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Time of writing: Sunday, October 4th, 2026
Note: You can read the articles covering the two watches which appear in this review, the Timex x New Yorker Marlin here, and the series of articles covering the NOMOS Tetra here.
As the adage claims, there is always a lesson to be learned for those who are willing. My experience with two straps from HasNoBounds unexpectedly brought home a valuable lesson and prompted this article. I purchased a black and brown 18mm strap for a watch I received as a gift, the Timex x New Yorker collaboration. Because of the nature of that watch, I didn’t wear these straps much until I got my NOMOS Tetra. That is where the lesson began.
Like my NOMOS Orion, the Tetra quickly served its purpose: offering a horological experience that didn’t get noticed in formal environments. Very quickly, I found that the black and brown HasNoBounds straps let me wear this watch nearly every day. The realities of coordinating one’s outfit with leather accessories, and the high-quality quick-release spring bars, meant I had no obstacles to experiencing the Tetra everywhere I went.
Leather straps, when done correctly, are the ultimate vehicles for you to enjoy your favourite watch as much as you can. After a year of intense wear, a review was in order. If you have a favourite watch and do not want to have decision paralysis when matching your outfit.
First, the dye used on all my straps from HasNoBounds had not shifted over the past year and a half. Depending on the quality of how leather is treated and stained, over time different layers of treated surfaces can wear away. When exposed to UV rays and the environment, this can result in what would appear as random blotting across the strap. The Shell Cordovan strap is the best example of this being engineered to happen on purpose. Most people would find this undesirable, and that is where the strength in these straps resides.
Second, the quality of those treatments also results in fending off impacts and scratches better than most straps on the market. Out of the two straps being reviewed here, there is only one scratch on the black example, and I very clearly remember how and who – yes, this is why I am forcing you to read this article – caused it. Even the underside of both of these straps have shown no wear after an entire summer of wear. They still look pristine and gorgeous.
This attention to detail extends over to the stitching and minder loops. The edges of the loops and the entire strap are beautifully cut and finished. Furthermore, the structural integrity of the minder loops is stronger than the resolve of an upper-middle-class marketing agent fending off the neighbourhood dog that should not be off-leash from their daily $18 frozen double whey matcha nine pump latte.
Lastly, the hardware is discreet, classy, and brutally effective. The tang remains unbranded on the top, making these straps match any watch you desire to put them on. On the underside is an expertly machined HasNoBounds in a sensible typeface. On both straps, there has been zero, and when I write this, I mean absolutely no play with the tang/buckle. This also applies to the quick release spring bars. The fitment of the leather around the stainless steel hardware is so tight, that you would, without hesitation, come to rely on Kristine Lam, the founder and operator of HasNoBounds, to make you a bullet proof vest.
In total, I have about five straps from HasNoBounds, including a watch roll come to think of it, and I absolutely adore them. What makes their work even more remarkable is that these straps could easily sell for $350 CDN, yet they sell for $79. This is due to decades of hard work in leather and furniture making from Mrs. Lam, resulting in exemplary manufacturing and employing actual humans and artisans to make these straps absolutely flawless. If you are in the market for a leather strap and you decide not to look at HasNoBounds, you are, first, not invited to be on my zombie apocalypse team, second, financially inept, and third, have the level of taste as a person who curates their existence according to whatever weekly-deployed algorithm has been deployed by your social media platform of choice.
You can buy these beautiful leather works by HasNoBounds here.
