Hermes Traverse Belt Buckle & Reversible Leather Strap 38 mm Box 135 and Togo Calfskin Permabrass Buckle Yellow Gold Noir Gold

I chose this colourway for one reason: the brushed permabrass. Warm gold hardware on a black-and-tan reversible strap is a combination I trust entirely, because the metal ties the two faces together instead of favouring one of them. It sits naturally with brown boots, brass zips and a yellow-gold watch, and it never looks borrowed from somebody else’s wardrobe.

The strap is 38 mm, in glossy Box 135 calfskin and pebbled Togo. Which face you see depends on how you rotate the buckle: the smooth side is the polished one, the grained side is matte, springy and more resistant to everyday marks. The width stays the same whichever way it is turned, so the belt feels consistent at the waist.

Box 135 ages in a way I like. It begins almost mirror-like and develops a warm, slightly clouded patina where the strap folds at the buckle, which some people read as wear and others, including me, read as the real reason to own smooth calfskin in the first place. It is the sort of surface that looks better after a year than on the day it arrives.

Two honest notes. The polished face will pick up fine scratches, and brushed permabrass can dull if it is cleaned too eagerly, so a dry cloth is all it needs. Black in daylight and tan in the evening is how this one usually gets worn. Waist sizes cover 80 to 115 cm, so there is no need to guess between two figures.