Aluminium silver version looks like a cheap toy?

[576316]

mostly just painted plastic

Can you list the parts of the Apple Watch sport that are made out of plastic, please?
[doublepost=1507318302][/doublepost]

but anything other than dark gray or black bands didn't look good to me for a non-exercise setting.

Exactly why I went for the silver Nike+. SG looks rubbish with a lot of the bands.
[doublepost=1507318476][/doublepost]

I think you have to look at the Apple Watch, and really all smart watches, as something other than a conventional watch which for the most part were fashion accessories that had only one other primary function ..

I have had the stainless steel version, and as others have mentioned, it really isn't worth the extra cost since it will be obsolete in a year or two. Plus its a lot heavier than the aluminum which makes it less ideal for running.

Definitely true. It seems many who spring for SS either have money to burn, or won't listen to those of us who have owned both and would not recommend the SS. I'm replacing my SS S0 with a Silver Nike+, which came today but I don't physically have it yet.

Too many people are trying to make the Apple Watch more than it is. I think if you're going for SS, chances are you're using it purely as a functional Watch - in which case you've entirely missed the point and wasted money. Even then, the SS isn't' the best option if you're using it for fitness only.

If you buy Apple Watch with no intention of using Activity, you're going to be sorely disappointed. It just doesn't do much outside of that. The App Store is full of junk.

 

[naturalstar]

I have seen plenty of people in dress clothes with sports bands and they look fine. I have worn a number of sports bands with my ceramic while in a suit and tie.
The most unflattering watch is the silver. the flat lack luster appearance cheapens the look.
The gold offers enough contrasting color to make it fashionable.
The silver is just bland.

I don’t doubt your personal assessment. I am just not a fan of the Apple sports bands. I do like the Nike bands and the velcro sports loop bands for workouts and the like. The Apple sports bands specifically are flat to me and they don’t do a thing to help the silver aluminum look any dressier, which is what the OP was asking. I wouldn’t wear a sports band when I want to have a dressy look, so when OP posted the picture, the first thing that stood out was that band. I do agree that the silver aluminum is flat on its own, but I don’t think it’s a lost cause to make look a little dressier. Will it ever stand out like the SS? I personally don’t think so, but I haven’t seen all the possibilities either.

 

[nburwell]

I was like you fellas with an aluminum watch and then I switched the steel. There is no comparison. If you want a more “watch” look I’d spend the extra $$ for the SS. It’s like an extra 200 if yr coming from a cellular watch. Also, people forget it has a sapphire screen. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bumped my old SS watch into a wall or something and it came out fine. The sport - one light smack into a brick wall and it had a visible scratch. So SS for me - though the smarter thing to do is wait 6-10 months for a used one.

Completely agree here. I originally purchased the silver aluminum AW when they were originally released a couple years ago. To me, it definitely looked like a toy, but I still wore it everyday. I eventually sold it and acquired a SS S0 last year. I don't think I could go back to the aluminum case. The SS definitely has more of a "watch" look to it. Plus, I really don't use my watch for fitness.

That said, the SG AW looks pretty appealing. Although I'm probably going to upgrade my SS S0 for a SBSS S2. But again, it really depends on what you're using the watch for.

 

[Frankfurt]

You can easily spot the difference. Aluminum models are matte.

Which looks great with the link bracelet!

 

[staggerlee41]

I sat out until AW 2 so I'm late to the game. I really wanted stainless, but did not want to shell out the extra $ for a watch that I wasn't sure I'd wear. And for one that would be obsolete within a short period of time. I'll save my traditional watches for the dressiest of occasions. So, I opted for Sport and went the Space Gray route. Honestly, unless I'm in the shower or have it on the charger, it is always on my wrist. I've not worn a traditional watch since I purchased, which was part of my reservation of going stainless and what led me to the Sport Route. That and I like to go fishing and hiking and wanted to use the watch to track steps. I went Space Gray since I thought it would be easier to dress up for business functions.

