There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
First thing that came to my mind, of course, was the quality of the leather. The first impression I got from the sample belt I received is that it is sturdy but not stiff. It is made of really nice quality french calfskin, and I absolutely love the smooth, almost skin touch kind of smooth of the reverse side of the belt. When I wipe it, I can see the tiny change of the texture on that side of the leather. As I got the Nickel Walnut color one, the color is subtle and elegant. When I press down on the leather it has that supple feel, but again, it is durable. I've worn it for almost a week now, but there are no major creases near the punch hole.
Secondly, stitching. The stitching of this belt is really well done. It's not one of those belts that you will notice the stitching too much because the distance of the stitching and color contrast aren't big. The stitching on this belt is right on the edge of each side of the belt with a comfortable distance.
At last, the buckle. The buckle is a pretty heavy, polished nickel. Not overly decorated, the buckle is perfect for both dressy attire or a more casual look. The rounded corner adds a little bit of a vintage style and overall it is very elegant.
Finally, I would say you won't feel stunned on your first sight of this belt, but its details will definitely make you fall in love with it over time. That's what I think about that one belt I should own in my closet--one in which I can see that the attention to detail has paid off.
P.S I usually wear size 34, but this one is a bit shorter than all other 34 belts I have. So I do recommend to chose a size bigger.
I got a size 36 (34 pants) as that is my usual and it is very slightly shorter than my other ones but it is practically a non-issue for me personally. I'm very happy with it.