# What do you think of the Apple watch bands?



## RichieP (Aug 26, 2010)

I gotta say, there's a lot I like about the Apple watch, but presently I have no intention of getting one. For one thing, I don't have an iPhone to pair it with, but most importantly I'm totally unwilling to give up wearing my good watches to make room for a wristborne iPod.

Still there's at least one reason I'm really excited to see Apple turn their attention to "watches" (which I wish they would just call "wearable computers"): it means they're taking their renowned innovation and applying to watch bands as well!

One of the first things I noticed when looking at the watches on the Apple website was the bands and straps were all weird at first glance. Then, after taking a minute to analyse what I was seeing (or you can cheat and watch the video in which Joni Ives explains each of the different bands) I realized that everyone of them was a completely new idea that I'd never quite seen done that way before. Even the one they call the "Classic Buckle" appears to have a unique attachment between the buckle and the leather strap.

Now I'm not expecting Apple's actual products to be of exceedingly high quality; if they expect to turn a high profit margin on a $400 watch, they can't spend $100 on the band. And I realize some of these radical ideas of theirs may yet turn out to be insecure (they've probably been _reasonably_ tested). But seeing this gives me hope that some of the best innovations will some day show up on straps available for "real" watches.

Thoughts?


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## X2-Elijah (Dec 25, 2009)

Hmm. Hmm, thoughts, hmmm.

"Yet another proprietary thing to let apple charge customers more than you'd expect" seems about the long and short of it, tbh.


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## clarencek (Mar 25, 2008)

I personally loved the idea of incorporating magnets into the band. I've always wondered why a magnetic clasp hasn't been done (magnetizing a watch?) but surely someone could figure out a clasp that doesn't require any moving parts. 

I'm excited as well about apple entering the market.


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## aussielondon (Sep 10, 2014)

I personally think all the apple watches look chit


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## privet (Apr 12, 2013)

I don't consider it a looker(looks are the most important for me in any watch), but I might get it for all the nice health functions it has. As for the band, I would probably put a leather ZULU with appropriate looking round rings on it.


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## RichieP (Aug 26, 2010)

X2-Elijah said:


> Hmm. Hmm, thoughts, hmmm.
> 
> "Yet another proprietary thing to let apple charge customers more than you'd expect" seems about the long and short of it, tbh.


No doubt, that's part of it. You might notice the Apple bands are not separable from the lugs. If you want to change the strap, you change the lugs with it, meaning you can only replace it with an Apple strap. That's convenient for Apple, but on the other hand it does allow the wearer to always have the lugs best suited for the particular strap without having to buy a whole new watch (while also allowing Apple to manufacture only 12 different cases.)
Anyway, I'm still holding out hope that if the "Modern Buckle" successfully keeps the watch attached to the wrist, somebody will tweak it enough to get around the patents and make one available to the rest of us.


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## X2-Elijah (Dec 25, 2009)

Oh, yeah, no doubt there will be third-party lugs etc. made - but as with third-party charger cables/docks etc., expect Apple to send out a "only our lugs are safe enough to sue becuase reasons, so please don't buy anything else, kthnxbai" notice soon enough..


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## mew88 (Jun 1, 2010)

I like how the Apple strap hides the tail portion of the strap under itself and acts as a secondary keeper. It's like integrating Omega's clasp into the strap itself.


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## David Kleinfeld (Apr 19, 2009)

You can always use a perlon strap


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## Ed.YANG (Jun 8, 2011)

Kairos band looks much better...







seems as there's a butterfly buckle there?


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## RichieP (Aug 26, 2010)

mew88 said:


> I like how the Apple strap hides the tail portion of the strap under itself and acts as a secondary keeper. It's like integrating Omega's clasp into the strap itself.


Agreed. I have a Maurice Lacroix watch with a clasp that does that and I love it. I wish I could find a quality third-party strap like that for another watch of mine.


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## MrDagon007 (Sep 24, 2012)

I love the strap options and the fact that they come with their own lugs. Clever!
I must say that the bracelet looks esp nicely engineered, and I also like the magnetic woven metal one.


