From Leather to Legacy: How Delugs Is Elevating the Art of Wristwear

Craftsmanship – a word that always comes up when one talks about watches, from the way the springs are curved to how a dial is textured or set with gemstones. It takes days and, sometimes, months of research and countless attempts to flesh out every detail of a watch to perfection. Often, however, one forgets that this pursuit of technical and aesthetic excellence extends from the dials, movements, and cases to bracelets and straps. 

Of course, many legacy maisons dedicate a great deal of effort and resources to their straps, but there’s often not enough choice of such accessories compared to their horological offering. At the same time, there are very few consumer-facing brands that offer a variety of choices and couture-level craftsmanship in straps. And this is where Delugs comes in – a good omen that signals the changing tides. 

“Ken [Kuan] and I started Delugs out of our love for leather crafting,” says the brand’s co-founder Pei Qi Chia, “we were both self-taught leather crafters and were intrigued by how we could turn a piece of raw material into something practical. Ken got into watch collecting around the same time – and so did I. By proxy.” She also goes on to explain how, normally, to obtain a quality watch strap, one has to turn to artisans and join a long waiting list. And Delugs is here to bridge that gap.

Kuan says there are a few things one should keep in mind when designing an optimal watch strap that feels nice on the wrist: choice of material, strap thickness and flexibility are commonly cited, but even details like the position of the keeper and how close it is to the buckle affects the wearing experience, adding that Delugs is looking to innovate whenever and wherever possible. He explains, “We only use quick-release spring bars as default on all our straps, but we specially made our own spring bars so that the knobs are welded and you don't get situations where the knob falls off, which can be a disaster.” But it’s not just leather. The duo behind Delugs pays attention to these details even when rubber straps are concerned.

Sourcing is another matter Delugs takes seriously. “A lot of different articles of leather come from specific places. There’s Saffiano leather (invented by Mario Prada), which comes from Italy, or goat leather called Chèvre, which comes from Alran tannery in the South of Tarn, France, or Shell Cordovan (commonly used in shoes), which we source from Japan because it’s clean and smooth.” Kuan also says they inspect the leather arduously to ensure it’s in line with the Delugs standards: from its color and whether it bleeds, to its texture and whether it cracks when folded. 

Delugs also offers customization – and that’s one of the reasons why their library material is only expanding. “Most of the time, we select and source materials ourselves,” Kuan tells me, “but, sometimes, our customers would request specific ones that we might not have – canvas being a popular one. In those cases, we have to source those separately.” He also mentions that Delugs is set on developing an in-house sailcloth material. 

Of course, whenever one talks about leather goods, an issue of sustainability often comes up. And, it's also a consideration that informs Delugs product design, materials and sourcing practices. Says Chia, “To us, sustainability is longevity. We are committed to creating products that will last. We are also exploring a few synthetic materials our customers have been inquiring about.” 

The larger audience, perhaps, discovered Delugs when pop sensation Ed Sheeran wore the Navy Rubber CTS strap during his concert earlier this year. “You realize that you’re a brand when you achieve something as significant as this,” says Kuan, “We had people tell us how inspiring it was that a small brand from Singapore could reach such a milestone organically.”

Many such pleasant publicity moments sometimes feel like they happen out of the blue. In most cases, however, they are merely a result of uncompromised vision and years of hard work. With the changing perception of watches and straps as accessories, Delugs recognises that strap changing can be a lifestyle “People want to be able to change straps to make their timepieces more versatile, and to fit with their outfit, lifestyle and personality,” Chia explains. Kuan, in turn, adds, “They’re also more willing to experiment with color – white, purple, and orange are rather popular these days.” 

Hearing how passionate and knowledgeable Kuan and Chia are about watch straps, I couldn’t wait to find out about the watches they wear. Thankfully, this slight literary tangent was welcomed with much enthusiasm. “I’m an independent brand guy,” says Kuan, “I have a De Bethune DB28XS Starry Seas, MB&F, and I like Ming. I have the 20.09 Tourbillon – one of 10 pieces. I love the watches from Armin Strom, and have admired them from afar for the longest time. One day, this collector showed me a special run of 10 Pure Resonance watches that he was collaborating with the brand on, which featured a lot of different types of movement finishing, and I immediately jumped on that opportunity to pick up the watch."

Chia, on the other hand, says that her horological tastes are still forming. “I’m a lot more emotional and romantic about my watches. Cartier is a big love for me, particularly because of it's many different shapes, with most watches being a good size for my wrist, such as the Cartier Baignoire Allongee. I also recently acquired my first MB&F – the Legacy Machine Flying T. It was one of my holy grail watches and I got it earlier than I expected.”

Watch collecting habits keep evolving, prompting the way people wear and view timepieces. At a time when customization seems to be a staple that brings luxury brands together in their pursuit of customers. And in that race, Delugs is staying ahead. 

Dsicover the full range of Delugs products and meet founders Ken Kuan and Pei Qi Chia at the pop up at the Wristcheck boutique from July 26 to 28th. Address: Shop 116A, 1/F, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen's Road Central, Central