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Classic vs modern buckle

iMas70

iMas70

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 4, 2012
1,450
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MA
I stopped wearing a watch after 35+ years because I have a phone to tell time. I usually only wear one as an accessory when I get dressed up. So for that reason I've been telling myself that I'm not going to get one. But... I want one! I like tech devices and really like the watch. I'll probably go with the stainless steel version but am torn between the classic and modern buckles. I have small wrists so I think the classic will be a better fit because I can pick the hole that I need. I like the modern buckle it's different. I'll have to try that one on to insure that I get one that fits the best.

What do you think about the two band designs?
 
iMas70 said:
I stopped wearing a watch after 35+ years because I have a phone to tell time. I usually only wear one as an accessory when I get dressed up. So for that reason I've been telling myself that I'm not going to get one. But... I want one! I like tech devices and really like the watch. I'll probably go with the stainless steel version but am torn between the classic and modern buckles. I have small wrists so I think the classic will be a better fit because I can pick the hole that I need. I like the modern buckle it's different. I'll have to try that one on to insure that I get one that fits the best.

What do you think about the two band designs?
Click to expand...

Not a fan of the Modern Buckle, I'll probably go with Classic.

Plus, I don't see the option to get a 42mm Modern... looks like only 38mm.
 
I think the Modern Buckle is geared towards women (as it's only offered with 32mm models) just as how the Leather Loop (it's only offered with 42mm models) is geared towards men.

I do like the look of the modern buckle though, and the clasp functionality is pretty awesome. Unless you're a man, I say go for the Modern Buckle.
 
iMas70 said:
I stopped wearing a watch after 35+ years because I have a phone to tell time. I usually only wear one as an accessory when I get dressed up. So for that reason I've been telling myself that I'm not going to get one. But... I want one! I like tech devices and really like the watch. I'll probably go with the stainless steel version but am torn between the classic and modern buckles. I have small wrists so I think the classic will be a better fit because I can pick the hole that I need. I like the modern buckle it's different. I'll have to try that one on to insure that I get one that fits the best.

What do you think about the two band designs?
Click to expand...

I prefer the modern buckle. Looks like you'll be fine. Just measure your wrist and pick the size that's right. It's adjustable within each size range.

I'm going with the modern buckle, myself. My wrist is 155mm and the medium-sized modern buckle is 145-165mm so that's what I'm buying. :)
 
The modern buckle is awesome. If you like the look, definitely go for it. It's adjustable as well, but, you don't have to readjust every time you put it on. Easy on, easy off, which is great for a watch you will definitely be removing daily. As a man with relatively small wrists (167mm) I see the 38mm as a good size and the black modern buckle as perfectly suitable for a man who is wanting to go for a more ornate look. I do agree that Apple seems to be positioning it as the woman's choice, but, the only one that seems certainly that is the pink one. I've even seen a fashion shot with the brown on a man along with a few bracelets that you'd see all over Pinterest if you look for men's styles for this season.

Basically, if you're in touch with and appealed to by current fashion trends, you can pretty much wear any of these bands and work it into a current look. If you're ultra masculine-conservative then you probably should stick to the very safe classic buckle :)

And if you're something else, well, do whatever floats your boat. In fact, that's what you should do anyway. I'd still take the practical aspects into consideration, though.
 
It's funny how anything that is modern, elegant, or easy is feminine, and anything that is old, rustic, conservative, or difficult is masculine.

Such stereotypes.
 
Wallabe said:
It's funny how anything that is modern, elegant, or easy is feminine, and anything that is old, rustic, conservative, or difficult is masculine.

Such stereotypes.
Click to expand...

Big buckles on watches have always been considered feminine.

Nothing new here.
 
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Big buckles on belt has been considered masculine. But that's different I guess.
 
Wether modern buckle is meant for dudes or ladies is a personal thing, I'd say. It has a sufficiently neutral design overall that anyone can wear it if they desire it.

Black classic buckle is what I'd get for myself though if I was to buy the steel watch (will probably go sports though), it's just such a beautiful thing, the way it is designed and put together. The tang doesn't lie on top of the clasp thing, it integrates into it, seamlessly. Very very slick, I've not seen a watch strap with such worksmanship, ever. Maybe you see it in luxury watches, but that's unfamiliar territory for me. :D

The inherent understated simplicity of all of the design of Apple Watch is great to my eyes. No frills, no excessive detailing just for the sake of it. Classic buckle follows that formula to the letter.
 
Modern buckle is feminine. Have you tried any of the pdf versions of Apple Watch? Most men will fit the 42mm unless you have really thin wrists like teenager, woman or drug addict...
 
franzkfk said:
Modern buckle is feminine.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, because you say so, the authority on femininity as appointed by who exactly?

Why do you care who wears what watchband, seriously? Mind things that concern you, and let others make choices for themselves.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
The OP wanted opinions on what we thought about the band design...
Click to expand...

