The Atelier
One maker.
Every stitch.
Lombard Bespoke is the work of Jacques Lombard — a one-person atelier with over ten years of bespoke commissions behind it, and a very deliberate decision to keep it that way.
"Every strap that leaves this studio has been touched only by my hands — cut, saddle-stitched, edge-finished, and checked by the same person who will answer your email."
That's not a marketing line. It's a structural decision. Lombard Bespoke is the trading name of Belt And Band (Pty) Ltd — a business that's been operating for over a decade, rebranded after ten years to better reflect what it actually is: a one-artisan workshop where no strap is handed off, sub-contracted, or assembled in batches.
The rebrand wasn't a refresh — it was an honest naming of what had always been true.
Jacques Lombard — saddle-stitching by hand
The Craft
How the work is done
Every strap begins with a cut by hand
Each strap begins as a panel of leather selected by hand — full-grain calf, suede, or one of the exotics. Nothing corrected, nothing split. The hide is assessed for character, then marked and cut to your exact lug width and length.
Every stitch is placed using the traditional two-needle saddle stitch method — the same technique used by the finest European saddlers for centuries. There are no machines involved. The thread is pulled through by hand, tension checked by feel, knot by knot.
The edges are bevelled, burnished, and sealed in multiple passes until they're smooth enough to run a finger across without catching. The same process, every time, regardless of the leather.
The Materials
Where the leather comes from
Every leather used at Lombard Bespoke — crocodile, ostrich, and bovine — is sourced from certified South African tanneries. This is a deliberate commitment, not a convenience of geography.
The exotic leather tanneries that supply Lombard Bespoke also count international luxury houses among their clients. That means the crocodile and ostrich going into your strap is of the same provenance and standard as the leather reaching the ateliers of some of the world's most respected brands — purchased directly, with no additional middlemen.
Sourcing locally also means every strap can be traced back to its origin: South African farm, South African tannery, one pair of hands. It supports domestic farming and craft, and it means the documentation — CITES certificates for crocodile, tannery letters for ostrich — reflects a genuine chain of custody, not a paper trail assembled after the fact.
Full-grain calf, crocodile, and ostrich — all sourced with full documentation
Provenance
The origin, not the import
The farms are here. The tanneries are here. The craftsman is here. Every strap that leaves this studio is South African from hide to hand.
The History
More than a decade of commissions
The business started in 2016 when Jacques took a leap — leaving a career as an Engineering Survey Technician to work full-time in leather. Watch straps came into focus when it became clear that this was a market that rewarded precision, patience, and the willingness to work to exacting specifications.
Over the following years, a reputation built up through one commission at a time. Clients began arriving with technically demanding briefs — deployant clasps requiring sub-millimetre tolerances, exotic skins with complicated grain patterns, straps for watches that other makers had declined to attempt.
That kind of work became something of a calling card. The jobs that require the most care tend to attract the clients who appreciate it most.
Jacques leaves his Engineering Surveyor career to pursue leatherwork
The private studio — appointment-only commissions
In 2024, the business stepped away from walk-in retail and transitioned entirely to private, appointment-only commissions. The move was deliberate: it creates the space to give each order the attention it deserves, and it removes every distraction that doesn't serve the work.
"Ten years in, the rebrand to Lombard Bespoke felt like finally saying out loud what was always true — this is a one-person craft, and that's the point."
Belt And Band (Pty) Ltd still holds the legal entity. Lombard Bespoke is the name on the work.
What this means in practice
One pair of hands
Cut, stitched, edge-finished, and quality-checked by Jacques Lombard — from first cut to final polish.
No shortcuts on leather
Full-grain and properly documented exotics. Nothing corrected, split, or sourced for price alone.
Built to outlast the watch
Every strap is made to develop patina with wear, not degrade. The construction is built to last decades.
You speak to the maker
There is no sales team between you and the person making your strap. Every email comes from the bench.
Commission a Strap
Ready to begin?
If you're ready to commission a strap — or just want to ask a question before you do — the form takes about five minutes. Jacques will respond personally, usually within 24–48 hours.
Begin Your Commission