The strap, Zeitmaschine 1950 Z01 - GPF 2/56 STRAP
Corrigia has very recently come up with a series of straps that takes vintage to the next level. His straps are known for their vintage character and till date made with new leather hides.
This new series of straps are made of Italian vegetable tanned leather hides that date from the 1950-1960's. Unilke another very well-known and used old leather types taken from old ammunition pouches, the leather Cengio uses have a slight vintage smell to it but not as strong as most ammo straps.
The Zeitmaschine straps collections come at the moment in two variants, the Z01 GPF 2/256 inspired by the straps used on the 60mm Panerai GPF 2/56 "Big Egiziano" and the darker Z02 - 6152/1 strap that is inspired by the straps used on the Panerai Luminor reference number 6152/1.
Erik decided to go for the Z01 GPF 2/56 with "true vintage folding technique", a GPF Mod Dep flat buckle, 135/85 long and 27mm width to create a nice tight fit on the case between the lugs, the strap is meant especially for his 47mm Regatta Luminor 1950 PAM00526, a massive watch model that requires a strap with plenty of presence to match the stature of this watch. The 2/56 offers everything you need in a strap meant for a larger 47 MM PAM.
As I wanted a strap that complements my PAM389, I went for the Z01 GPF 2/256, just like my other vintage straps with "true vintage folding technique, a GPF Mod Dep flat buckle, 150/90 long and 27mm width to create a nice tight fit on the case between the lugs. Now that I got the strap, the color is warm enough to also use it with my PAM372.
The finish of the strap
The finish of the strap is comparable to the Roger Blue LE, the stitching is well done. The leather is extremely soft and has sort of a silky feel to it, but less than the Roger Blue LE. This strap also got the salt water & leather balsam treatment, the burnishing is absent, the sides are a bit rough, the lining of the strap is the same leather as the upper side of the strap and the extra layer in-between at the lug side is black. The strap thickness varies, at the lug side it is thicker than on the buckle side, because of the "true vintage technique". The lugs are thick and feel sturdy. The stitching is sharp and straight. The vintage and worn look gives the strap many different shades of light brown/beige and has a nice character. The strap has the color differentiations by grinding and polishing and has not been recolored, this keeps the leather free from toxic substances.
Erik view: The first thing you notice about before even mounting it is that it's worn in and broken in--the leather is soft and bending; no break-in period is needed with this strap.
Corrigia's attention to detail is evident. The unfinished sides, distressed holes, and triple fold technique, as well as thick flat GPF Mod Dep seen-in buckle all help to give this handmade strap a vintage feel. The slots in the stitching indicate that this strap was made with Corrgia's bare hands, and the gold stitching goes perfectly with an ecru lume of the dial. But nothing arouses the senses more than the smell of the leather. It just smells vintage and that smell jumps off your wrist; a constant reminder of the quality and age of the leather at all times while wearing this strap.
The GPF-Mod Dep buckle
This strap has like most of my straps also a GPF-Mod Dep style buckle, this is a big flat buckle originally used in the 1940-1950's. GPF stands forGuido Panerai e Figlio Modelo Depositato(translated Guido Panerai & Son Registered Trademark) Not all buckles have the GPF Mod Dep mentioned on the buckle, if they have it stamped or engraved they are usually not the original ones from the 1940-1950'5, but more a homage to the originals, next if the engraving is done, it is on the inside of the buckle, so you won't see it while wearing the strap. The buckle is brushed stainless steel and has GPF Mod Dep engraved on the inside.
The type of sewn loop & the use of leather inserts
I noticed that the strap I received has a different way of the installation of the buckle compared to the other Corrigia straps I have:
Corrigia vintage straps are built in two ways when it comes to the attachment of the buckle, with a single sewn loop or a double sewn loop. Both techniques are from the 1940-1950's and depending on the thickness of the leather either of the two techniques is used.
You can see on the Zeitmaschine Z01 2/26 strap that has clearly a single sewn loop and the Roger Blue LE with a thinner leather a double sewn loop. The double sewn loop has a bit flatter effect at the buckle side when wearing, but both variations wear comfortable.
