I'm from Brazil and was only in Orlando for 3 days on a business trip. I'm fascinated by handcrafted products made with extra care. I bought a spectacular watch from a watchmaker artist in Kyoto, Japan, but the strap was still missing something. So from Brazil I found FFF and made time to stop by the atelier.
Starting with Shawn's reception, which was very friendly and he served me with a smile on his face. I really felt welcome and I could feel his excitement in receiving me.
The atelier has its own atmosphere, it's everything you expect from a place like this. The smell of leather, various sheets of leather in the most diverse colors and types make the environment very beautiful. Shawn and his team were already crafting some pieces right there. And the shop has a lot of beautiful things, I had to be careful not to leave all my money there.
And finally, the strap. Simply incredible, it completed my watch and today I truly have a unique combination on my wrist that probably nobody else in the world has. It turned out pure style. The strap is very comfortable, it feels like I'm not wearing anything.
In the coming weeks I should buy a few more colors, and FFF has become a place I'll visit frequently on my next trips to Orlando.
Received my strap today and tested on my Daytona. Have a peak on my picture. Thanks Adam !
The watch band I'd been looking for! I've been searching high and low for a good looking, quality leather watch band that was reasonably priced. It seems all other options in this price range were cheaply made and even cheaper looking. I actually discovered FFF on a different web site paired with a Timex Weekender. I had to do some sleuthing to figure out where I could just find the brand of the watchband. I'm glad I did, I get compliments on the unique stud closure all the time and I always refer them to FFF. I plan on purchasing more for other watches in my collection. FFF you have a customer for life. Great product, excellent service, and incredibly fast shipping.
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Wonderful watch straps! Love the variety of colors - I purchased 3 different color variations and they all look great. Over time, the straps get softer and more comfortable. Will be buying more I'm sure!
The inscription inside the band is beautifully done. Looking forward to wearing this thing hard and tough
I wish these watches and watchbands were durable. I have purchased them on two occasions. The watches themselves lose time and often stall, sometimes they just don't run for a while and then come back to life. But they cannot be depended upon. The watchbands fail after about a year of daily wear, the leather cracks, distorts and rips apart. I just had the metal stud rip the leather out of my last strap. After a few years I have spent about $200 on their watches and watchbands and all I have to show is three ripped bands, one dead watch and one unreliable, heavily scratched watch. It just isn't worth the money unless you are only looking for a watch to wear when you are not doing anything with your hands, just keep them away from work and adventure. That being said, they are comfortable and handsome.
Courtland...hey there. Apologies for taking a couple days to respond to your review. I wanted to look back at your purchases. We see a purchase for a midday weekender (i'm guessing that's the one in the photo, maybe we missed a purchase in the history though) in 2013 (7 years ago), and some bands in 2016. We're going to send you replacement bands (we'll be emailing you separately to make sure we have your current address). Full grain leather can be quite durable, but there are some factors that will limit its longevity: wearing every day without switching it out and giving the leather a chance to fully dry out (particularly if it gets wet/sweaty) is the main cause of failure. Another factor can just be a fluke weak point in the hide. We're happy to send a replacement out. As to the timex...there are absolutely different grades of watch face materials. Premium watches use sapphire crystals that are quite scratch resistant, and rolex for example cuts their own faces that are somehow magically even more scratch resistant than sapphire. Timex has recently released some made-in-america watches that use gorilla glass (like on iPhones and a lot of other cell phones) which is also quite scratch resistant. By default, though, timex uses a less durable crystal, and it will pick up scratches over time if it gets dinged and dropped.
Regardless, we'll be sending you a new watch and replacements for the bands you purchased. Just check your inbox for an email to let us know about your address.
Very comfortable and stylish. Doesn't get hot like my previous band. Like the pointed end; easy to install. Great company.
I purchased the Ultra-thin HF in Dark Burgundy and it pairs with my Seiko SKX013 exactly as I imagined and hoped it would. I needed a very thin band because the SKX is pretty thick already at 13mm. I fell in love with the aesthetic of the button-stud band and wanted one but I felt a pass-through leather band of traditional thickness would just add too much height to my already chunky watch. Reading through the different leather options, horsefront seemed to be the perfect solution with its thinness and low stretch. I only received the band yesterday but I'm thrilled with my purchase. It's as comfortable as FFF and other reviewers claimed. It's soft and unobtrusive and my watch just melts into wearability instead of being this lump of metal I constantly have to adjust. The precision of workmanship and the quality of the Horween leather is very impressive. I look forward to purchasing more items from FFF because I believe it's a gem of an independent artisanal business in this age of absolutist corporate capitalism.
