Camille Fournet - Craftsmanship

A rich and varied collection in which exotic leathers predominate. Let yourself be guide by your emotions through the materials selected by Camille Fournet exotic, classic or sometimes unusual leathers. Smooth, grainy, silky or hardwearing finishes for a range of styles from precious to trendy to sport chic.

Let's zoom in for a moment on alligator, the most sought-after of crocodilian skins. Alligator has become the undisputed mark of the very finest watches. It offers a variety of patterns: the scales on the belly, called "full-skin" (or Full Cut Alligator), are broad and square, while those on the sides are smaller, rounded and clearly defined, neatly arranged like a string of pearls (or FullCut Flanc Alligator).

Nonetheless, only a few exceptional watchstraps can be made from a single skin. The most widely used species is Alligator Mississipiensis, found on alligator farms in Louisiana (USA). Camille Fournet is the world's largest user of Alligator skins in the watchstraps market.

Classic	Round Double Spine
Hexagonal	Aviator
Square	Central Round
Square Double Spine	Round

Skins selected from the best tanneries, finished to the highest degree of refinement: before they find their way into the hands of the leather craftsman, the skins are dyed and treated in the best tanneries to make them rot proof and hard-wearing.

Alligator, lizard and snakes skins are then polished with an agate stone rather than varnished, to bring out the natural shine of the scales. In the case of alligator and caiman, the delicate, traditional process of stamping subtly embosses the scales, the heat causing them to swell, after which they are buffed with a soft cloth.

An unique technique still practiced for Camille Fournet by just a handful of uniquely skilled craftsmen.

Up to sixty operations for a single strap, where the crafts man's steady, precise hand is guided by a keen eye. After choosing the skin, a methodical series of expert procedures ensues to create a strap that will set off the watch of perfection.

The utmost care goes into the preparatory stages: the skins are first cut according to the grain or scales, then split, after which the leather, fillers and linings are "stripped" or "skived" to obtain the desired thickness and embossing. Each part is mounted and assembled, adhesive first being applied with a brush. Stays are added to the lug and buckle ends before they are folded back. Some styles include special inserts requiring specific fitting or notches or indentations.



An impressive range of finishing operations follows. The long and short ends of the strap are definitively cut to size, the buckle and tongue holes are pierced, then comes the stitching stage. A hot iron is used to imprint an elegant crease between the stitching and the edge of the leather. The edges are polished with felt then dyed with a brush. The loops are carefully made up, glued and hand-stitched, creased and thermoformed.

The final touch – the stamp on the lining – puts a name to this work of quality.