Crocodile leather comes from true crocodilians such as the saltwater Crocodylus porosus or the Nile Crocodylus niloticus, and the surest way to tell it from alligator is the tiny pore at the centre of each scale. These dots, the integumentary sensory organs, are left by the animal's sensory pits, and alligator simply does not have them. Crocodile patterning tends to look slightly more irregular than alligator's symmetrical scales, and it has a long history as the default dress-watch strap material.
On the brand side, houses like Patek Philippe, Breguet and Omega fit straps cut mostly from Louisiana-sourced hides tanned in Tuscany; a Patek Philippe Nautilus alligator band runs around £400 at specialists like ABP Concept, and Omega sells a black alligator two-piece with a pin buckle. In the aftermarket, Camille Fournet off-the-shelf alligator starts near £200 with bespoke around £300, Jean Rousseau custom sits near £300, and Delugs hand-stitches crocodile and alligator from roughly £165 up. Price climbs fast with rarer cuts and colours.
Buy with the paperwork in mind: crocodile and alligator fall under CITES Appendix II, so a legitimate strap ships with an official species-protection tag, and cross-border orders need CITES permits. The cut sets the look: square belly scales read clean and formal, rounder flank scales are rarer and dearer, and horn-back gives the bumpy dorsal texture. Crocodile's slightly denser fibre makes it a touch tougher than alligator for daily bending and sweat, which matters on a watch you actually wear.
Care is simple but real: keep it away from heavy moisture, humidity and direct sun, and if it gets wet let it air dry rather than forcing heat. In hot, humid climates a water- and sweat-resistant calfskin lining keeps it comfortable against skin. On a dress piece or vintage-style pilot, crocodile adds a refinement steel cannot, though on a sport watch you sweat in, rubber stays the more practical call.