As readers may know, I am an airline pilot. My passport is definitely at an arms reach at all times when I’m at work. Also not to get political here, but as a hispanic man living in the United States, I’ve started carrying my passport everywhere I go. I first bought this wallet in 2019, right when I became a captain on the Embraer 175, so I’ve had seven years of world travel to really test out this wallet. It’s a masterclass of thoughtful design.

I am a huge fan of the Observer Collection. I have written about them before on my previous articles on BespokeUnit (here is a review of the STRO bespoke suit), but here’s a quick review. Robert Spangle is a conflict and fashion photographer, in a single week he could be at the frontlines in Ukraine and then at Pitti Uomo, the largest menswear trade show in the world which takes place in Florence, Italy. His designs are incredibly uniquely tailored to travel, being the perfect Venn diagram of utilitarian and elegant.

Disclaimer: I would definitely consider Rob a friend, we hang out whenever we’re both in LA at the same time and I’ve sent him boxes of cigars before. I’m also generally a fan boi of his designs. This probably won’t be the most unbiased review

• Brand: Observer Collection
• Model: Papa (seconds)
• Price in 2019: $185
• Price in 2026: $245
• www.observercollection.com

First things first, this is a ‘seconds’ quality product. Essentially, there were some cosmetic imperfections and the price was reduced $35. When Observer was first tooling up, they had quite a few seconds on hand, nowadays they still pop up but less frequently. Robert told me that this particular Papa was made of extra thick pieces of leather, I took it as a challenge to break it in.

Since the Papa’s inception, few things have changed. The card slots were reinforced to hold more cards, and a new RFID shield has been added to the back. Mine doesn’t have the RFID shield, but that doesn’t bug me too too much.

This Italian veg tanned leather, is present across all Observer Collection products. Mine is in black, or observer calls it, noiret. I do think that the tan version is more beautiful and ages more gracefully but I essentially have a matching noiret set.

For Instance, here’s a peak at my bud Chase’s Papa. Absolutely incredible.

Also no joke, I’ve never cleaned or conditioned this leather once in the seven years I’ve owned it. Aside from some individual stitches that have been piled or a little bit of the side dressing, this wallet has had zero structural failures.

Let’s talk about the front pocket. It’s perfect for things you need quick. Japanese metro cards, Parking garage validation, Airline Tickets, Costco Membership, packets of hot sauce, possibilities are endless. It’s so effortless to use this feature.

On the left pocket, I keep my very important pilot documents, on the right side I keep my passport, and a handful of Japanese stamps. I used to keep a secondary passport sized journal with me on the left side however this became too bulky, I also prefer larger journals now.

The card pockets are pretty standard, the top two can easily be accessed from a back pocket, which is useful for pulling out an ID at a bar. As you can see, I’ve substituted my actual cards and sensitive information with Starbucks gift cards. Why do I have all these gift cards? Flight attendant bribes.

I have also discreetly slid an Apple AirTag into the bottom right card holder, I have been tempted to punch a hole in the side of the Papa to add a keychain loop for attaching an AirTag, but that doesn’t seem very stealthy.

The final thing to talk about is the pen pocket. When I first received this wallet I was afraid that I would rip it, but for years I kept a pen and a mechanical pencil inside and I’ve had absolutely zero issues. I currently have my most favorite pen in stored in right now, a Uniball Zento Signature (review coming soon)

While there is no denying that this wallet is larger than your average billfold, it is still pocketable… Well, maybe not your front jean pocket but definitely the back pocket at least. When I’m working the Papa fits perfectly in this front pocket of my Saddleback Leather flight bag (Read the review here).

I love Observer Collection, and especially the small community of ‘observers’. Expect more Observer reviews coming soon, I think I almost have one of everything Observer has sold. I’m a fan boi, but when you can grab beers and cigars with the designer, it’s hard not to be.