Finally, I managed to sit down peacefully and get down to look into my baby strap problem.
This Cyma is with me for more than 2 decades
The original special lizard skin strap was disintegrating. I have exhausted all resources and hopes to get the original strap changed. No watchsmith is willing to do the job.
D'Andy bro advice has enlightened me. I could be its best shifu to tailored-make its strap after knowing this baby inside out for more than 20yrs.
Step 1: to get a suitable strap. The calf leather is the closest to the original one that I could get from the watch shop. Costed me RM 65.
Step 2: carefully removed the "Mickey Mouse" shape links.
Step 3: Once the pins and links were removed. The half circled chip on the original strap was checked. Trying to get some feels on how to make the same cut on the new strap. Using scissors to cut? Or get the paper cutter blade? Or finger nail clipper? Tried all these cutting tools on used leather strap, the results were totally unsatisfactory. Frustrated actually...
Step 5: Searching the right cutting tools continue while I polishing the links and buckle. Looking around my work station aimlessly... Bingo! A glance at the normal paper puncher . Ah Hur! It could be the answer. I punched a half circle on the old strap. The result is perfect!
Step 6: To confirm that "watch repair is an art, not a science"! Carefully marked the half circle lining on the new leather. Punching some holes on paper and used leather straps to familiarize the whole cutting process myself. The main problem was that the leather was thick and it needed to be pushed into the puncher and somehow it distorted the lining. What make it worse I could not see the puncher hole properly and I couldn't estimate the distance from the lining to the punching hole.
At last, despite all the obstacles, using all primitive tools. VoilĂ !
Here are my baby new leather strap!