Paolo18 does Hublot

June 29, 2012

Paolo18 does Hublot

It has been a while that I am able to wear this old Hublot because the original rubber has deteriorated beyond use. Spending hours on eBay didn't yield any success, as most of the time the available ones are the wrong size. There was a time that I saw an exact size, but only one piece.

Well, you can opine that why not get it from the local service center, i.e., Watch Check at 6750 Ayala Avenue. I did talk to them, and I was quoted P9,000 for a new pair. However, my apprehension is it will break again. So this option was no longer pursued.

In order to wear the watch, I bought cheap leather from Makati Square for P50. I then sized and sliced it to fit, and for a while, the Hublot is wearable once more.

Here are a couple of low-key photos of the watch.

Immediately noticeable is how soft and flimsy the single sheet of leather is. In the end it became so loose and deformed that it is ugly.

Then I met Paolo18 in one of the GTGs at Harvest, which is an awesome restaurant/bar, and I pestered him to just try and see what he can do.

I remember him saying that "it's easy, but difficult" and I understand why. As far as the strap is concerned, it's just a straight cut. The challenge is that, it has to be around 1mm thick and must be sturdy. So the choice of material is a critical part. There were no promises, and no timeline, then one day...

I got a private message from him. Saying that he did something and would like me to try it. I got excited and thanked him for the time and effort. He explained to me that the material is "doe skin lined with pig skin" and I am totally ignorant of how it would look like.

Yesterday the package came, and when I was looking at the patterns, I found myself flip-flopping between them. In the end, I selected the pattern I felt is suitable for both formal, and play.

Here are a few photos of the Paolo18 strap on my Hublot. Paolo18, you're the man! Gracias!