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matrix07

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jun 24, 2010
8,226
4,895
Why does Apple change the design? What's wrong with the old one?

I prefer the old look but wonder what everyone thinks. What do you think the new design has that's superior to the old one?
 
Post some photos at least.

Sorry. The old one has all black design, and the texture is really really nice.
classic-buckle-back-hero_0.jpg


While the new one is brown inside and looks more stiff. I'm not sure about the texture but think it's different as well.
MLHH2
 
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I have the original and over swapped it just before the redesign.

Basically as there is no stitching down the sides they are prone to seperation. I prefer the mk1 design I'm just avoiding getting it wet now and have put leather protector on it also.
 
Yeah, a majority prefers the new design based on this poll. Personally, I think the old design is less distracting throughout but that the new design is a bit more elegant.

Basically as there is no stitching down the sides they are prone to seperation.

That's not necessarily true. It's glued together probably with UPVA glue. It's durable and flexible and done properly, it'll last for the life of the strap. Stitching also has a drawback in that it could cause stiffness in the band.
 
The new design is slightly thicker and just looks more robust (I've had both). I also think the new black version looks classier.
 

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He new versions look like they are really solidly made. I have the original black classic buckle and it is so flexible and still in great shape so I am happy with it.

I may never understand why people get upset when companies make changes or updates or lower the price after they buy. It simply happens.
 
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The leather grain on the original black band definitely looks nicer than the grain on the new band. The new band looks like a $30 Amazon knockoff.

Here's why I think they changed though. Anybody who owns the original band will know this to be true. After a while, your skin cells start to accumulate on the inside and will appear as a sort of tan paste. Sure, you can easily clean it with a leather cleaning wipe but most people won't do that and it'll just look gross.

The new band has a tan colored interior which I would presume greatly reduces or eliminates the ugly looking tan stains.
 
I just snapped a pic to illustrate the issue.

I don't really care because it's on the inside. So it's not like anyone can see it. But I use leather wipes for my car on my watch about every two weeks to clean it all out and get it looking like new again. Only because it bugs me.

I have the Milanese Loop and white sport band but I like the original BCB the best.
 

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I think the new one looks really awful. It looks so cheap and generic. There's nothing Apple about it.

Someone on here bought the Edition with the Midnight Blue version and I was so disappointed for them.
 
Well it's a matter of personal taste. I've owned (and paid) for both and I vastly prefer the new one. Doesn't look a cheap knock-off to me at all.
 
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I think the new one looks really awful. It looks so cheap and generic. There's nothing Apple about it.

Someone on here bought the Edition with the Midnight Blue version and I was so disappointed for them.

Have you actually seen it in person? While the brown lining might look quite distracting when off the wrist, the new band with the stitching is actually more elegant than the old one with the quite pronounced artificial grains on the embossed/pebbled leather (vs. the more natural looking grains on, say, the Hermes bands).
 
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Have you actually seen it in person? While the brown lining might look quite distracting when off the wrist, the new band with the stitching is actually more elegant than the old one with the quite pronounced artificial grains on the embossed/pebbled leather (vs. the more natural looking grains on, say, the Hermes bands).

I don't care if the pebbled look on the original leather is fake, it looks better to me. It's kind of like the over-saturated colors on a Samsung camera. It just looks better to most people vs the real. I suppose part of the reason it looks better to me is because it reminds me of some leather bags I used to own that I really liked. That kind of grain is hard to find.
 
I loved the old one and am really annoyed with myself for not buying it while I had the chance. The new one looks ugly to me.
 
I stand corrected on the new black band. It appears to still have a similar pebbled grain. Maybe a little less pronounced. I still don't like the stitching though. That looks feminine.

It is only the brown band that has the ugly Texture.
 
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I stand corrected on the new black band. It appears to still have a similar pebbled grain. Maybe a little less pronounced. I still don't like the stitching though. That looks feminine.

It is only the brown band that has the ugly Texture.

It's indeed less pronounced and hence less artificial looking IMO. The brown Classic Buckle has a different, smooth texture more similar to the Hermes bands.
 
I have both the original black classic buckle and the new saddle brown classic buckle.

I personally prefer the original version. The leather is softer, less stiff on the original. The new band seems like it will take much longer to break in and soften up.

The new version though, in my opinion, has perhaps a slight edge in appearance.
 
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I also think the new black version looks classier.

So do I. Didn't like the brown inside. Just looks weird.

Here's why I think they changed though. Anybody who owns the original band will know this to be true. After a while, your skin cells start to accumulate on the inside and will appear as a sort of tan paste. Sure, you can easily clean it with a leather cleaning wipe but most people won't do that and it'll just look gross.


That
sounds plausible.
 
I used the old classic buckle for months and never had any issue with skin flacking and covered the inside. The idea this change was made for this reason is a guess. Look at all the high end leather bands (like the Hermes that Apple is selling). They are black on the outside and tan inside. It seems pretty clear the changes were made to make the band appear like a higher end band. Some may not like it (I didn't at first) but having the two in person, the new definitely gives me the impression of being a better band.
 
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Having also owned both, I prefer the new one. The old one always felt "flimsy" to me and not worth the money I paid for it.
 
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Liners are usually used for hypoallergenic reasons. Would make sense as I returned my bcb band because it irritated my skin.
 
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