Family-owned Avel & Men, a Breton leather goods company offering a range of nautical-inspired watch accessories, has just unveiled a new watch strap named ‘Ouessant’, made from storm sail canvas! A red-orange strap that is gaining popularity.
“‘Who sees Ouessant sees his blood,’ says a local saying. But why choose the name of this island in Finistère, located off Porspoder where Avel & Men is based, for this new strap?”
De fait, ce « dicton n’existe pas par hasard » explique Xavier Broise, le fondateur d’Avel & Men. « Cette zone de navigation est particulièrement difficile avec un vent souvent fort et des courants violents qui peuvent lever une mer mauvaise».
Et de poursuivre : « j’avais neuf ans lorsque Peter Blake remportait le trophée Jules Vernes et franchissait la ligne d’arrivée au large d’Ouessant sous voilure très réduite ; ce marin d’exception confiait à l’époque que cette fin de course avait été très difficile, alors qu’il venait de naviguer dans les mers du Sud et avait franchi le cap Horn… »
This new strap therefore draws its inspiration – but also its raw material – from off Ouessant, as it is made, just like the previous La Rochelle strap, from sail canvas.
But this time, it comes from a piece of ‘storm’ sail. It is therefore orange in color, like the storm jibs (storm foresails) that sailors must have on board when sailing in strong winds.
Agnès Broise, co-founder and head of design at Avel & Men, enthuses: “this fabric speaks to sailors and the color pairs perfectly with many dive watches or chronographs with orange dials and hands!“
The brand is currently continuing the development of new models that will be presented throughout the year to complete the collection. These technical and sporty straps are available on the Avel & Men website and at its retailers, notably Misterchrono, who was one of the first to market the brand.
