Review and photos by Mike Razak
A few months ago, a rep from Hadley-Roma got in touch on Instagram about a new line they were launching. The very trendily stylized hadley. line would offer some classics but focus on sustainability with a mind towards individuals who may be both eco-friendly and less inclined to wear animal products. Was I interested in trying out a few straps? I sure was. I’ve had them for about a month and put them through the paces. A lot of this will be photos to give you an idea of how they look–they are just watch straps, after all–but I’ll also offer some details here and there.
I got six straps, trying to sample the new offerings and the more traditional ones. In the shot above, from left to right, the straps are: Tan Smooth Hybrid, Burgundy Microfiber, Grey Stitched Apple, Oil Tan Brown, Green Vintage Microfiber, and Black Grizzly Grain.
The straps arrived with a nice handwritten note and very on-trend packaging, with each strap in its own rigid cardboard box.
As I mentioned, the new hadley. straps are offered in traditional leathers, but also bring a new line of apple skin “leather” and microfiber, neither of which involve the use of animal hides. Let’s talk about those two first.
The apple skin strap (which you can get for your Apple watch, just like any of the new straps) is made from surplus apples in the Tyrol region of Northern Italy, which apparently has a big issue with apple waste. I found the strap to be sturdy and flexible. The strap, however, is only available in a non-tapered, rounded end model, which I find to be a bit boring. It also only comes in white, black, grey, and red. So if you’re into vegan leathers, you better enjoy a very blah color palette.
The microfiber straps were the better of the three sustainable options (I opted not to get one of the Cordura models, as that material is common enough and doesn’t vary much from brand to brand). The microfiber is available in vintage and, well, not vintage, with the former having considerably more padding. However, both were flexible and easy to pair. The quick-release spring bars on all the straps made swapping them in and out a cinch.
I will note that on the vintage microfiber, I saw some separation between the microfiber and the padding, at the hole where I fastened the clasp. Additionally, the clasp on the burgundy microfiber had issues that made the tang slip through. I brought the clasp issue to the brand’s attention, though, and they quickly resolved it and it won’t be an issue on production straps going forward.
Vying for the top spot was the Smooth Hybrid watch, featuring a leather top and rubber backing. It has flexibility and is incredibly comfortable. It presented with no issues and paired well with my beloved Seamaster.
The Grizzly Grain leather was my least favorite. I like the coloring and the variation in texture and hues, but the strap was too stiff out of the box, especially against the ease of the microfiber. I was told it would break in with wear, but who has time for that these days?
Let’s round it out with the most traditional strap I received, the Oil Tan Leather. It’s well-made and sturdy without being stiff. It didn’t offer the pliability of the microfiber straps but was perfectly workable for a brand new leather strap. A great offering for a classic dress strap.
The new hadley. line up has a lot to offer, and a lot of it isn’t here. They offer apple watch fittings for every single model, alligator skin straps, different hardware options, and long/short sizes. The straps start at $20 for the microfiber and go up to $58 for alligator. These are solid entry/mid-level straps for that offer a bit more than the budget brands but perhaps a bit less than the more enthusiast-oriented brands. They are available at the hadley. site and I recommend you grab one of the microfibers and one of the hybrids.
