Manufactures watch straps from leather, rubber and in-house developed natural materials in Klagenfurt, Austria.
HIRSCH Armbänder GmbH
Klagenfurt am Wörthersee (AT)New on Amplifa
About HIRSCH
HIRSCH Armbänder GmbH develops and manufactures high-quality watch straps from leather and synthetic materials in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee. The family business, founded in 1945 and now run by the fourth generation, processes drum-dyed, fibre-deep-dyed calfskin, sheepskin and suede as well as exotic leathers such as Louisiana alligator, South American crocodile flank, lizard and ostrich leather. In addition, textile (tweed), synthetics, premium rubber, stainless steel and aluminium are used. With the registered trademark HIRSCH Nature Technology, the company has for years been producing natural materials such as rose and vine leaves, birch bark and stone in-house, using special processes that make them flexible and resistant. The manufacturing process includes, among other things, hand-sewn bar and topstitch seams, safety stitches and the quick-release system for strap changes. Lug widths from 6 to 30 mm and customisable lengths up to 296+ mm cover both classic and smartwatch applications. In addition to its own brand business, HIRSCH is a partner of the Swiss watch industry and sells via the retail trade as well as a EU-wide online shop.
- Site
- Klagenfurt am Wörthersee
- Processes
- Development and manufacturing of high-quality watch straps (leather and synthetic goods), Hand-sewn seam workmanship (bar seam, safety stitch, topstitch), In-house material production (Hirsch Nature Technology: natural materials with special processes, Individual one-off production (custom-made to order), Quick-release system for strap changes, In-house development of natural materials (HIRSCH Nature Technology), Smartwatch compatibility (adapters for Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch), Free strap-changing tool with first order
- Materials
- Calfskin leather, Sheepskin leather, Suede, Alligator leather (Louisiana alligator), Crocodile leather (South American crocodile flank), Lizard leather, Ostrich leather (African ostrich), Tweed (textile)
- Founded
- 1945
- Industries
- Watch industry (including the Swiss watch industry), Watch retail trade, Smartwatch accessories, Jewellery (NiMa Atelier), B2C e-commerce, Watch industry (in particular the Swiss watch industry as partner)
- 01
Material development (including HIRSCH Nature Technology)
- 02
Cutting and conditioning of the materials
- 03
Hand-sewn workmanship (bar seam, topstitch, safety stitch)
- 04
Assembly of buckles and quick-release systems
- 05
Quality inspection and finishing
- 06
Distribution via retail trade and e-commerce
Materials and Processes
Calfskin leather (drum-dyed, fibre-deep)
Soft, supple upper material for classic and jewellery straps such as BOLOGNA and SETH.
Alligator leather (Louisiana alligator)
Hand-selected fine leather with rectangular scaling for luxury straps such as PRESTIGE.
Crocodile leather (South American crocodile flank)
Net-like structured, hand-polished leather for one-off pieces such as GENUINE CROCO.
Ostrich leather (African ostrich)
Characteristic quill bump structure for expressive unique pieces such as MASSAI OSTRICH.
Lizard leather
Finely structured leather for compact and women's watch straps.
Sheepskin and suede
Soft natural leathers for comfortable lining and upper materials.
Tweed (textile)
Traditional woven fabric, combined with a rubber core, e.g. on ARCHIE.
Premium rubber / rubber combination
Waterproof, lightweight and robust material for sports and performance straps.
Synthetics
Animal-free material for vegan strap variants.
Stainless steel
Material for buckles and adapters in the HIRSCH Tradition Design.
Aluminium
Lightweight metal for buckle and accessory components.
HIRSCH Nature Technology (rose/vine leaves, birch bark, stone)
Natural materials made in-house to be flexible and resistant, for vegan straps.
Locations
Klagenfurt am Wörthersee
ATHeadquarters, development and manufacturing
- Lot size
- Single pieces to series production
- Materials
- Calfskin, alligator and crocodile leather, ostrich leather, rubber, textile, natural materials, stainless steel
- In-house material development (HIRSCH Nature Technology)
- Manufacturing production with hand-sewing techniques
- Quick-release system integration
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development and manufacturing of high-quality watch straps (leather and synthetic goods)Assembly | – | Strap lengths up to 296+ mm × Lug widths 6-30 mm | – | Single-piece production | Calfskin leather, Sheepskin leather, Suede, Alligator leather, Crocodile leather, Lizard leather, Ostrich leather, Textile (tweed), Synthetics, Premium rubber, Rubber combination, Stainless steel, Aluminium, Rose and vine leaves, Birch bark, Stone |
| Hand-sewn seam workmanship (bar seam, safety stitch, topstitch)Joining | – | – | – | – | Calfskin leather, Alligator leather, Crocodile leather, Ostrich leather |
| In-house material production (Hirsch Nature Technology: natural materials with special processesEngineering | – | – | – | – | Rose leaves, Vine leaves, Birch bark, Stone |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 1945
Company founder Hans Hirsch began manufacturing the first watch straps in private premises in Klagenfurt
Son Hermann Hirsch drove international expansion forward from the location Hirschstraße 5
Robert Hirsch (grandson of the founder) led the company for over 22 years
- 2013
Nikolaus and Matthaeus Hirsch founded the NiMa Atelier
- 2022
In early 2022, Robert Hirsch handed over the management to his sons Nikolaus and Matthaeus Hirsch; the company is run by the fourth generation