Can you recommend an Apple Watch disguise case/strap?

[apparatchik]

So, I just recently bought my first Watch, a 44 mm SE cellular which Im really digging so far, both for the health & fitness features as well as for it looks in general, I got a couple of nice bands for it and looks pretty classy IMHO, total cost around $600.

Now, as much as I like wearing it, there are some situations where it might be attracting the wrong kind of stares, think of getting out of a remote subway station late at night, going out to concerts or parties (hopefully very soon) in the industrial, bad part of town ha. The city where I live while mostly safe and middle class so to speak, has its share of run down neighborhoods, I also try to commute by bike as much as possible, etc.

One of the reasons I picked cellular is to be able to leave the phone at home as much as possible, also, I want to be able to keep counting calories, etc. So, what I'm looking for is this: I want to be able to disguise the watch to look as cheap as possible, like a plastic toy watch even, so potential thieves don't see an Watch + potential iPhone but something you get as the most basic gift at a chuck e cheese gift shop haha. I wouldn't mind a disguise to make it look like a basic Casio calculator either.

Something like this, would be my dream:

Some finds I got from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Shockproof-360°Protective-Compatible-Camouflage/dp/B07Z8511ZP/ref=sr_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=apple+watch+disguise&qid=1623532084&sr=8-11

Sport Camo Waterproof Band Compatible for Apple Watch 42/44mm Camouflage Silicone Strap for iWatch 6/5/4/3/2/1/SE Rubber Band (Orange)

Product Description : 1.Fit for Apple Watch Series1 Series 2 Series 3 Series 4 All Model 42/44mm 2. Strap length:about 8+12cm. fits wrist 6.2-8.7 inches 3. Material:Made of superior soft grade A Silicone. breathable and waterproof. comfortable touch feeling on your wrist. 4.Camouflage pattern...

www.amazon.com

I'm curious though if the community at MR has something better to share, thanks.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Valid point about drawing attention to yourself. Even if you have a plastic looking band like a kid might wear, as soon as someone sees the watch face, they will probably know you have an Apple Watch. Why not use a sports sweat band to temporarily cover over the watch, or a small ace bandage? In my opinion, that would meet the need. I use a Nike sweat band (at times) and it covers the watch and no one thinks anything of it.

 

[apparatchik]

Valid point about drawing attention to yourself. Even if you have a plastic looking band like a kid might wear, as soon as someone sees the watch face, they will probably know you have an Apple Watch. Why not use a sports sweat band to temporarily cover over the watch, or a small ace bandage? In my opinion, that would meet the need. I use a Nike sweat band (at times) and it covers the watch and no one thinks anything of it.

Thanks, the wrist sweat band / bandage are great advice, had not thought about it, they'll work great for some urban bike commutes. About the other scenario I'll use a very cheap looking watch band plus Theatre mode on the watch, so the screen stays off's unless I specifically turn it on.

BTW In my search I found a combination that might be more suitable for an electronic music festival lol as one would end up attracting more attention this way hah:

+

I could see myself starting a Worst/Cheapest looking Apple Watch bands thread.

 

[SisterBlue22]

Do you live in an area where the average person doesn't have an Apple Watch? They're so common around here, they don't even merit a second glance. And unless it's the Hermes version (and even IF it's the Hermes version), an Apple Watch is far from the most expensive watch the average person would be wearing. I have analog watches that cost three times as much as any of my Apple Watches, but unless someone is a watch connoisseur or close enough to see the details (in which case I'd be throat punching them for invading my space), they wouldn't know.

 

[Jony Ive and Co.]

They're so common around here, they don't even merit a second glance.

Do you mind telling me which city you are in?

I'm in Australia at the moment, and while AW are quite common, it's a mixed bag with regards to whether people stare at your AW because some people still cannot easily afford it and I can feel their jealousy. It's quite mixed, I'll say.

 

[HDFan]

Phone theft was a big issue some years ago, but thefts dropped 50% when the kill switch was made mandatory. From an old FCC post (2013) which was written before (?) the kill switch was implemented:

How smartphones are stolen:
•44% were stolen because the owner left the phone behind in a public setting
•14% were stolen from a car or house that was burglarized
•11% were stolen off the victim’s person: out of their hands, pockets, purses, or bags
!
Where phones are stolen:
•16% in a restaurant
•11% at bar/nightclub
•11% at work
•6% on public transportation
•5% on the street
!
When phones are stolen:
•40% between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m.
•29% between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
•18% between 10 p.m and 5 a.m.
!
Consequences of phone theft:
•47% report a time/productivity loss
•10% report loss of confidential company data
•9% had their identity stolen
•12% experienced fraudulent charges on their account

If we assume watch theft has the same numbers, then the odds of theft are relatively low in the places you mention. With activation lock the watch is unusable with an iPhone until a password is needed.

Personally I don't want to worry about theft, so I just make sure that that items that would cause me worry are covered by my insurance. Don't want to have figure out where I am going and whether I have to take extra precautions. Well worth the $.

I looked up one policy for a $1K watch and it would run €93 a year:

Gadget and Mobile Phone Insurance

quote.gadget-cover.com

 

[Itinj24]

Do the Micky Mouse case with the Micky Mouse watch face. Would look amazing and definitely keep the evil away at the same time!

 

[SisterBlue22]

Do you mind telling me which city you are in?

I'm in Australia at the moment, and while AW are quite common, it's a mixed bag with regards to whether people stare at your AW because some people still cannot easily afford it and I can feel their jealousy. It's quite mixed, I'll say.

I'm in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, but I've traveled all over the US, and it seems Apple Watches are everywhere you look. They are absolutely not considered to be a luxury item.

 

[cvam1985]

Get a white sport band and with a black sharpie write “FITBIT” on it.