French Maison Jean Rousseau are celebrating their 70th anniversary this year, marking 70 years since they set out on their journey to become one of the most prominent names in bespoke leatherwork and watch straps in the world. Their history starts near the city of Besançon on the Swiss-French border and leads us today to the Atlantic ocean – kind of. That’s because their most recent series of watch straps is the Atlantique Collection, a bright, vibrant and water-repellent collection ready for summer.
The growth and confidence of Jean Rousseau is plain to see. What started as a small workshop with 20 employees is today a powerhouse of innovation with around 400 employees and a four-time recipient of the Living Heritage Company Label. That innovation can be witnessed in the Atlantique Collection through straps like the Classic 5.0 Watch Strap Navy Nubuck Alligator (also available in red). It’s an exotic alligator strap with a nubuck finish, giving it a velvety texture to the touch and water-repellent qualities rarely seen in exotic leather. Although if you want true water resistance you might want to look at their premium rubber options.
Plus, the Nubuck Alligator demonstrates something that Jean Rousseau has long been celebrated for, which is their use of colour. They have developed their own dyes and finishes in order to create rich and unique shades of leather – in alligator alone they can offer more than 300 different colours available through their bespoke service.
Classic 3.5 Watch Strap Plain Calf in White, £130
Classic 5.0 Watch Strap Nubuck Alligator in Red, £335
That extends to more traditional leathers as well such as their plain calf, presented in the Atlantique collection with a pure white colouration and navy stitching in the Classic 3.5 Watch Strap White Calf. That combination of colours makes for a rich ocean theme, like water lapping at white sand beaches and the ocean environments that many of Jean Rousseau’s aquatic leathers come from.
Of course, protecting the environments and animals they work with is vitally important to Jean Rousseau too, which is why they strictly observe the terms set out by CITES (Washington Convention) and the REACH regulations. The hides and skins used by Maison Jean Rousseau, including alligator, are sourced from ICFA-certified breeding farms approved by the federal agency US Fish & Wildlife Service. Furthering this, they aim to join the CTC (French Leather Technical Centre) allowing it to be possible to trace the origins of all their goat and cow leather right down to individual animals, breeders and conditions they were raised in.
Classic 5.0 Watch Strap Nubuck Alligator in Navy, £335
Jean Rousseau has not remained the same in their 70 years of existence and the Atlantique Collection is a fabulous expression of everything they’ve learned. From new materials and colours to wider products including wallets and watch rolls and the importance of sustainability. Jean Rousseau is ready for the summer, and the summer after that and every summer for the next 70 years.
More details at Jean Rousseau.
