It is indeed a rare opportunity for me to be able to review cases from exotic countries like Argentina, Spain, and now from a case from Saint Tropez, France by Noreve.

This case is from Noreve's Exceptional Collection, and the this particular colour is called Sandy Vintage. According to the website, cases from the Exceptional Collection are made from suede leather that has been treated with a special tanning process that preserves the leather's natural characteristics. The special oils in the process highlights the leather's unique, extra smooth and weathered finish.

When I first opened the packaging, I was quite take aback by the smell, almost kerosene-like. It wasn't a pleasant smell, but don't worry because after a few days, the smell went away. The leather finish is new to me. It looks aged, the colour looks great and the texture reminds me of suede leather. My wife actually loves the looks of the case, while I prefer a smooth textured leather case.

This is a flip case, and the iPod touch is secured to the case by its sides. And it fits very snugly, so there's no fear of the iPod slipping out. You may want to properly dust off any dirt or particles off the inner lining before fitting your iPod touch into the case to avoid scratching the chrome surface. The front and back of the case is padded for protection, and there's a magnetic snap to keep the cover shut.

The case lets you place the iPod touch in two orientation. I prefer having the flip cover opening from the top. Otherwise, the headphone socket is a little obstructed by the cutout in the cover.

The case does come with a belt clip, but fortunately Noreve designed the belt clip to be removeable. That way the case caters to those who do like wearing their iPods by their waist, and people like me who prefers not to.

What do I think of it? The case is a little pricey at USD84, but the leather on this case is exceptional. This is the first time I've seen leather with colour and texture like this. The finishing is top notch, the fit is very good and the case has pretty good padding for protection against daily bumps. Some people may prefer smooth textured leather, but if you're looking for something unique, give the Noreve a look.

Website: http://www.noreve.com
Product page: http://www.noreve.com/static_contents.html?static_contents_id=12