I've tried a number of bands, I have 2 Apple nylon--one black one blue, a Spigen Milanese Loop and just picked up another metal one from ***** on Amazon. I'd like to add a new band, though I'm not incredibly wild about the multi colored fibers embedded in the bands themselves. of the current bands I have, the one that gets the most wear is the black Silicone. This also surprises me since almost all of my traditional watches are stainless bands, but for some reason I find it comfortable. The loop is my go to to dress it up and at least for now it works. Now that I know how much I appreciate the watch, I'll likely go Stainless next time. On some aspects, I regret my decision having not bought the Stainless up front, but in my mind, I made a practical and rational choice. Plus this gives me something to look forward to.

As to the OP's question of which bands, I'd not hesitate to put a gray/black nylon band on it or go metal route. If you can't find one that's brushed metal, buy a metal band you like and you can brush it out yourself. There are plenty of easy methods to give a polished band a brushed appearance.

I go to several conferences a year for work and see multitudes of people with Sport watches with silicone bands. Not my personal taste, but I find it's becoming an acceptable trend in business casual settings. Plus there are the people who are wearing watches on one wrist with Fitbits on the other. That's not a knock on Fitbit or those who have them. Point here is even that is acceptable by many these days. So yeah, I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[michaelb5000]

It seems like this is maybe just a matter of opinion and taste. I like the silver aluminum look the best, and like it in particular with my black band. I don't know why Apple doesn't sell the silver watch with the black band by default, since it is such an obvious choice. The space black are just not very distinctive to me. But coming from casio g-shocks, I like watches that are black and silver.

I would get silver aluminum and sapphire over stainless for the same price (but I am too cheap to pay that much anyway).

 

[bruinsrme]

I don’t doubt your personal assessment. I am just not a fan of the Apple sports bands. I do like the Nike bands and the velcro sports loop bands for workouts and the like. The Apple sports bands specifically are flat to me and they don’t do a thing to help the silver aluminum look any dressier, which is what the OP was asking. I wouldn’t wear a sports band when I want to have a dressy look, so when OP posted the picture, the first thing that stood out was that band. I do agree that the silver aluminum is flat on its own, but I don’t think it’s a lost cause to make look a little dressier. Will it ever stand out like the SS? I personally don’t think so, but I haven’t seen all the possibilities either.

I agree with your assessment of the sport bands.
However, with the white ceramic I feel they are more lively looking and when coordinated with the attire the whole presentation takes on a new appearance.

The SS with a nice leather or metal band, very traditional and nice looking.

 

[ak_ree]

And to add to my confusion my store actually has a silver Nike+ 38mm in stock... I really wanted a 42mm even though I’m female because of the increase screen size and bigger battery but I feel like I need to just do it (no pun intended) and grab the Nike one my store has in stock instead of waiting for a 42mm or waiting to purchase on a next plan from AT&T (I have to wait for some stuff to fix itself on my account before I can do another next installment and was told it can take a few weeks for the system to recognize the fix and remove the canceled next installments from my account). Such hard decisions and I still haven’t even decided if I want Aluminium or not and not I have to decide that and if I’m willing to go with a smaller face size

 

[Breezygirl]

And to add to my confusion my store actually has a silver Nike+ 38mm in stock... I really wanted a 42mm even though I’m female because of the increase screen size and bigger battery but I feel like I need to just do it (no pun intended) and grab the Nike one my store has in stock instead of waiting for a 42mm or waiting to purchase on a next plan from AT&T (I have to wait for some stuff to fix itself on my account before I can do another next installment and was told it can take a few weeks for the system to recognize the fix and remove the canceled next installments from my account). Such hard decisions and I still haven’t even decided if I want Aluminium or not and not I have to decide that and if I’m willing to go with a smaller face size

I personally would wait and get the one you want. Use istocknow and set up notifications, that’s how I got my Nike 42mm LTE yesterday.

 

[xDKP]

I am going back and forth on which one to get. I love the way SS looks with bands and there’s a particular cuff I want and the SS looks amazing with it... however I don’t want to purchase the SS simply for a cuff. My main use will be fitness (running, strength training, yoga, and water aerobics) and the aluminum Nike is what I should get based off how I will use it. It’s so hard because I love the look of the SS but I don’t think it will be practical or cost efficient for what I plan on using the watch for not to mention the longer wait time for SS. I haven’t ordered yet because I can’t decide which one I want and everyday I change my mind 100 times. I did have the series 1 gold aluminum and only wore the sports band and it never clashed with my clothing (I usually wear jeans and a top to work but can wear pretty much anything).

