World First: Announcing the Delugs Flagship Boutique at Raffles Hotel

When Delugs first started offering our handcrafted leather straps in 2018, we knew that many in the watch enthusiast community struggled with finding high-quality, readily available and fairly priced straps for their timepieces. What we didn't quite expect was for strap-changing as a lifestyle to take off the way it did.

It goes without saying that the convention of strap-changing and even strap-collecting has matured over the years in leaps and bounds. As much as we've enjoyed our success with e-commerce, we agree with everyone else: Finding the perfect strap just works better when you’re there in person.

Interior of the Delugs Flagship Boutique. (Photo Credit: Marcus L Photography)

The Delugs Flagship Boutique Opens

That's one of the reasons why on 19 April, we opened our flagship boutique at the iconic Raffles Hotel in Singapore (within walking distance from AP House and Patek Philippe, no less). We believe watch straps are more than functional — they are an essential part of personal expression and shape the watch-wearing experience.

As the world’s first strap-dedicated boutique, the Delugs Flagship Boutique offers an unmatched scale, material diversity and range of variations of watch straps, while also providing watch enthusiasts the opportunity to experience them in a more personal setting. As our portfolio grows, this space will serve as 'ground zero' for perfecting the Delugs experience, from helping clients find the perfect strap and watch pairing to understanding their concerns and learning how to address them.

Moreover, the presence of our boutique supports the ever-popular Bespoke Straps service. Visualising your dream watch strap can be challenging; the Bespoke Corner helps to streamline this journey with the help of our Strap Specialists. There are also unique leather options available as an exclusive boutique-only experience. From here, customers will be able to mix-and-match various leather types with different strap formats, stitching options and clasps to create a truly personalised watch-strap combination. Everyone’s timepiece is unique — being able to help our customers realise their vision for a strap tailored to their ideals is extremely gratifying and one of the reasons why Delugs exists. We’ve come a long way in 7 years and looking back, there’s a lot to be thankful for.

Our Bespoke Corner for custom creations. (Photo Credit: Marcus L Photography)

Our Journey Thus Far

If there’s one thing we’re proud of, it’s our humble beginnings. In 2018, Delugs was born — the brainchild of two individuals who began their journey as leathercrafters. The name? A playful twist on both “deluxe” and “lugs” (the part of a watch case where the strap is attached) — a subtle nod to our commitment to quality and admiration for horology.

The early days were all digital and home-based, sharing our handmade straps with an online audience. What set us apart was a focus on premium materials like Shell Cordovan, Chromexcel and Buttero, paired with attentive craftsmanship, thoughtful construction and the convenience of ready-to-wear options. On top of that, we were able to provide straps across various sizes and lug widths — all without subjecting customers to months of waiting and uncertainty.

And the community responded. As word spread, so did the demand. By 2022, it was time for something bigger. Delugs opened the doors to a 2,500 square foot all-in-one office and warehouse in Ubi, Singapore. Originally, this was to accommodate a growing team and operations. Local interest swelled, however, and we decided to dedicate a section of our office to function as a showroom. This provided a space where customers could feel the leather, try on different strap styles and connect with the brand.

Our Strap Specialists act as Stylists, Tailors and Mechanics.

As time went by, we confirmed several early-stage realisations:

1. Tactile engagement matters.

Customers preferred to physically examine straps to ensure color and texture coordination with their watches.

2. Many watch owners need assistance.

An on-site strap replacement service helped to ease the minds of many customers, as they were worried about accidentally damaging their watches or straps.

3. The showroom serves as a first point of contact.

A physical store helped customers become comfortable with the product before buying it online.

4. International visitors will make detours.

Customers from out-of-country often made the Ubi showroom a key destination when visiting Singapore, demonstrating the power of the global community.

5. Direct customer feedback is invaluable.

Face-to-face interactions provided insights that online interactions couldn't, revealing how customers interact with products and highlighting areas for improvement.

And as much as we value our Ubi showroom, we understand that it comes with its own set of challenges. Given its industrial setting, accessibility and branding were always key concerns. There were also operational and retail limitations to consider.

This led us on a search for the ideal location — one that was aligned with our values and vision for the future. Landing at Raffles Hotel, we were pleased with the number of boxes it checked off our list: Accessible, centrally located, event-friendly, moderate foot traffic and a close proximity to watch brands.

Adding to that, the historic prestige of Raffles Hotel was a perfect fit for Delugs, another homegrown brand with a focus on craftsmanship and quality. We were also at complete liberty to tailor the retail environment to our exact specifications, affording us full control over customer experience. With this move, we took our next big step within the physical retail world.

CAD mock-up of our custom Strap Hangers.

A Vision Brought To Life

We were to first to market with our concept: A brick-and-mortar store dedicated solely to watch straps and accessories. Nothing else like this exists anywhere else; we were working with a blank canvas. While unnerving at first, we realised that this gave us a unique opportunity to explore other areas of innovation, such as developing our very own method of strap display and storage. This culminated in the design of our specialised Strap Closets and the Strap Hangers. These adorn the Strap Wall and acts as a storage solution while evoking the imagery of clothing racks, reinforcing the concept of straps as outfits for our timepieces.

We've poured a lot of love into the Delugs Flagship Boutique. Ultimately, it’s designed not just as a retail space but a community hub and space for hosting events that celebrate the joy of horology in all its forms. The upcoming AHA (Alternative Horological Alliance), featuring Ming, Fleming, J.N. Shapiro, Fears and Massena LAB, will be the first event of many to grace our space this coming 2–4 May, followed by a brand showcase by Armin Strom later on 12 June. More than a store — we envision our boutique to feel more like a home for all of us within the horology community (as well as those looking to join).

Everything leading up to this moment has been the product of hard work, dedication and unwavering faith; we never would have made it this far without all your support throughout the years. So whether you’ve been with Delugs since the early days or just discovered us now, one thing’s for sure: We’ve only just begun.

From the bottom of our hearts: Thank you, everyone!