I'm also writing a review because I chose the horsefront leather and I know that many people make a strong distinction between horse leather and cow leather. They may even be turned off by it because horses are "pets." I had reservations myself but I was impressed that Nick Horween actually wrote a reply to a very sincere reviewer on this site who lionized the opaque (and largely unethical) US horsehide industry. Nick Horween said they take care to only purchase from European food-source plants, including for horsehide. Do I know for sure if this is true? No. But to an extent, we have to rely on the reputations of the businesses with whom we interact and Horween has a long, prestigious history whose leathers are exclusively used by many other prestigious leather goods producers. FFF only uses Horween, so I trust that my choice of leather did not directly contribute to the unethical slaughter of horses here in the US.
5 years ago, I received a gift of a watch and FFF leather band. The sender told me the story of how impressed he was with the company. I was obsessed and wore the watch every day until the battery ran out. I finally replaced the battery and figured I'd get a new strap to better match my evolved style. What I had in mind (a double wrap, thin leather band) wasn't already on the website, so they allowed me to request a custom order at no additional charge! The customer service was amazing and so simple. Thank you!
FFF Watchband (Adjustable)
Leather Color: Ultra-Thin HF - Latte
Band Width: 16mm
Button Studs: Stainless Steel
Order it. Stop wondering. I own a number of these straps and they are wonderful. They certainly are the most comfortable straps I’ve ever worn. The only thing that comes close in comparison is a strap I had handmade from an old Swiss Army ammunition pouch. But, unlike that strap, the FFF straps disappear on your wrist. They are amazing and I highly recommend them. Great job FFF!!
Second piece I ordered from FFF complementing the Charette Wallet (2015)!
Never worn such a comfortable watchband! No buckle that hits or scratches the table surface during work,
no stress marks on the forearm after taking the watch off. Easy to adjust but a bit challenging to put on for the
first few times ( so just leave it on :D ).
I hoped it will fit well with a Seiko dresswatch as most pairings that I have seen are with chronos / less formal watches. And it does!
But see for yourself : Seiko x FFF.
Thank you again, Shawn!
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Excellent! And look at that old school charette wallet...the horsefront just gets better with time. So glad to see you're taking full advantage of the design and wearing the stud up close to the watch face so it doesn't bang the desk.
Really glad you like the products!
I called to see if they could help me match and order a band of theirs I’d seen with a diff watch on another site, and they gave me all the info I needed, plus giving me the tip of ordering with a heavier weight leather to make it more comfortable!
He even answered a lot of questions about shipping and helped to make sure I got the band before I headed out of town!
Besides all that, the band is beautiful! A rich weighty piece of leather that has already gotten so much love from my coworkers and friends. So unique! So comfy!
Love this company!
I swear by FFF watch bands. Comfortable, classy, and super easy to put on every day. I've always been impressed by their service too -- including custom orders and swapping sizes. I get compliments from strangers on my watch bands.
Was debating a few different bands, and Shawn was VERY helpful. Responded very quickly with feedback, and I'm very glad I followed his advice. I look forward to breaking in the new band!
Although I had been considering getting a Button-Stud watchband from Formfunctionform for several years now, it took me until last week to give Shawn a call and place an order. Shawn talked to me for about 45 minutes to dial in the perfect combinations for my new Seiko SARB017. We discussed everything from color options to leather weight. In the end, we decided that I should try a Natural CXL and a Dublin Ale Veg-tan strap. We decided that due to space issues we could only use standard weight straps rather than something heavier.
When I opened the package I was astounded by Shawn's generosity and impeccable customer service... not only had I received two wonderful Natural and Dublin Ale colored watchstraps but Shawn had gone so far as to add a heavyweight Natural CXL watchstrap (which is now adorning my Orient Ray II since it doesn't fit my Alpinist) AND a gorgeous Chestnut Brown CXL watchband! I was flabbergasted that he had taken such an interest in our conversation that he included the Chestnut which had been discussed as an alternative to the other two.
I will definitely be buying from Formfunctionform again and recommend them fully and without reservation.
My next purchase will likely be a 20mm black shell cordovan to go with my incoming Seiko SARB033.
Awesome watchband. Excellent service! Arrived in no time. Easy to fit and looks great. Thanks very much.
I bought a 20mm leather band to replace the bonded leather band that came with my Timex Expedition Scout. The band looks incredible especially with a black button stud to match the black case of the watch. And the leather of this band is the kind of heirloom - quality material that will age gracefully and patina over time. It's not the kind of leather you have to baby. I wear it outside in Florida summers during prescribed burns and never once worry about getting the band sweaty or sooty because I know that will just add to the character of the piece. This band and a Timex are a match made in heaven.
Thanks!! Just a small note--if you get the band sweaty and don't give it a good chance to air out and dry, you'll end up with a stinky band (and if you don't catch it, it seems like those bacteria get buried in there and it gets almost impossible to get them out; don't know if a reliable way to de-stink stinky leather). It's the same reason to use cedar shoe trees.
Really glad you love the band!!