I have had SBSS and now SS for Series 0/2 and they have been amazing for running and working out. Weight isn’t a problem at all and a major factor for me besides the massive improvement in looks is the sapphire display

 

[rillrill]

Can you list the parts of the Apple Watch sport that are made out of plastic, please?
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Exactly why I went for the silver Nike+. SG looks rubbish with a lot of the bands.
[doublepost=1507318476][/doublepost]

Definitely true. It seems many who spring for SS either have money to burn, or won't listen to those of us who have owned both and would not recommend the SS. I'm replacing my SS S0 with a Silver Nike+, which came today but I don't physically have it yet.

Too many people are trying to make the Apple Watch more than it is. I think if you're going for SS, chances are you're using it purely as a functional Watch - in which case you've entirely missed the point and wasted money. Even then, the SS isn't' the best option if you're using it for fitness only.

If you buy Apple Watch with no intention of using Activity, you're going to be sorely disappointed. It just doesn't do much outside of that. The App Store is full of junk.

Ehhhh. If you look at it that way, sure. But the Apple Watch is an accessory and a part of a person’s personal style. If you like the way SS looks, go for it. How much is it really going to cost you - over 4 years of owing it - like under $15 a month, versus under $9 a month for the sport. Get one less latte and you’ll be fine.

 

[Achilles75]

So got my aluminium AW today and initially thought it was cool. Few hours later I'm thinking it looks like a cheap toy. I have a black silicon sports band on it at the moment (came with fog grey, but I'm selling that on).

1) Until they get the form factor slimmed down, they ALL look like toys. If you want to make a fashion statement, get a Rolex. If you want a smartwatch, congrats, you’ve already got the best one!

2) In my opinion, get a silver Milanese loop (or the cheap Amazon knockoff) for a “classier” look. Regardless, the silicon bands, again, IMO, are the cheapest looking of all. It’s not a Swatch. But your mileage may vary.

3) Ultimately, get whichever material and strap make YOU happy, stop worrying about it, and enjoy your watch. No one else really cares about your watch casing/material/band anyway.

 

[Nell]

Having always thought I’d get stainless steel when I replaced my silver aluminium watch I spent ages in the Apple Store today deciding between them. In the end I did opt for stainless steel (picking it up tomorrow) but I’m still not sure; I think maybe it’s a bit too shiny and too smart looking. I like the silver aluminium a lot, really.

Anyway, to get to the point, in terms of dressing it up I’d definitely suggest the Milanese loop. Day to day, I get a lot of wear out of my navy sport strap and my creamy coloured (pearl, I think) nylon one.

 

[gigaguy]

I agree with orig post. The silver alum. looks cheap. Why can't Apple at least add some brushed finish or something. It looks best as a casual watch with colorful nylon bands imo. The silver Milanese would be good. or go full cheezy retro with the new Spidel springy metal bands.

 

[edhchoe]

you guys are really lowering our smartwatch to a fashion watch status with this superficial discussion.
Can we focus on the red dot please?

 

[airjay75]

I might be in the minority here, but I love my silver aluminum sports Apple Watch S3. I don’t like the space grey aluminum, and I see absolutley no reason to spend extra money on SS when I am entirely likely to want a new AW in a year or two. I bought my watch with the fog band, and it was ok. I’ve since switched to the midnight blue sports band for most everyday use and I bought the classic buckle leather band when I feel like dressing up the look of the watch. That’s my two cents for what it’s worth.

 

[puckhead193]

If your going the sport/ aluminum route space gray is the way to go.

 

[TJ82]

I might be in the minority here, but I love my silver aluminum sports Apple Watch S3. I don’t like the space grey aluminum, and I see absolutley no reason to spend extra money on SS when I am entirely likely to want a new AW in a year or two. I bought my watch with the fog band, and it was ok. I’ve since switched to the midnight blue sports band for most everyday use and I bought the classic buckle leather band when I feel like dressing up the look of the watch. That’s my two cents for what it’s worth.

Can you up some pics of it on the two straps? Need to decide today what to do. Part of me is thinking stick it out, try straps. Though I’m also thinking to just go space grey on black straps now.

 

[haruhiko]

The space grey one looks good.

