The leather on the strap is soft, the stitching is present. The watch strap is of high quality and the quick release buckle is reliable and very easy to use. Also note that the buckle is stainless steel, which feels solid. I replaced the original buckled leather strap with Certina and am happy with the new strap. For quality, style, reliable quick release, and price, this harness ticks all the boxes. This is a solid 5 star product.