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## Colin_Clarke (Jun 8, 2014)

A bit too "Dick Tracy" for me. I love a good watch but this is really an expensive looking toy watch. I'm sure it's packed full of tech and sure it will sell to the Apple loving consumers in high numbers though.


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## Toothbras (Apr 19, 2010)

That one on the left has a cool looking retro Speidel vibe, looks good.


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## dbakiva (May 7, 2011)

RichieP said:


> ... if they expect to turn a high profit margin on a $400 watch, they can't spend $100 on the band....


Pricing starts at $349. This is probably for the 38mm sport version with the most basic band. The stainless steel watch will be more and metal or leather band options could well add yet another hundred dollars or so. My guess is the average purchase price will be closer to $500 with options to go well above that.


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## meth68 (Jun 27, 2014)

X2-Elijah said:


> Hmm. Hmm, thoughts, hmmm.
> 
> "Yet another proprietary thing to let apple charge customers more than you'd expect" seems about the long and short of it, tbh.


Typical apple, their products are driven by hype not being innovative. Example, all amazing "Renders" no mention of battery life or anything in the actually showing. And not due out for months, now they will market it and have people saying apple watch apple watch...by the time it comes out it will be very bleh....

The face is odd looking, especially for a male with a decent size wrist. I was disappointed overall. I am going to check out the 360 next week.


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## gunnerdart (Sep 10, 2014)

I have a pebble watch, and I would call it the pioneer, DOS version of this new apple watch. You either like Apple .. Or you don't .., however the possibilities are endless in my opinion . When they can integrate medical applications into the watch (BSugar monitor for example) then it will be life changing for the applicable people. But we will have to see 


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## snpr9696 (Oct 17, 2010)

I still don't know what it does. It tells time gives you a health report and let's you draw little smiley faces to send to your buddy only if he has another iwatch. I love Apple but I'm not sure I understand this.


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## Ed.YANG (Jun 8, 2011)

snpr9696 said:


> I still don't know what it does. It tells time gives you a health report and let's you draw little smiley faces to send to your buddy only if he has another iwatch. I love Apple but I'm not sure I understand this.


I'll try to make it simple for you to picture it out...
Let's say you work in a IT department consist of small numbers of old geeks with good old tech rigs, such as Suunto on their wrists, while another group of young geeks wearing a mix bag of Android and iOS smartwatches. A new employee report in today, wearing an iOS smartwatch. Majority of the young geeks will have their wrist greet this new employee with a smile. While to the old geeks, the new employee will have to tilt up his head to look for their smiley face... which some may not, but to look professionally serious. Who do you think this new kid in the department will click with? The old geeks? Or the young geeks?


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## 45minutehour (May 29, 2014)

I was thinking a lot about this device, and i hate that they call it a watch. If they made a smaller version that i could wear on my right wrist that didnt look too feminine, kind of like some of those other smaller fitness bracelets, I'd be all in. I will not let my valuable left wrist real estate be occupied by something without gears. Im also rather dubious about the toughness and water resistance of a digital device, i like knowing i can take most of my watches from work to the weight room to the pool to the steam room/sauna then take a shower and head out for the night. An apple watch will never replace my desk divers, which is really too bad since in general i love apple products.

I do like the implications for bands though its something i hadn't thought about. 


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## Ed.YANG (Jun 8, 2011)

45minutehour said:


> I was thinking a lot about this device, and i hate that they call it a watch. ... ... I will not let my valuable left wrist real estate be occupied by something without gears. Im also rather dubious about the toughness and water resistance of a digital device, i like knowing i can take most of my watches from work to the weight room to the pool to the steam room/sauna then take a shower and head out for the night. An apple watch will never replace my desk divers, which is really too bad since in general i love apple products. ...


Want something manly? That ticks and sweeps on your wrist(which you most likely couldnt feel the actions, even the rotation of the rotors...)??

Gold?









Chrome?









Or manly military Black?


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

meth68 said:


> Typical apple, their products are driven by hype not being innovative. Example, all amazing "Renders" no mention of battery life or anything in the actually showing. And not due out for months, now they will market it and have people saying apple watch apple watch...by the time it comes out it will be very bleh...


