I love my country but the weather is hell on leather!

[Empty Tree 8]

Took my Maurice Lacroix out after a considerable period of storage and this was its condition.



 















You can see that the leather has come apart and slipped off the lug extension.

In all fairness, this is a 7 year old watch and looking back it was stored rather close to a water source.

I guess its back to DKSH because the lug configuration don’t open up sourcing an aftermarket replacement.

Any tips to keep leather straps from coming apart like this?

Does the desiccant silica gels in those little sachets help in any way?     

[dpkong]

I may be wrong but maybe the glue used to hold everything together dried up? If the stitching went through all the layers, it shouldn't come apart like this, right?

[Empty Tree 8]

You are right.... the stitching was only on the top leather layer rendering it purely cosmetic. You wonder how much more it would have cost to stitch the two layers together. Couldn't have been that much.

[Everdying]

not sure if its our humidity to be blamed, or just the quality of the ML strap as this isnt the first one i'm seeing breaking apart like that at the springbar area.

[STT1987]

It's because things like these that I have learnt to avoid watches with fancy specialized lugs (Oris divers, certain Hamiltons, several B&& models and others).
 

[chrisyen]

To hv the perfect fit, many watches hv a piece of either steel or plastic at the end of the strap to close the gap

This part was only stick on the leather...
Stitching won't be able to go through this...

Hence, if sure will come off one day especially u sweat a lot

[Empty Tree 8]

Actually it was primarily the leather holes at the watch end of the strap that came apart from the spring bars.

And that is the other thing. Small wrist coupled with deployant straps really keeps the tension on when wound around watch pillows. That contributes a lot to the watch end holes stressing against the springbars. 

So I am always in a dilemma when faced with either wrapping deployant strapped watches around watch pillows and stressing  the joints or laying it sideways and seeing it gain/lose time.

Too small issues or OCD kicking in?