In the Flesh: Rover Haven Arts & Crafts

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a watch person. So, I don’t need to sit here and tell you how having a collection of straps can maximize the versatility of your watches – I’d be preaching to the horological choir. What I will tell you is, the watchstrap industry has become saturated with strap makers from small to big. Prices are just as varied; in fact, for some custom jobs, you could just as well get a few Seikos for the same price. Many of you might shop around, buying straps here and there, looking for something you like. Others, however, find their “strap guy”, and stick with him. Such is the case with Rover Haven, maker of high quality shell cordovan straps.

Rover Haven Workshop — where the magic happens

Myron Erickson, the man behind Rover Haven, is a Michigan-based engineer and watch collector. He had dabbled in casual leatherwork for some time, but decided to take a bit more seriously a few years ago after receiving a $100+, one-piece pull through shell cordovan strap of “acceptable” build quality. He wasn’t able to custom-order it, and still had to wait three weeks. Erickson knew he could do better. After figuring out the tricky procurement of shell cordovan leather, the beginnings of a new side business had begun to form.

Arts & Crafts Bund

Since 2012, Rover Haven has been providing hand-made, custom two-piece, and one-piece pull-through shell cordovan straps of varying colors and stitching styles. In the crowded watchstrap market, Rover Haven differentiates itself through superior (emphasis necessary) customer service, and rather reasonable pricing. As you look across their lineup of straps, you can see how price is closely related to amount of leather used, and the complexity of the straps’ details — one-piece pull-throughs, the simplest of the straps, are $75, and Bund straps can range up to $120. Rover Haven’s newest strap, the Arts & Crafts, doubles up on the leather, while still keeping the price at a reasonable $140. We were lucky enough to test the new strap style and give our first impressions.

Getting a look at the Horween stamping

Where the rest of Rover Haven’s lineup is comprised of single layer, unlined shell, the Arts & Crafts uses twice the length of leather, doubled-back on itself, creating a thicker, and more robust feel. Having purchased from Rover Haven in the past, I was very happy with the lightweight and pliable nature of the unlined straps. However, upon seeing the Arts & Crafts, my immediate feeling was that Rover Haven had stepped up its game – it oozes of pure quality. Myron sent me a two-piece, oxblood shell cordovan strap with a fairly standard buckle, and two keepers, one fixed, and the other loose. I later asked for a Bund pad, which I think completed the look. The bespoke nature of the strap, in addition to the build quality, gives off a high-end feel, yet at a price typically reserved for off-the-shelf, ready-made jobs.

Side shot of the Arts & Crafts Bund

Though the extra layer of shell cordovan increased the stiffness, I found the strap conforming to my wrist within a week. Other than ultimate durability, shell cordovan’s ability to become one with what it surrounds is probably its best quality. The stitching along the edges of the oxblood leather strap is virtually flawless, clearly done with great care and attention to detail. The overall construction – after bending, yanking and pulling in all sorts of directions – leaves me confident this strap will be in my collection for a long time.

For me, buying a watch strap of high quality leather, custom fitted to my wrist, and for an excellent price makes me feel like I’ve been let in on some awesome secret. The truth is, Rover Haven has a strong following of watch nerds lucky enough to have come across their straps through word of mouth, or random WUS searches. For those of you who didn’t already know about Rover Haven, I’ll give you some advice: if you’re on the market for a new leather strap, go check them out now! Myron is a pleasure to work with, and you can rest assured that he’ll make sure you’re happy with the final product.

by