When shopping for sailcloth watch straps, people often come to the realisation that most companies are not selling “genuine” sailcloth straps. They produce straps made from a base material which has a sailcloth like pattern embossed on to it. To understand why that is, it is important to first understand what “sailcloth” really is.
History of the sailcloth and what is a ship sail?
Since the inception of ships, sails have been used to harness the kinetic energy in wind and use it for transport. The idea is that the sail has a large surface area over which the wind force acts and imparts its energy. Simply put, the more wind energy that can be captured by the sail, the more energy can be used to move the ship.
What is sailcloth?
The material that sails are made out of are categorised as “sailcloth”. Sailcloth can be made of many different materials which are discussed below.
What is sailcloth made from?
Sails are not only subject to strong wind forces but also have to endure harsh marine environments consisting of salts and extensive exposure to UV radiation from the sun. Hence, sailcloth material is selected to suit the application and conditions encountered at sea.
Initially, sailcloth was made from natural fibres such as flax, hemp and cotton (warp and weft). But due to technological advancements, synthetic materials became the norm such as nylon, polyester, Kevlar, carbon fibre and more.
Why not make straps out of sailcloth?
Whilst sailcloth materials are aesthetically pleasing and robust, the way they feel on the wrist and on the skin in general, is not particularly comfortable. So the reality is, that whilst “genuine” sailcloth is excellent for its intended purposes (i.e. ship sails), it is not necessarily a suitable material for high quality watch straps.
So what about Artem sailcloth straps?
Our straps are not made using "genuine" sailcloth. The decision to not use sailcloth was made after extensive research and trialling, which revealed that it lacks the fine, premium texture we were looking for in order to achieve optimal performance and comfort.
What are Artem sailcloth straps made from then?
Our meticulous material section process is what results in our straps' coveted satin sheen, flexibility and ability to be worn in water. The upper side of our straps is made from an embossed synthetic material whereas the underside is a leather base coated with a layer of natural rubber (caoutchouc).