 

[44267547]

Yeah there is no way of making the aluminum version look or feel like a classy watch. Main reason I buy the stainless version as I work in the business world. However there isn’t much reason to get the stainless either outside of preference. It has no value like a real Watch and in 2 years it’s junk. The battery isn’t easily replaceable nor are the internal guts. So in 2 years you end up tossing the thing in the trash and buying the latest version. Which gives the aluminum version a reason to consider.

As someone who also works in the business world, I have no problem dressing up my space gray aluminum Apple Watch with the stainless steel link bracelet. No sense in paying the extra money for stainless steel for me when the tech is outdated the following year. The bands, however, I have no problem with since they outlive the watch.

Both valid points in both of these posts. The Apple Watch is whatever you want it to be. I'm partial to the stainless watch, as I like the added weight and the high shine from the 316 L stainless. But I also seenthe aluminum dressed up with leather bands and it actually looks decent. But as others have said, it's just a piece of technology that won't compare to a higher end mechanical watch and just enjoy it for what it is, whatever your style might be.

 

[numbersyx]

I went back and forth between silver SBSS and SS so I compromised and went ceramic

Ha ha. I originally ordered the SB SS but when I went to the Apple Store I couldn't really tell the difference between that model and SG Alum so I cancelled the pre-order and ordered the Silver SS which looks really classy.

 

[airjay75]

Can you up some pics of it on the two straps? Need to decide today what to do. Part of me is thinking stick it out, try straps. Though I’m also thinking to just go space grey on black straps now.

Sure. Here you go. Hope it helps.

 

[Kermit262]

I went back and forth between silver SBSS and SS so I compromised and went ceramic

Hardly a compromise.

 

[milhaus]

I just switched from SG Aluminum to Silver, and I like the look, especially with the platinum band, but even with the black. I'm not particularly interested in paying an extra CAD $200+ for a watch that I'll have to replace in a year - when the tech updates. The Nike bands look great with it, and I've just ordered a JUUK Ligero silver aluminum band. I went this way in part because the wear on other metal bands that matched the space grey and black had problems with paint chipping after rigorous wear. It'll looks like this, which I think is pretty nice.

 

[eVolcre]

The aluminum silver looked cheap to me. Stainless spacegrey didn’t look all that different from the aluminum version. I ended up getting The space grey aluminum to dip my feet into the Apple Watch world.

Now that I love it, I’ll either stick with space grey aluminum or if I want something more premium stainless silver or white ceramic.

It can definitely be dressed up and looks great (space grey aluminum). I’ve posted pics in the strap thread but my everyday choice of red leather loop is quite stunning. I’ve also got a blue leather loop, space grey link bracelet, black Milanese loop, Nike band, a red leather cuff and a red product red. They all look fantastic with the space grey aluminum
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Can you list the parts of the Apple Watch sport that are made out of plastic, please?
[doublepost=1507318302][/doublepost]

Exactly why I went for the silver Nike+. SG looks rubbish with a lot of the bands.
[doublepost=1507318476][/doublepost]

Definitely true. It seems many who spring for SS either have money to burn, or won't listen to those of us who have owned both and would not recommend the SS. I'm replacing my SS S0 with a Silver Nike+, which came today but I don't physically have it yet.

Too many people are trying to make the Apple Watch more than it is. I think if you're going for SS, chances are you're using it purely as a functional Watch - in which case you've entirely missed the point and wasted money. Even then, the SS isn't' the best option if you're using it for fitness only.

If you buy Apple Watch with no intention of using Activity, you're going to be sorely disappointed. It just doesn't do much outside of that. The App Store is full of junk.

Not sure how to grab snippets to reply to. I agree with buying aluminum as you said. This was my first step into Apple Watch too so I got the nike space grey series 2.

Two things though you said it doesn’t look good with a lot of bands. Check my post above and see the ones I use. Space grey looks superb with the leather loops, sporty with the Nike band, quite fancy with a leather cuff or link or Milanese bracelet. It does work.

Second I never use activity on my watch. I will eventually but right now not a single time. It’s still very very useful. iPod , phone music controller , notifications , weather, triage emails , calendar, accepting phone calls with my airports ... there’s many use cases outside activity or “breathe” or “stand” and it let’s me keep my iPhone plus away in a pocket a lot more.