Kind of interesting to me that because OP didn't mention their gender, we assume they are male.

Also, OP seems to think that the modern buckle isn't as adjustable as the classic one, but the opposite is true.

To me, the classic is really nice, but also safe and boring. The modern buckle is different and interesting. From the pictures, they both look elegant. I think if I were picking between them, I'd need to see them in person to decide. Therefore, my solution would be to order a watch with a sports band, then go to the store to pick out the leather band. Or order both bands and return the one you decide not to keep.
 
I'm a male. Never really gave it much thought when purchasing a watch. They are usually displayed as men's or women's. Would just find one that I like and be done with it. We have a bunch of options when it comes to the Apple watches. Some of the bands make it obvious (like pink for women) while others aren't. Woman's watches are usually noticeable smaller. The 38mm and 42mm can be worn by a man or woman. I think it will be more about function and what will fit the person better than it will be sized for gender.

I'll have to check out the PDF versions to get a feel for how they feel/look. I think it will be best for me to make an appointment at an Apple store so I can try each on to see what fits/works best.
 
iMas70 said:
I'm a male. Never really gave it much thought when purchasing a watch. They are usually displayed as men's or women's.
Click to expand...

What's "they"?

The quite large, rounded clasp makes it decidedly feminine. They could have designed it to be more gender neutral but seeing that Apple has deliberately not made it available to overlap men's wrist size, they do not envision men wearing it.

Tech bloggers (John Gruber) who have seen it in person definitely agree it's a feminine band. The photos below should tell you why.

iWatch-leather-clasp-980x651.jpg

2fc79a373b81a19e28af0285208dfd78.jpg
 
Lennyvalentin said:
The OP didn't ask wether a particular band is feminine or not. Apple themselves don't state this either, by the way.
Click to expand...

OP did ask about the design though, and the femininity/masculinity of something is (usually) a very big design factor in the fashion world. Some people on here, not all, who argue otherwise are doing so just for the reason of being politically correct.
Let's take this at face value. The modern buckle is only available in the smaller size, leather loop larger size... take PC or any other bias out of the equation and from the DESIGN of those two straps, one is obviously feminine and one is masculine. It's just the way it is, let's not try to sugar coat it or spin it to fit any particular agendas or belief structures.

----------

With what I said above: For a male I would go with Classic Buckle (which I am doing), and a female could do either Modern or Classic due to the classic being quite neutral.
 
Ok, when I got into a jewelry store, the men's watches are usually in one section and women's watches are separate.

Now that we've sorted this out, I'll probably narrow it down to the Classic. Might seem different (male vs female) in person though. Now I have to figure out the watch size. Please don't tell me that the 38mm is only for women :) I like a bigger screen but don't have big wrists (5'11/ 180lbs). Not to stray off topic much but I researched watched sizes and found this on one site -

If you look at watch size charts, generally the women’s range is 20-34mm and mens 36-50. Average appears to be around 42-44mm for men and 26-28mm for women.
 
MojoRisinSD said:
Let's take this at face value. The modern buckle is only available in the smaller size, leather loop larger size... take PC or any other bias out of the equation and from the DESIGN of those two straps, one is obviously feminine and one is masculine.
Click to expand...

JayLenochiniMac said:
The quite large, rounded clasp makes it decidedly feminine. They could have designed it to be more gender neutral but seeing that Apple has deliberately not made it available to overlap men's wrist size, they do not envision men wearing it.
Click to expand...

I'm a small woman, and the large size of the modern buckle clasp makes me wonder if they might look too big and clumsy on my wrist. The rounded curves being feminine I can sort of see, but I don't know why the large size of the clasp should make it more feminine.

As for the loop, I don't see any design element that makes it more masculine other than it being only avaiable in the larger size. To me, it seems totally arbitrary of Apple that they only offer it for larger wrist sizes.
 
iMas70 said:
Ok, when I got into a jewelry store, the men's watches are usually in one section and women's watches are separate.

Now that we've sorted this out, I'll probably narrow it down to the Classic. Might seem different (male vs female) in person though. Now I have to figure out the watch size. Please don't tell me that the 38mm is only for women :) I like a bigger screen but don't have big wrists (5'11/ 180lbs). Not to stray off topic much but I researched watched sizes and found this on one site -

If you look at watch size charts, generally the women’s range is 20-34mm and mens 36-50. Average appears to be around 42-44mm for men and 26-28mm for women.
Click to expand...

I am basically the same size, I have 175mm wrists and am going with the 42mm.
One thing to remember about the sizing is that traditional watch measurements, which apply to the charts you referenced, use the diameter of the watch measured at the width and not the height. This is important because, in some cases, the lugs will make the watch wear larger than what it is officially measured at. With the Apple Watch the measurement is in height, so it may be 42mm tall but it is only 36mm wide. This is one of the points that helped me make my decision.
 
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