ADEEOS
ADEEOS STRAPS
SEPERATES THE MEN FROM THE BOYS
What makes Panerai watches so versatile
The fun with Panerai watches is the world that opens up for you once you got one and start interacting with fellow Panerai watch owners and enthusiasts, combined we call them Paneristi.The first thing that happens to you is they congratulate you with your watch and welcome you to the Paneristi community, the next thing that happens, you get introduced to the wonders of watch straps.Ammo straps, all started by one man, Kevin Rogers
Ammo straps are watch straps made from leather of 70+ years old ammunition pouches used during the Second World War and the Vietnam War. One of the best & well-known ammo strap makers within the Paneristi community is without doubt Kevin Rogers. Kevin is a Panerista for a very long time and was looking for leather types that could replicate the original leather straps made in the 1940-1950's. After a lot of experimenting he found out that by using old leather from ammunition pouches and belts these have two characteristics that would attract many watch strap enthusiasts. The leather has the same look and feel as the original leather plus being it old leather, most of the pouches have developed a lot of patina that give that extra vintage character to the strap.
I was fortunate enough to meet Kevin a few times in person when he was still living in Thailand. It all started in April 2014 when I placed a request on the Paneristi.com Facebook group that I was going to Thailand and wanted to get a few straps for the Panerai PAM329 I just bought. Within a day I got a lot of replies and advise, one of them was to try to find an Adeeos ammo strap, they are the best.
Unfortunately I got the worse news earlier in 2018 that Kevin went on his next journey, Kevin was 57 years old, too young to go….. RIP Kevin. You will find below a photo gallery of images of Kevin and some of his work, he was a fun person to know, to be with, was obsessed with his own strap creations, down-to-earth, was about to get his wife and her daughter to the USA, that unfortunately did not work out… The Paneristi community did financially support them after the news was out, Panerai is definitely more than just a watch, it is a community. If any of you feel that I have published an image here that has any kind of intellectual property rights being violated, contact me and I will take them off line. This is just to remember Kevin the way I got to know him. If you have images you like to be added here, please send them to me and the description and I will upload them. Send me a message first here
Shortly after I got a reply from Kevin Rogers personally and before I knew it we exchanged phone numbers and the first thing that happened when reaching Bangkok was to confirm an appointment with Kevin. During our meeting it was like finding back an old lost friend. He told me that he is always open to meet fellow Paneristi, told me about how he started with making ammo straps. Next he showed me a few ready made straps with different grades of patina and shared with me his personal strap preference, the straps should be as long as possible. Another thing he told me was the usage of these ammo straps, they can really take a beating, swim with them, let them dry on your wrist, they get softer every time and get more and more character.
Kevin works with different ammo pouch leather types but not the Swiss stamped pouches, according to him the leather is too stiff and tends to crack easy even during the production of a strap. My very first ammo strap was a 135/80 strap and although I should have listened to Kevin better and taken a 140/80 size that gives a bit more tail, till the time I had my PAM329 it was my favorite strap. The reason is simple, it was the most comfortable, soft and characterful strap I had in my 24mm collection.
Black ammo strap
Being lucky to be able to travel again to Bangkok 2 months later I ordered a black ammo strap, this time 140/80. Kevin creates the strap with the normal brown color ammo pouch leather and gives it a special treatment and becomes completely black. My second favorite strap was this black ammo strap, again very soft thick and full of character and extremely comfortable to wear. As the picture shows my initial order was without buckle, that was a big mistake from my side. Kevin did install the buckle later for me when I requested it, no charge.
A third ammo strap
It started to become an addiction for me collecting watch straps for my Panerai watch and soon as I found out a friend of mine was going to travel to Bangkok the first thing I did was checking if Kevin could make a new strap for me on short notice. I was lucky, another brown ammo strap, this time of an ammunition pouch that was hardly used and pretty light in color. Kevin advised me to take a lighter color as they tend to get darker pretty fast but not too dark, again a 140/80
Signed straps
All my straps I bought from Kevin Rogers are signed and stamped. This gives just that extra to the strap, knowing that the strap is not only hand-made but also custom-made for you. The finish of the straps are out of this world, the stitching done by hand is super-sharp, he cuts the tail of the strap by hand rather than using a mold for that. Best of all he is wearing the same straps you buy from him and is emotional about it. Kevin encourages you to really use the strap and not to be too careful with the strap. The quality of these straps has at least proven to me that they are from a seperate category all together!
The next project, 26mm ammo strap
In December 2015 I got my first 47mm Panerai, a PAM0372 Luminor 1950 and wanted to have a very special ammo strap made for me that resembles the original straps used by the Italian Navy in the 1940-1950's the most.
The PAM0372 is one of the most popular Panerai watches as it resembles the original Panerai Luminor ref. 6512/1 very much and is not a limited edition watch. The PAM372 was first coming out in batches of 3500 pieces in 2012, the P-series that covered 2013 till 2015 was a production of 3,000 units and from 2015 onwards the R-series was reduced to 400 units. I heard that the later production of the S-series don't have a Plexiglass crystal anymore, but sapphire. It is probably to attract more customers, but at the same time most Paneristi prefer the Plexiglass crystal, it gives a warmer look and feel to the dial, a better distortion of the dial and after some time when the crystal gets hairlines that extra vintage character to the watch.
