There are only a few names that are that come to mind when you are looking for an amazing hand made strap. Visit any forum online and the name Peter Gunny of Gunny Straps ring loudly to the virtual hallways. Not only does he make amazing straps, he makes one of the most sought after and famous style straps for a Panerai enthusiast, the 74. Gunny straps was the first strap makers to replicate this iconic strap for the secondary market.
Much like others new to the Panerai scene, I wondered what the significance was about this 74 strap. Amazingly enough it’s nothing
too complicated. The 74 was actually written on the strap of a Panerai 6152/1 with an Angelus movement that is displayed at the Panerai Museum. In essence it is basically a stock number of the museum. Many try and replicate this iconic look but only one has perfected it and that is Gunny Straps. Panerai Central had the luxury of reviewing this amazing strap.
Looks
As soon as you open up the package you can’t help but fall in love with this strap. Not only because of the quality of the strap, but for a purist like myself there is a little bit of history behind it. The leather has been artificially aged to perfection and is a beautiful light brown color. The stitching on the strap is done in an off white/ecru color that is a bit lighter than the original. One thing that was interesting is that Gunny asked me if I wanted to the stitching to match exactly which included the tail end having a slightly crooked stitch near the top instead of straight across. Peter goes to the extent of exactly mimicking the slightly off stitch of the original strap to make them as close to the original as possible. If this is something that bothers you then you can always get the normal stitch done. As with the original the buckle end of the strap has the famous 74 written on it.
The edges of the strap are unfinished and not smoothed out completely. This will definitely lead to a nice wear and scrappy look to the strap over some time which will only enhance the overall look of this gorgeous strap. The underside of the strap is basically the same leather as the top minus the aged looked. So it seems a bit lighter but that is only because there is no wear and tear added to it.
The tail end is done in a double layer while the buckle end is a thicker triple layer design. The buckle end has a double keeper system with one fixed and one floating and is finished off with a GPF style buckle.
Turning over the buckle end of the strap you will see the signature “Gunny” stamp pushed into the very soft leather. The strap is also made to not use tubes as some of the newer straps use.
Comfort
The strap itself is very soft and malleable as soon as you get it. There is no break in time really needed on this 74 Serie strap from Gunny. You can definitely plug and play this strap on any of your favorite Panerai watches and enjoy the comfort of a well made strap. As with any leather strap, I wouldn’t recommend wearing it on a hot day because it just not might be the best fit. Beyond that you won’t have a single problem or bother with this strap on your wrist.
Durability
There is not much you can really say when it comes to Gunny’s quality. The workmanship is top notch and definitely feels like you can have this strap in your collection forever. This is a strap that over time will only get better and give that much more character to your Panerai.
Overall Impressions
This is a strap that I have wanted for a while and I am glad I have one to rock on the Panerai. Most people outside of the Panerai community might not get the significance of the strap, but it’s always nice to run into a Paneristi that appreciates the strap with so much history, even if it is a replica.
Good
Top notch quality leather and stitching
The best 74 style strap on the market today
Amazing customer service from Peter Gunny
Bad
There might be a wait to get your straps because of the high demand.
Availability
The price on the 74 serie strap is $149.99 USD and comes with the buckle. I would also recommend getting the strap a bit longer than usual given the thickness and making sure it fits correctly with a nice bit of tail.
Source : http://www.paneraicentral.com/panerai-strap-review-gunny-straps-74-serie/