Singapore-based watch strap company Delugs has a clear mission – they want to make strap changing a lifestyle. “Oftentimes, people change their watch straps only when they’re broken or need a replacement. But that doesn’t have to be the case,” said Chia Pei Qi, co-founder of the company.
“You can change it based on occasion, what you’re wearing. Like how we change our clothes every day, why not change our straps?” In a span of six years, Delugs has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Its straps even found its way onto the wrist of singer and prominent watch collector Ed Sheeran (more on that later).
Chia, 30, and her husband, Kenneth Kuan, 31, were civil servants before embarking on their entrepreneurship journey. As a side hustle, the pair picked up leather crafting in 2016, making small leather goods such as cardholders and key fobs, as well as watch straps. After honing their skill in the latter, they took in commissioned orders.
“We started as leather crafters who wanted to bring high quality leather straps to the watch enthusiast market,” said Kuan. It was then that the pair noticed a gap in the market. “People who wanted high quality straps often had to look for leather crafters like ourselves, but that often comes with a long waiting time and high prices.
If you wanted something that’s readily available, with a wide selection and high-quality production, there’s not really an option out there.” And so Delugs was born in 2018. As an online retailer, it has a ready stock of straps in varying materials, colours and sizes that customers can buy instantly with the click of a button.
Customers can also choose to go down to the company’s showroom and office space in Ubi, which they opened in 2022 after operating out of Kuan’s bedroom for a few years. “We were just bursting out of the bedroom,” Kuan said of the move. “Everything took place in his bedroom.
We were crafting on his desk; photography took place under the desk. It was a blessing in disguise that our products are quite small, so you don’t need a lot of space,” Chia recalled. The couple knew that in order to expand their product range, they needed a bigger space.
“ We had a lot more ideas on new products that we wanted to introduce. Moving into a bigger space allowed us to expand the team and bring on a lot more people, whether it was for fulfilment, marketing, product development or business development.” WATCH STRAP INNOVATIONS Today, Kuan handles product development and marketing at Delugs, while Chia oversees business development and operations.
The team has evolved well beyond its initial two-man setup, now comprising 19 staff members in Singapore and eight in the Philippines. Their watch straps are now made by a team of leather crafters in Vietnam. The US is currently the company’s largest market, accounting for 40 per cent of its customer base.
Singapore ranks as the second-largest market with 15 per cent, while the remaining customers come from other parts of the world, including the UK, UAE, Hong Kong, Australia and Germany. Delugs stocks a wide range of leather straps that pair with watches from brands such as Tissot, Cartier, MB&F, Panerai, Vacheron Constantin and more. Aside from straps, the company also sells watch storage boxes.
It launched its own spring deployant clasp in June. On what sets the company apart from other leather crafters out there, “we focus on product quality and innovation,” Kuan believes. “We are always trying to push the boundaries in the products that we’re creating.
” Chia added, “We don’t want to repeat products that are already out there, because it wouldn't make us any different. It would just be a price war.” While Delugs started off with leather straps, they expanded their offerings by launching rubber cut-to-size (CTS) straps in 2023, which can fit any wrist size.
While the CTS strap concept is not new, it used to be restricted to luxury sports watches. “What we did was to bring the convenience and look of a CTS rubber strap to anyone with a watch, whether it’s a Seiko, a Patek or anything in between,” Kuan said. With their rubber straps, the pair also wants to urge watch collectors to explore different materials.
“Even if you’re wearing a dress watch, you don’t necessarily have to pair it with a leather strap. We educate customers about different options and possibilities. For instance, people might not consider a rubber strap for a Patek dress watch, but we can show that it still looks good,” quipped Kuan.
CELEBRITY APPROVED Pairing a dress watch with a rubber strap was precisely what Ed Sheeran did. During the second night of the British singer-songwriter’s second tour stop in Singapore back in February, he performed at the Capitol Theatre wearing a bespoke Patek Philippe World Time 5230G paired with a navy rubber strap. The strap had been gifted to Sheeran backstage by Kuan and Chia , who are fans of his music.
Earlier in the week, they had put out a video on social media explaining their desire to meet with him and introduce him to Delugs. Through the help of the watch community, the video caught the attention of Sheeran’s watch dealer in the US. Since that surreal experience, interest in Delugs has grown, the couple shared.
“While we don’t market specifically to celebrities, through some connections, James Brittain-McVey, the lead guitarist from [British pop band] The Vamps, is also using some of our straps,” Kuan revealed. American rapper Swizz Beatz has also enquired about their products, he added. “It’s quite cool to see our straps being worn by people of a certain stature of influence,” Kuan said.
“Or even just seeing strap pairings that we don’t expect, when an interesting combination comes up and they tag us on social media. It’s not just about celebrities; it’s the way everyday people combine our straps that excites us,” Chia continued. Kuan describes watch straps as great conversation starters.
“Often, when we attend watch events, people take notice of the straps we’re wearing. This helps us to start a conversation because most of the time, people are used to seeing the watch with its original strap. The moment you change out the strap, it already looks different.
It speaks a little bit about your personality and your taste as an individual.” FLYING THE SINGAPORE FLAG Kuan and Chia have more in store for Delugs. “We definitely have a lot of ideas, a lot of products that we are continuing to develop and launch,” Chia teased.
As a female watch enthusiast herself, Chia also wants to further engage the female watch community. “Sometimes at events, I feel like I’m one of only a few women around. I think building up that community is important, whether it’s exploring more women-centric products down the line or offering sizes or lug widths that fit more women watches.
” The pair aim to collaborate with watch brands. “For the longest time, our focus has been on consumers, but we want to work with watch brands to bring our straps to their watches. We’re confident in our expertise and hope to educate watch brands on the best strap pairings for their timepieces,” Kuan shared.
Collaborating with watch brands will also help Delugs establish itself as more than just an e-commerce business, positioning it as a credible brand within the watch industry, Kuan added. Having garnered the attention of the international watch community, the pair take pride in being a homegrown, Singaporean brand. “Everywhere we exhibit, including international fairs, we’re very proud to represent Singapore.
We operate in a very niche space and we do hope for more Singaporeans to know that we’re a local brand,” said Chia. “Whether they’re into watches or not, we hope more Singaporeans would come to know of us.”.
