The Real Reason Wabistraps Exists

Hey, I'm Jerome. I'm a vintage watch collector from Singapore, and I've been at it for close to 12 years, ever since my university days. My first mechanical watch was a preowned Tissot Le Locle — I saved up for months just to afford it, and it sparked a full-blown obsession with vintage timepieces. On a student budget, I couldn't buy a new watch, so I turned to straps to scratch the itch instead.

Turns out, swapping a strap can transform a watch almost as much as buying a new one. Since a watch is one of the few accessories men get to wear, that means your favorite piece never has to feel the same twice. I'm picky about my straps — I want them budget-friendly, comfortable, durable, and available in a range of styles and materials. Not many checked those boxes.

That's what led me to start Wabistraps. Running a business with no prior experience hasn't always been easy, but this was never just about making a sale, what keeps me going is meeting customers who also collect and share the same love for horology. When you buy from us, you're supporting a watch enthusiast and helping fund my next grail without my family judging me for it.

Watch straps are like outfits for your timepiece. You change clothes everyday, so why not do the same for your watch?

EST. 2017 The Wabistraps Timeline 1 THE DISCOVERY A lucky find It started with a ebay seller's stock — a bulk lot of vintage leather straps from a shuttered German leather factory. 2 THE LEAP Going all in Jerome only wanted a few pieces for himself, but was talked into buying the entire wholesale lot. 3 SOLD OUT Turns out, he's not alone He turned to selling to watch friends and an e-marketplace in Singapore. The straps sold out almost overnight. 4 GOING DIGITAL · 2017 Wabistraps is born Jerome bootstraps an e-commerce store from scratch, learning as he goes. 5 THE SEARCH A year on the road Nearly 100 suppliers met across Asia, burning through his own savings on samples, refusing to stock anything he wouldn't strap to his own watch. 6 TODAY Still family-run A Singapore-based company serving watch lovers and collectors worldwide.

Warehousing Move

SENATOR, WE ARE SINGAPOREAN!!

I was born and raised in sunny Singapore, and Wabistraps is still very much a family-run operation. While our office is tucked away in the Singapore suburbs, our warehouse sits in Shenzhen, China which is just across the border from Hong Kong.

Why the move? We used to pack every single order by hand as a family, and it was slow, tedious work. We wanted to hand that job over to professional packers, without raising our prices to do it. Shenzhen gave us both: expert packing support and shipping that's actually affordable.

Orders now go out faster than ever, and those savings get passed straight on to you. That means quicker shipping, better straps, and more competitive prices.