Corner-Notched Sharkskin Strap for Citizen H500-S111463

Some watches will not take a band that ends in a straight line. The case on the Citizen H500-S111463 closes in around the strap end, so a normal band either binds at the corners or leaves a gap on both sides. The fix is a corner-notched strap for the Citizen H500-S111463: full width across the body, stepped down at the two outside corners so the tongue drops into the case opening and the shoulders sit flush against it. This one went out in black sharkskin, cut to figures the customer measured off the watch.

What was built

Watch	Citizen H500-S111463
Leather	Black sharkskin
Build	Custom corner-notched
Notch A	22 mm (0.87 in) across the strap end
Notch B	14 mm (0.55 in) tongue width
Notch C	2 mm (0.08 in) step depth
Strap length	80/130 mm (3.1 in / 5.1 in)

Why these choices

Three numbers decide whether a corner-notched strap works: A, the full width of the strap end; B, the width of the tongue that actually enters the case; and C, how deep the step is cut. Here that came to 22 mm, 14 mm and 2 mm. C is the one that catches people out. Two millimeters is a shallow step, and being off by half of it in either direction means the strap will not seat or will sit proud of the case. This is why we ask for figures taken with calipers, ideally by a jeweler, rather than measured against a ruler at the kitchen table.

Black sharkskin earns its place on a cut like this. It is the toughest of the exotics we work with, with a dense, tooth-textured grain, and that density matters where a notch is involved: the step exposes a cut edge on both corners, and a softer hide would round over or fray there within a season of daily wear. Sharkskin holds the shoulder sharp, which is the difference between a notch that still looks deliberate in year three and one that has gone soft.

Everything else on this order stayed conventional. The length is a standard 80/130 mm split rather than an extra-long build, and there is no styling flourish anywhere on it. That is usually the right call on a notched job. The notch is already doing something unusual; adding contrast stitching or a shaped tip on top of it makes the strap look busy against a case that was designed for an integrated band.

Questions

How do I measure for a corner-notched strap for the Citizen H500-S111463?
You need three figures taken from the watch, not from the old band: the full width of the case opening (A), the width of the recess the strap tongue drops into (B), and how far the case wall projects forward (C). A jeweler with calipers will produce these in a couple of minutes. Send all three and we cut to them.

Is this the same as a center-notched strap?
No. A center-notched strap keeps its shoulders and steps down in the middle. A corner-notched strap does the opposite: it keeps a central tongue and cuts away the two outside corners. Which one you need is decided by the case, not by preference, so it is worth checking against the watch before ordering.

If your watch takes a strap that no stock band will fit, send us the measurements and we will cut to them. Start with the custom corner-notched strap, browse the rest of the notched strap options, or see the full range of custom leather watch straps. Every strap is made to order, so allow 2–3 weeks to delivery.