Good watch accessories tend to do one of two things well.
They either make a favourite watch easier to wear, or they make a growing collection easier to live with.
May’s standout arrivals cover both sides neatly, with a useful mix of straps, single-watch winders and a serious six-watch storage system for automatic collectors.
At a glance
- May’s edit brings five notable watch accessories across straps and winders.
- Highlights include a Moonwatch-minded Baranil leather strap, recycled sailcloth, lacquered Black Diamond leather and two automatic watch winders.
- Prices range from £83 for the Hirsch Arne Sailcloth strap to $2,650 for the Billstone Northcraft 6.
A leather strap with Moonwatch energy
The Watch Obsession Lunar Deployment Baranil is aimed squarely at owners of the Omega Moonwatch, though its appeal isn’t limited to the Speedmaster family.
At £142, it’s a clean option for chronograph owners who want something more refined than a standard sports strap without pushing the watch into dress-watch territory.
The material is the important detail here.
Baranil leather is produced exclusively at Tannery Degermann, giving the strap a specific point of distinction beyond the usual colour-and-stitching conversation.
For a watch as strap-friendly as the Moonwatch, that matters.
Two approaches to automatic watch winding
Barrington’s Oxford Single Winder is the practical pick for anyone who wants one automatic watch kept ready without surrendering much shelf space.
Priced at £275, it has a compact footprint, can run from mains power or batteries, and uses ultra-quiet Japanese motors.
The Oxford also offers multiple rotation settings, which is essential for matching different automatic movements with the correct winding pattern.
It’s available in seven colours, with black, blue, white, green, orange, red and yellow giving it more personality than the average discreet black box.
Billstone’s Northcraft 6 sits at the other end of the scale.
At $2,650, or approximately £1,985, it’s built for collectors who want to wind up to six automatic watches while also storing straps, tools and valuables in a concealed top compartment.
The security setup combines a fingerprint lock with a mechanical knob that prevents the top door from opening unless the front section has been unlocked first.
Inside, soft microfibre velvet lining protects the watches, while aramid fibre reinforcement adds heat and impact resistance.
An LCD panel controls winding direction, rotation count and integrated warm white display lighting, making it as much a collection hub as a winder.
Straps built for water, lacquer and texture
Hirsch’s Arne Sailcloth Watch Strap updates the brand’s sailing-inspired strap with materials better suited to repeated immersion.
The upper is made from 100% recycled plastic, with 10% reclaimed ocean waste and 90% landfill-derived material in the mix.
It keeps the visual language of sailcloth while sitting on a rubber base with a ventilated grip, allowing water to drain from the sides rather than sit trapped against the wrist.
At £83, it’s the most accessible accessory in this month’s selection and one of the more practical choices for summer watches, dive watches and anything that sees regular outdoor use.
Jean Rousseau’s Black Diamond straps take a more decorative route.
Priced at £145, they combine French strapmaking with traditional Japanese leather production techniques associated with Himeji.
The look comes from traditional tanning followed by multiple layers of lacquer, creating a deep colour, a glossy surface and tiny diamond-like sparkles.
Several colours are available, making the Black Diamond line useful for collectors who want a strap that changes the personality of a watch rather than simply replacing a worn original.
Which accessory makes the most sense
The most useful choice depends on the state of your collection.
If one automatic watch spends too much time stopped between wears, the Barrington Oxford Single Winder is the tidy answer.
If several automatics need winding and secure storage, the Billstone Northcraft 6 is built for a more developed collecting routine.
For daily wear, the strap choices are the easier way to refresh a watch without changing the watch itself.
The Lunar Deployment Baranil makes particular sense for Moonwatch owners and chronograph wearers, while the Hirsch Arne Sailcloth leans into water resistance and low-maintenance practicality.
The Jean Rousseau Black Diamond strap is the expressive one in the group, suited to a watch that can handle a little shine and colour without losing its character.
Taken together, this month’s accessories show how much range there is in the category, from quiet storage solutions to straps that can genuinely shift how a familiar watch feels on the wrist.