It's already in production, and they had examples at the presentation. I saw at least CEO Tim Cook wearing one, and one of their VPs was doing the onstage demos with another.

It's not for sale yet for two reasons, and they're both related --

Apple's releasing a tool called WatchKit so that software developers can start writing apps for it. Now that they've seen it and have an idea of what it might do, they can get started on their own apps and have them ready by the time the watch hits the stores next year.

Secondly, it's not approved by the FCC yet. That's a months-long process, and Apple had to do the same in 2007 with the first iPhone.

These are both related because, as a group, thousands of app developers and everyone in the FCC licensing chain don't know how to keep secrets. There were zero substantial leaks about the watch until maybe Sunday evening at the earliest, and those were just phone pics of CAD drawings. Apple kept this under a very heavy lock and key. If any of this got out before this week, clones would start spitting out of workshops within days (happened badly with the first iPod Shuffle), legitimate competitors would copy its features, and Apple would lose all the interest that had built up.


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## Will3020 (Aug 28, 2012)

jury still out...I'll wait until they are in the store before coming to a conclusion.


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## frpedersen7 (Sep 3, 2014)

Great idea if it comes down to the "smart-watch" functions and so on, yet I've never been keen on getting a smartwatch, for the sole purpose of having a watch, much rather have something stylish and classic.

There is no doubt though, that launching this watch is only extra ammunition to the "Apple only wants to drain their fanboys for money"-haters.


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## flyb0y_7 (Sep 14, 2011)

Interesting. I like the crown functionality and the interface navigation method/design. Still, at the end of the day, I wouldn't wear it over any of my current rotation.

Obviously, WIS are not the target audience here, otherwise it would sport a round, slightly chunky case and 20mm or 22mm drilled lugs (is my dive watch bias showing?).

I wish they'd move wearable computing away from "watches" and into something more like a digital dog tag I could wear inside my shirt. Granted, present technology would make it a bit thick. 


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

flyb0y_7 said:


> Obviously, WIS are not the target audience here,...


Not completely the target audience, but yeah, I'd say you're right.

Don't we have a thread about how often we'd happen to run into another WIS? And haven't the responses been something like, "Almost never," or "I caught a guy staring at my Fortis on the subway once," or "My proctologist has a Sea Dweller but he said it was a gift,"?

It's got just enough WIS-ness to catch our eyes, but not enough to suck it away from the general public, either.


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## Memphis1 (Feb 19, 2011)

I cant wait to see someone with the magnetic one and their face when the watch flies off their wrist.


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## flyb0y_7 (Sep 14, 2011)

Memphis1 said:


> I cant wait to see someone with the magnetic one and their face when the watch flies off their wrist.


I was thinking about how strong these magnets would need to be to give the necessary security.

Probably just strong enough to wipe the magnetic strip on ones credit cards while your wrist hangs down at your waist, thus ensuring your complete reliance on the watch's "Apple Pay" feature

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## brandon\ (Aug 23, 2010)

mew88 said:


> I like how the Apple strap hides the tail portion of the strap under itself and acts as a secondary keeper. It's like integrating Omega's clasp into the strap itself.


ochs und junior has a buckle design that hides the tail of the strap under the other half of the strap. I've been looking for something similar and it doesn't seem to exist.

https://www.watchuseek.com/f222/strap-similar-ochs-und-junior-1008175.html


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## snpr9696 (Oct 17, 2010)

Ed.YANG said:


> Want something manly? That ticks and sweeps on your wrist(which you most likely couldnt feel the actions, even the rotation of the rotors...)??
> 
> Gold?
> 
> ...


This I like
Is this available?


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## Matt Stone (Feb 9, 2013)

I really loved the design of the steel mesh one. Looks secure and infinitely (and super easily) adjustable, something I'd like in a band. Also looks easy to put on, important to me being that my left wrist doesn't really work well so wear a watch on the right and sometimes have trouble with straps, getting it threaded through etc, so magnets sound awesome.


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