We met with BONAVENTURA CEO, Mauro Beck to discuss the making of BONAVENTURA’s first all-leather Apple Watch band launching July 19, 2021. Leading a busy on-the-go lifestyle and being highly active, Mauro dreamt of a leather band he could keep on all day long, from the gym to the boardroom. With only a week to go before the collection hits the market, we’re giving you an inside look into how one idea led to the creation of our first-ever watch band designed to perform in sports environments.
Following another tough metabolic weight workout, I checked my stats on the Apple watch and realized that I forgot to switch out my leather band with my silicone sports band. It was already too late, as I was staring at a soaked watch band, almost ready to fall apart, having left a mark of discoloration on my wrist. Blaming myself for the oversight, while getting annoyed knowing that once dry, the watch band will harden and just not look the same anymore.
Fast forward, a few weeks later I sat in a discussion with our tanners, and tabled the issue. I brought up the idea of a watch band in premium leather that would dry fast, retain its supple characteristics, not coloring off and withstanding the bacteria that usually feeds on your sweat, leaving an unpleasant odor. “We can and we know how..”, the tanner said and so began the story behind our next product launch - a premium all-leather Apple Watch band you can leave on through all your days’ activities.
We source the German Noblessa top leather from Perlinger - one of Europe’s most prestigious tanneries - since it satisfies the aesthetic combined with outstanding quality. The Nano coating, exclusively applied by BONAVENTURA, makes it extremely resistant to wear and tear.
A specifically hydrophobic treated Nubuck leather by the same tannery is applied as lining leather. Comfortable to wear, it stays soft even after getting soaked with sweat, and I do know that for a fact – my test prototype has been soaked for over 200 training cycles by now and is still performing top notch. And yes, it also dries really fast and is anti-bacterial, so no problem attending that business meeting half an hour after your tough workout either. The core material is a fiber material provided by a German company “Jaeger” who have made a name for themselves in the industry with the best reinforcement material available. We got first hand proof why.
From that first idea in the gym to soon rolling out the commercial products, almost a year has passed. Having tried the first prototype for a total of six months now, I’m convinced that my initial idea has been met; a premium all leather watch band that I can wear in all situations and one that I can’t wait to share with you next week when we officially launch.
- CEO, Mauro Beck