How CITES Laws Affect Buying Watch Straps Across The World

Luxury is all about exclusivity, rarity, quality, and price. Naturally, exotic materials make up a large proportion of luxury goods, materials known for their quality, appearance, and availability or lack thereof. That led luxury product makers to source materials from rare and exotic animals. But, over years of hunting and material sourcing a very real problem began to appear. We were taking animals from the wild faster than they could recover. As a result, animal populations globally began to fall, and many species became at risk of extinction.

Fortunately, just over 50 years ago the world’s leaders and conservationists decided action was needed and so created CITES. A convention to protect endangered species and ensure their survival for many generations to come. But how do they affect us in the watch strap industry?

Let’s start by understanding what CITES actually is. It stands for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. It is an international agreement signed in 1973 with the aims of protecting endangered species of flora and fauna against excessive trade in their goods so that it does not threaten their survival. The convention covers 40,900 species of live animals and plants but also their products such as timber, food, medicines, and most applicable to us, leather.

While the specific laws differ from country to country, the convention set guidelines that all participating nations must adhere to. These laws come into play in particular when animal products are transported internationally.

It may not come as a surprise to most that domesticated cows and horses are not on the endangered species lists, therefore the CITES laws to not apply to their leathers. So, we don’t need to worry about any permits for selling or shipping leather from these sources internationally. Some of the other leathers that are popular in watch straps, however, do come from animals that are on the list, and this is where the laws must be adhered to.

Struthio Camelus, better known to you and me as the Ostrich, is an animal listed on the CITES appendices commonly used in high-end watch strap making. The unique patterning and texture on the leather of the ostrich, along with its exotic allure, make for a strap that pairs well with a high-end dress watch.

Alligator mississippiensis, the American Alligator along with many other members of the Alligatoridae family (Alligators and Caimans) and Crocodilidae family (crocodiles) are on the list. While the American Alligator is not currently threatened with the risk of extinction, international trade in its products must be strictly regulated to ensure the survival of the species.

The tighter restrictions on leathers from Alligator and Ostriches and required permits and documentation slows down the supply chain and shipments of straps using these materials. In the UK each and every shipment containing these products needs its own set of paperwork, and even then, the varying rules between countries can lead to hold ups and sometimes confiscations at customs if the rules are not followed correctly.

Manufacturers have to provide evidence that the materials have been sustainably sourced from farms and tanneries that are registered, audited, and able to provide traceable documentation on the animals they use. This means that due to the lower number of reputable suppliers, finding the right partner is a more challenging task. In some cases manufacturers will choose to produce alternatives that are textured to imitate alligator or ostrich leather but are really made of calf leather or even FKM rubber to avoid the restrictions.

The effect of all this is that exotic leather straps will be more expensive than calf or Cavallo leather alternatives. In some ways this is a good thing, like I mentioned earlier luxury is partially about exclusivity and so a higher price point and lower availability aid this notion.

Easy answer, yes, of course they are!

It is vital that we protect wildlife of all kinds to ensure a future of life on this planet. And with laws and restrictions in place we can continue to utilise these species for our benefit but in a way that is sustainable and ensures that they will be present for many future generations to also benefit from.

And from a marketing perspective there is now greater transparency around the sourcing of leathers with many manufacturers and suppliers proudly announcing that exotic leathers are ethically sourced or farm raised giving buyers’ reassurance that they are purchasing from an honest supplier.

The laws also aid the exotic straps in maintaining their premium qualities, the properties that make them luxury. Scarcity and price will always remain high due to these laws allowing exotic leather straps to sit comfortably above the more regular material straps and not just because of their design.

You can learn more about the production of leather straps and how to choose the right one for you by reading our Product Guide articles through this link.