Cuff strap for Apple Watch puts the heat on Hermès at 20% off [Watch Store]

Feeling rugged and maybe a little bit Roman? Go ahead and swap out the standard strap that comes with your new Apple Watch for something a little more, er, Ben Hur-ish.

The Cuff Strap by Jack Foster fits the bill, and the juxtaposition with the sleek Apple Watch somehow quite high-style. Better yet, it costs just a fraction of what you’ll spend for Hermès’ similar double-buckle leather strap.

And, Jack Foster’s beautiful collection of leather cuffs and bands for Apple Watch are currently 20 percent off at Cult of Mac Watch Store.

American craftsmanship at its finest

As unique as the cuff’s design is, it’s got nothing on the location of its manufacturer, Jack Foster. The small leather goods company is tucked away in an abandoned mill in Greenville, South Carolina.

The company’s owner, Matt Crowder, chose his hometown of Greenville as the company’s headquarters because the city was once a large textile producer. Following a deep economic downturn, with many businesses leaving the area, Crowder wanted to bring quality manufacturing back home. With vast experience making saddles, leather products like this Apple Watch strap were a natural choice for Crowder, who hired an additional two tradesmen.

All Jack Foster products are made by hand, with leather sourced close to home. In fact, the famous and long-standing Horween Leather Company in Chicago provides the leather for this particular cuff strap. Chromexcel leather, in particular, takes a laborious 89 separate processes and 28 working days by a highly experienced craftsman to perfect. Bold, refined, and never flat, chromexcel leather moves with you, bringing up tonal contrasts as the band flexes and folds.

Customizable Apple Watch cuff

The actual strap can be removed from the cuff and worn on its own, offering two different looks. A center opening on the cuff allows the Apple Watch to maintain contact with one’s wrist, and lets the charger to attach without having to remove the band. Adapter and buckle hardware available come in stainless, rose gold or space gray/black.

The Chromexcel leather is held together with meticulous stitching, and the strap’s underbelly is soft, natural kidskin, which feels comfortable on the wrist.

What’s great about this leather is its feel and appearance over time — bold, refined and never flat. It becomes even softer as it gets broken in.

Available for 38 mm and 42 mm Apple watches, it also comes in Horween English Tan Dublin Leather and Horween Dark Cognac Dublin Leather. For these and other made-to-order straps by Jack Foster, check out Cult of Mac Apple Watch Store.

Price: $157 (regularly $195)

Buy from: Cult of Mac Apple Watch Store

Jack Foster provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See Cult of Mac’s reviews policy and check out more stuff we recommend in our Best List reviews.