Help!! Looking for a Big Pilot strap with tropic rubber backed back...

Gents... need your advice on finding a Big Pilot strap that has tropic rubber backed back. Last summer the combination of sweat and leather was just too...ummmm... unbearable to say the least.

So...I have been searching for one for a long time and it seems that there is no one that can create or custom one at all? It CANNOT be :-) So many strap makers out there and no one can make one....

Please help me out... got 5 months to go before the smell returns :-)

Thanks in advance for your help!!!!

Bruce

I would recommend Kaufmann, a german manufacturer located near Frankfurt. They made a "Big Pilot" strap for my Spitfire 3878, completely to measure. On the inside, the leather is covered with a very fine layer of rubber. It is beautifully crafted and exceeded my expectations by far.
Some years ago, Kaufmann was a supplier of oem straps for IWC, so you can rest assured their quality is superb. More info can be found at kaufmann.de.

Here are some pictures of my strap, I hope you can get a better impression through this - please excuse my poor fotographic abilities.

Happy new year!

Thats a very cool information, thanks for sharing.

Cheers Chris

@ JBW:
That "BP" strap is so stunning for your 3878 and it could be a great option for the CF3 too.

Cheers Chris

Kaufmann is indeed a great place. I have had three rubber reinforced straps made there for other brands. If you were nearby I would recommend that you send your old used strap to them or even better you go there yourself. They can then copy the exact dimensions. This will ensure that the curvature of the strap and the thickness matches your clasps and suits the IWC style. You can choose the actual piece of leather and colour of stitching. I once asked them to make an Alcantara strap which looked nice too.

My experience though was that the strap was a lot stiffer. Having a wide pilot strap with rubber on the inside may also be a bit sticky and uncomfortable in hot weather. The strap will last a very long time due to the rubber reinforcement unless you swim with it. Hope this helps otherwise please ask.