Sharkskin strap for IWC Mark XI:
Sharkskin strap for IWC Mark XI – Hi strap lovers. I am happy to share photos of a Matte Black Sharkskin strap that I completed for a great local custom’s IWC Mark XI. The Mark XI are true vintage military watches and feature fixed lug bars, so I was able to make the strap with some leather staples at the lugs, which allow for mounting and dismounting the strap from the watch without having a visible screw at the lugs the use of glue to attach the strap. Of course, another alternative for this style watch with fixed lugs is to stitch the strap right to the watch, however, with this method, removing the strap would require cutting the stitching and/or damaging the strap. A Nato/Zulu-style strap for the fixed lug watch can also work, but I like the option of having a more traditional strap with padding.
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Background of the IWC Mark XI:
Here is an excerpt from the terrific MONOCHROME website which details the complete history of the IWC Mark series, which is worthy of a read: An Ode to a Timeless Classic: The IWC Mark Series
‘The Mark XI is considered by many collectors to be one of the finest military watches ever produced. The XI entered service in 1949, having been specifically built in order to help the RAF navigators during their dead reckoning duties. For the personnel of that time a chronometer and a sextant were adequate in order to calculate latitude and longitude. The MoD put out requirements for a navigation timekeeping wristwatch, that would have a highly accurate movement with hack-device, an inner soft iron cage forming a shield to protect the movement from magnetic interference, a stainless steel waterproof case with a screwed ring in order to protect the crystal from sudden decrease of pressure, and a black dial with luminous hands. The XI was introduced into the RAF (Royal Air Force) and the FAA (Fleet Air Arm) in 1949 and into the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) in 1950. At first IWC and JLC (Jaeger Le Coultre) provided the watches, however having bought 2,000 XI’s from JLC the RAF decided to buy only from IWC (up to 1953).’
Read More:
To read more in-depth details about the various custom watch straps I have made from our Skarkskin leathers, please follow this link to a list of blog posts I have written over the years: Sharkskin straps by Dangerous9straps
To see the full selection of Sharkskins available for your custom strap project, please follow this link: Sharkskins in stock
Order today:
If you have an idea for a custom watch strap made from Sharkskin for your IWC Mark Series or any of the other top-quality materials that we offer, please contact me by completing the contact form at the top of this page or simply e-mail me at Dangerous9straps@gmail.com to begin your design. We would be very happy to hear from you.
