OR even on divers in place of a rubber look.

The clean, simple design and satin finish work beautifully with my Max Bill 34mm. In fact, it was another review that prompted me to purchase this strap. A fantastic price, especially given the quality.

Unadorned, minimal style strap is the perfect complement for my Max Bill. Very soft & supple leather, w/minimal break-in needed. I own a few different Fluco straps and each one is a winner.

This strap is extremely soft and looks incredible on my Seiko SRPB43 (pictured on the right). I wish there was a 21mm version for my ver 3 Orient Bambino!

The Fluco Consul is the perfect strap for a more modern or minimalist style watch. This looks great with my Ole Mathiesen and Stowa Antea watch. The strap is a smooth leather similar to the Skagen straps with a soft under lining that is very comfortable. Recommended for dress and modern design watches.

Given the low price, I'm very pleased with the quality of the strap that I received. The leather is soft and the polished buckle matches my Nomos Tangente perfectly. My wrist is about 6.5 inches and this short length strap fits me perfectly.

Looks perfect on my watch fluco is real made german brand and makes quality straps will be back for more

Excellent band, this is the second like this I have purchased. It goes great with my Ruhla (East German) vintage watch.

The Fluco Consul leather watch strap was exactly what I needed to revive a decades-old Fossil automatic watch. The strap was incredibly easy to install, thanks to the quick-release spring bars, and the leather was shockingly supple. I have a lot of leather goods, from shoes, to belts, to other watch straps, to bags, and I don’t know that I’ve ever encountered anything quite so luxe. Very pleased with this purchase and wouldn’t hesitate to purchase this again from Holben’s. (I also have a soft spot for Bainbridge Island, having visited last summer, so I love supporting businesses located there.)

Couldn’t be happier with my purchase from Holbens, The Consul strap for my vintage Hamilton looks great and the quality for price was pretty much unbeatable, thanks Holbens, I will be a be loyal customer.

I purchased this for an old Helbros mechanical watch that was handed down to me. It fits the mid-century style of the watch perfectly. It's relatively thin and a matte finish which is good on a smaller watch. The gold finish on the buckle could be better, but that's nitpicking and for the price you can't beat this strap. Very soft and comfortable too.

Perfect strap. Great service as I had to change my order last minute. Kind people.

I ordered this band, but was informed that there was a quality problem with item I had ordered, followed by the suggestion of an alternative watch band at the same price. The alternative was a different manufacturer, but quite good especially for the money. I was impressed with the attention to detail that they stopped the order because there was a quality issue and offered an option. Excellent merchandise and excellent service

I got this strap for my apple watch and looks very good it completely change the look of the watch I got the dark brown it looks good with a black apple watch good price

For a strap that's $30+ and from a reputable maker, I'd have expected better feel. This strap feels light, feels like it's made from foam, and it's looking like the grains are cracking after one wear from the vertical creases it's getting. Since it's a leather band, Fluco could guess it's mostly being used in dressy-looking watches, so they should have tapered it a little, for some elegance; this is a grave aesthetic blunder in my opinion, but this is a matter of taste of course. The shade of brown in the dark brown is very tasteful, so that's a plus.