Another detail can be seen here and that are the leather insert to give the strap extra body, or makes the strap thicker. That way the strap maker can play with your choice of strap and can make the strap according to your taste. The Roger Blue LE here has a thicker leather insert (the light brown part) as the top leather is thin, the Zeitmaschine 1950 Z01 2/56 has a very thin leather insert (black part). Erik likes his strap less thick and his Zeitmaschine 1950 Z01 2/56 has no leather insert, the leather that is used is already considerable thick.
On the watch
As mentioned in my other reviews putting a strap on my PAM00389 it is an easy task to do, the quick-change strap system makes it a 2-minutes job, no need to visit a watchmaker to do it for you. But the first time you put on a strap that is 1 mm wider than your lug size of the watch and the leather is as thick and rough burnished like this Zeitmaschine 1950 strap, you need to take your time to get the strap on the first time. This strap seems to be just a tiny bit wider and the lug sides thicker than my other Corrigia straps it took me considerably longer to get it on the watch, patience was rewarded and I am sure it will be easier to fit on after a few times.
The strap fits very tight on the case and between the lugs, this gives an extra muscular effect. There are no colors matching with the PAM389 and still it looks like the strap just belongs to this watch.
Finally on the wrist
Just like my other Corrigia straps, this strap feels soft from the very first time onwards and doesn't need to break-in, even considering this is a pretty thick strap. As I make sure the holes are punched in the strap according to my wrist size, it fits perfect. It is very important to share your wrist-size with the strap maker before you confirm your order, especially with these kind of vintage style straps where the holes are 12 mm apart you better make sure the strap is made to the size of your wrist.
On my PAM00389
On Erik's PAM00526
My conclusion
The Corrigia Zeitmaschine 1950 Z01 - GPF 2/56 strap is a next generation strap of this strap maker. He started with creating vintage style straps based on a sample of a real old strap using new leather. This is the first strap series Corrigia has introduced using leather hides that are from 1950-1960's giving that extra interesting flavor to it. The finish is comparable with my Corrigia Roger Blue LE strap, feels soft & silky, it smells slightly as vintage old leather. The strap is looking very vintage and is a welcome add-on to my strap collection.
To my opinion this strap should only be offered with a GPF Mod Dep buckle as it fits very well with the vintage look of the strap. What I like about the straps I got from Corrigia so far is that there has no break-in time needed to get the strap comfortable, it is super-comfortable from day one onwards, the treatment the strap maker gives by hand has made the strap as smooth and soft as it comes.
The fact that this strap maker only uses vegetable tanned leather hides is another plus for me and confirms his dedication to delivering a quality product and not just a strap that looks good.
I look forward to see this strap aging and getting lots of patina, in time I will add more images to the gallery that shows the stap aging over time.
Erik's conclusion: At 27mm wide and 6 mm thick with the triple fold technique on the buckle-side, this strap has impact and presence for any 47mm sub or historic PAM. The strap feels great on the wrist and looks even better on my PAM00526. The aged-tan color of the strap has a distressed and vintage look, but in a very subtle way. As a matter of fact, the colour may be the only subtle thing on this strap, but it's a colour that goes with any PAM, black dial, white dial, blue dial or brown dial.
This strap is as close to perfection as it gets: I give it an "A".
The strap specifications: Below you find summarized the specifications of the strap, the prices mentioned are only indicative just to give you an idea what you could expect if you order one.
Leather type: Italian old cow leather from 1950-1960, vegetable tanned
Special treatment: grinding & polishing followed by seawater & natural leather balsam treatment
Width: 27 mm
Length: My strap 150/90 mm, Erik's strap 135/85 mm
Thickness strap: 6 mm to 5mm at tail
Type of buckle: GPF Mod Dep style flat buckle
Buckle material: brushed stainless steel
Type of stitching: hand-stitch
Price range: 220-350 EUR (depending on folding technique and buckle choice, VAT & shipping charges may vary depending on destination)