I contacted Kevin and asked if he could make me a long-tail ammo strap for my new watch and he replied very enthusiastic.
Adeeos 26mm mustard color French painted ammo strap
The strap I ordered, 26mm 160/95 came out fantastic. The actual measurement of the strap is 27mm and the flat GPF Dep Mod style buckle that was developed by Kevin years ago is 27.5mm. The strap got a triple fold, a vintage technique that makes the strap stronger and a bit thicker.
The size difference
To give you an idea of the size difference of the strap I have put the Adeeos 160/95 next to the 26mm Panerai OEM vintage strap with a Panerai 26mm Pre-V buckle plus a 26-22mm Panerai OEM leather strap with a 22mm Panerai OEM Pre-V buckle. The reason for the size of the strap is simple. Panerai watches were originally used by divers of the Italian Navy and had to be worn over the diving suit, that means that the strap had to be longer in order to fit around the sleeve of the diving suit. Also notice the space difference of the strap holes compared to the Panerai straps, they are 1.5 cm apart. The thickness of the strap varies between 4.5mm and 6 mm, this due to the triple-folding technique used on this strap.
The finish of the strap
The finish of the strap is fantastic, the stitching very sharp. The leather is nice and soft, the lining of the strap is of the same leather as the rest of the ammo strap. Although this is made of an ammunition pouch or belt of at least 70 years old, the leather smells like new, feel like new and looks like new.
The GPF-Mod Dep buckle
The strap has a GPF-Mod Dep style buckle, this is a big flat buckle originally used in the 1940-1950's. GPF stands for Guido Panerai e Figlio Modello Depositato (translated Guido Panerai & Son Registered Trademark) Not all buckles have the GPF Mod Dep mentioned on the buckle, if they have it stamped or engraved they are usually not the original ones from the 1940-1950'5, but more a homage to the originals, next if the engraving is done, it is on the inside of the buckle, so you won't see it while wearing the strap. Kevin Rogers has been making his GPF Mod Dep style buckle himself for a long time and is pretty close to the original specification of the buckles made by Panerai in the 1940-1950's
Signed and stamped
This strap is also signed by Kevin and wear the Adeeos stamp in the inside of the short side of the buckle. With my previous 24mm Adeeos straps the signature fades and eventually disappears, yet it gives that extra-bespoke element to the strap!
On the watch
Of course it's time now to put the strap on the watch. With my PAM0372 it is taking a bit longer as the straps on the PAM0372 are mounted by screwed-in pins, you have to be a bit more careful not to scratch the case. Still no need to have a watchmaker to do it for you. The special 1.6mm screwdriver comes standard with the watch.
A nice thick soft strap that gives my PAM0372 in instant vintage look and comes very close to the original Panerai ref. 6512/1. The color of the strap and the stitching blends wonderful with the faux patina indexes on the dial of the watch! A perfect fit!
On the wrist, a perfect fit
The strap feel very soft right from the very first time I tried it on. Compared to the other ammo pouch leather types this strap is butter-soft. The straps due to the extra 1mm width makes the fit perfect on the lugs and gives it a nice effect. The tail of the strap is nice long, the buckle wears very comfortable despite that it is completely flat.
The buckle
My conclusion
The mustard color French painted ammo strap made by Adeeos is must-have strap for every Paneristi. The finish is fantastic, the fit is amazing, the quality of the leather that is used spot-on. The GPF Mod Dep Style buckle that Kevin Rogers has created is one of nicest ones I have seen so far, with round of edges that makes wearing it more comfortable. You do need to be sure you give the right measurements for the hole placement that fits your wrist, the holes are 1.5 cm apart. In my case Kevin punched the holes when I collected my strap, it fits perfect!
Besides the famous Adeeos ammo straps, Kevin Rogers made straps with the same design made from different materials like crocodile, canvas and other leather types than ammo pouch leather.
The strap specifications:
Below you find summarized the specifications of the strap, the prices mentioned are only indicative just to give you an idea, now that Kevin is longer with us, I expect the prices of the straps will go up in the very near future. His straps are really something else and you only realize this once you have your first one.
Leather type: old ammo pouch leather (painted leather)
Special treatment: no
Width: 27,5mm
Length: 160/95 mm
Strap thickness: 5.5 mm to 5 mm at tail
Type of buckle: Adeeos GPF Mod Dep style flat buckle
Buckle material: Brushed steel
Type of stitching: hand-stitch
Price range: 280-420 EUR (depending on customization)
Special treatment: no
Width: 27,5mm
Length: 160/95 mm
Strap thickness: 5.5 mm to 5 mm at tail
Type of buckle: Adeeos GPF Mod Dep style flat buckle
Buckle material: Brushed steel
Type of stitching: hand-stitch
Price range: 280-420 EUR (depending on customization)
Some impressions of Kevin & his straps
