At the dawn of January 2019, Maison Jean Rousseau presented its Fall-Winter 2019-2020 collection with its most recent innovation: a phosphorescent watch strap which was made using an alligator skin.

Extensive research and the prowess of our leather ‘savoir-faire’ have resulted in the innovative application of phosphorescence to soft and tactile leather. Having formerly only been found amongst military grade materials, the implementation of these luminescent qualities into our alligator leathers represents a huge accomplishment.

Depending on the colours and specifications of the watch strap, this finishing can be applied to just the in-between scales, or the entire skin. This high precision process is executed by hand in the ateliers of Maison Jean Rousseau by our master craftsmen. Exposing the strap to light enables the leather to ‘charge’ its phosphorescent properties.

With this unique finishing, applicable to all colors available in-house, Jean Rousseau’s clients now have the opportunity to wear a watch strap that enhances ​​the natural pattern and unique scales of alligator skins. This strap goes in harmony with the watch hands, numerals and indeces of watches, themselves readable in the dark.

Founded in 1954, Maison Jean Rousseau specializes in leather accessories for watches. It is consistently leading the market with its pioneering creativity, combining a keen sense of modernity with a solid cultural and artisanal heritage. In keeping with our fundamental values, the phosphorescent pigments used meet Jean Rousseau’s highest standards concerning health and safety. Manufacture Jean Rousseau endeavours to maintain ethical values and only works with alligator skins that adhere to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).