Corner-Notched Strap for Oakley Titanium Gearbox
The Oakley Titanium Gearbox was designed around its own rubber strap, so swapping it for leather means matching a case end that was built for rubber. This order, from England, asked for a black lizard replacement that steps down to fit that case, threads onto the watch's 3mm screw bars, and matches the thickness of the original rubber at the lug end. A corner-notched strap for the Oakley Gearbox, cut to the owner's own measurements, is what makes that possible.
The build
| Watch | Oakley Titanium Gearbox, carbon fiber dial |
| Strap style | Custom corner-notched |
| Notch measurements | A 26.5mm (1.04 in) / B 20.5mm (0.81 in) / C 7mm (0.28 in) |
| Leather | Black lizard |
| Length | 85/135mm (3.3 in / 5.3 in) |
| Buckle end width | 20.5mm (0.81 in) |
| Thickness | Around 4mm (0.16 in) at the lug end, tapering slightly toward the buckle |
| Bars | The watch's 3mm screw bars |
| Buckle | Customer's own |
Why these choices
A corner-notched strap is cut so the lug end steps down in width at both corners, the same pattern used on a Cartier Santos. It exists for cases that a standard band cannot fit: integrated-bracelet designs, vintage dress watches, G-Shock conversions, and sport watches like this one that shipped with a rubber strap. The three numbers in the table, A, B and C, are the measurements that define the notch, and every one of them came from the owner. There is no stock size for a Gearbox, so the strap is only as good as those measurements. We always recommend having a jeweler take them, because half a millimeter matters on a notch.
The notes carried more than the notch. The Gearbox uses 3mm screw bars rather than spring bars, and the buckle the owner wanted to keep has a 5mm-wide center section where the bar threads through, narrowing to 3mm. So the buckle end was cut at 20.5mm to sit naturally with that buckle, and the strap ships without one. The other request was thickness: around 4mm at the lug end so the leather meets the case the way the rubber did, then tapering slightly toward the buckle so it does not feel heavy on the wrist. Lug-end thickness is easy to overlook on a custom order, and on a sport case it is often what decides whether a leather strap looks fitted or borrowed.
Lizard is usually the dressiest exotic we cut. It has fine, tight scales and is most often paired with smaller dress dials, which makes it an unexpected choice for a titanium sport watch. That contrast is the point of this build: a fine-scaled black exotic against a titanium case and a carbon fiber dial, instead of another rubber or canvas strap. You can see the full range of lizard leather watch straps we work in, or browse black leather watch straps across other leathers.
★★★★★
“Excellent all around! I had a long list of very specific measurements and requests, and they fulfilled all of them. Shipped across the planet in less than a month, and I’m very happy with the quality of the strap. It’s exactly what I envisioned.”
Jerry G. · Custom corner-notched strap
Questions from Gearbox owners
Can you make a corner-notched strap for an Oakley Gearbox?
Yes. Our custom corner-notched strap is cut to the A, B and C measurements you send, plus your lengths and buckle end width. Tell us in the notes that the watch uses screw bars and give the bar diameter, as this owner did, so the ends are sized to suit. A jeweler's measurement is the safest starting point.
Can I keep my original buckle?
Yes. Choose "use my own buckle" and give us the buckle end width and anything unusual about how the buckle's bar threads through. We cut the buckle end to match and ship the strap without a buckle.
Every strap is made to order, so allow 2–3 weeks to delivery. If your watch needs a stepped or shaped lug end, start with our custom notched straps and send us your measurements.