Confused… Starlight w/Gold Milanese or Stainless Steel Silver/Graphite Milanese

[Misheemee]

Soooo confused 🫤

It’s my first Apple Watch and I’m settled on size -41mm with Cellular. I went to Apple Store yesterday and walked out with a Starlight with gold Milanese band. I got home and husband told me it looked like it was from the 70’s and he doesn’t like it so now I’m questioning it 😂

Now I’m considering changing to either stainless steel silver or graphite with either a silver or graphite Milanese band. Truthfully, it’s more than I want to spend, but I can splurge for the extra if need be. I’m mostly considering the jump for the sapphire glass. I’ve had a Garmin with sapphire glass that was indestructible, (I’m notorious for banging stuff around) and ended up upgrading to one without and haven’t felt the same about it since.

Is the stainless steel uprgrade worth it in terms of durability?

And thoughts on colours? I’m a petite female if that makes any difference 😊 and love a clean white. My Garmin is white band and rose gold face, so looking for something different. I originally bought midnight with midnight band but felt it was too dark (or just wasn’t used to it)

 

[xraydoc]

It's your watch, so make whatever combo you like best. Never mind what other people say.

With that said...

Since you're asking for opinions, I personally prefer the aluminum series Apple watches with any of the non-metallic bands. Might be just me, but I'm not a fan of color mis-matched metals. Not sure why.

The stainless watches, however, IMHO, look nice with a color-matched metal band.

 

[akidokraja]

Soooo confused 🫤

It’s my first Apple Watch and I’m settled on size -41mm with Cellular. I went to Apple Store yesterday and walked out with a Starlight with gold Milanese band. I got home and husband told me it looked like it was from the 70’s and he doesn’t like it so now I’m questioning it 😂

View attachment 2088971

Now I’m considering changing to either stainless steel silver or graphite with either a silver or graphite Milanese band. Truthfully, it’s more than I want to spend, but I can splurge for the extra if need be. I’m mostly considering the jump for the sapphire glass. I’ve had a Garmin with sapphire glass that was indestructible, (I’m notorious for banging stuff around) and ended up upgrading to one without and haven’t felt the same about it since.

Is the stainless steel uprgrade worth it in terms of durability?

And thoughts on colours? I’m a petite female if that makes any difference 😊 and love a clean white. My Garmin is white band and rose gold face, so looking for something different. I originally bought midnight with midnight band but felt it was too dark (or just wasn’t used to it)

View attachment 2088978

View attachment 2088979

Neither. Ultra only.

 

[random person]

In my experience the silver Milanese band tarnishes easily and you have to clean off a black residue over time. The graphite Milanese does not seem to show any tarnishing so to my mind it holds up better. Either stainless case would go well with the black Milanese imho. Btw I have a white garmin with rose gold fenix 5! It’s lovely but I now prefer my Ultra!

 

[wilberforce]

Perhaps you don't really want a Milanese loop? Maybe just go in a different direction completely?

Part of the appeal of the Apple Watch is all the fun band colors you can change out.
I got my wife a silver Milanese and it goes quite well with her silver AW, but she hardly ever wears it, and thinks it is just not very interesting.
Instead she changes bands to suit her outfit/mood.

btw, I think Starlight AW goes very well with some band colors, but just looks off with other band colors.

 

[Misheemee]

It's your watch, so make whatever combo you like best. Never mind what other people say.

With that said...

Since you're asking for opinions, I personally prefer the aluminum series Apple watches with any of the non-metallic bands. Might be just me, but I'm not a fan of color mis-matched metals. Not sure why.

The stainless watches, however, IMHO, look nice with a color-matched metal band.

100% agree on both the aluminum with color, and the stainless with color matched metal bands - I have gone through tonnes of photos

I ended up trading the Starlight w/gold Milanese for a SS Silver with Silver Milanese (the post above wasn't posted when I traded it in), and actually feel much better about it (until husband comes home and offers me his opinion 😆).

It's a bit heavier than previous watch though due to both watch and metal band- will check out whether I just need to get used to it, or whether it's an issue. That's what Apple's 14 day return policy is for I guess

 

[Misheemee]

In my experience the silver Milanese band tarnishes easily and you have to clean off a black residue over time. The graphite Milanese does not seem to show any tarnishing so to my mind it holds up better. Either stainless case would go well with the black Milanese imho. Btw I have a white garmin with rose gold fenix 5! It’s lovely but I now prefer my Ultra!

oh crap - I've already exchanged the Starlight for a SS Silver with Silver Milanese before reading your post 😂

I'll give it a few days, because I'm not sure of the weight.

oh wow - I still have my 5s as well (sapphire) and upgraded to the 6s pro when it came out (without sapphire - which was a mistake! and why I leaned towards SS for the AW). I REALLY wanted to go Ultra - but it looked SOOOOOO big when I tried it on, and it’s more of an everyday/work watch. If it was a gym/ training Watch I was after, it would have been this hands down

 

[Misheemee]

Perhaps you don't really want a Milanese loop? Maybe just go in a different direction completely?

Part of the appeal of the Apple Watch is all the fun band colors you can change out.
I got my wife a silver Milanese and it goes quite well with her silver AW, but she hardly ever wears it, and thinks it is just not very interesting.
Instead she changes bands to suit her outfit/mood.

btw, I think Starlight AW goes very well with some band colors, but just looks off with other band colors.

you're probably right - I did exchange for the SS Silver watch and silver Milanese loop though. Being my first AW, and the amount of choice - I was probably a bit overwhelmed and went with the Milanese loop which I read about on these forums

 

[tmoerel]

Neither......i don't like bling!

 

[xraydoc]

100% agree on both the aluminum with color, and the stainless with color matched metal bands - I have gone through tonnes of photos

I ended up trading the Starlight w/gold Milanese for a SS Silver with Silver Milanese (the post above wasn't posted when I traded it in), and actually feel much better about it (until husband comes home and offers me his opinion 😆).

It's a bit heavier than previous watch though due to both watch and metal band- will check out whether I just need to get used to it, or whether it's an issue. That's what Apple's 14 day return policy is for I guess

View attachment 2089165

Personally I think that's a great combo. I often wear the same myself.

The Milanese, in my opinion, cleans easily with jewelry cleaner and a toothbrush. So I personally & respectfully disagree with Random Person. It can cause microscratches on the stainless watch case, but those can be polished out when the time comes. Do keep the band from touching the screen, though, just in case.

You'll get used to the weight pretty quickly. I've had stainless Apple Watches since the very first one came out and I don't even notice it any more.

While a little water won't hurt the band, don't immerse the magnetic clasp. It's not watertight and the iron magnet inside could potentially rust and expand if it gets repeatedly soaked -- at least older versions of the band had an iron magnet inside; not sure if that's changed in the last couple years.

 

[random person]

Oh you are right of course — I just don’t want to have to clean my Milanese! That said I do think it is an absolutely gorgeous band!

 

[acblue94]

Neither. Ultra only.

Ultra is a different type of Watch. It’s not as luxurious as the stainless steel versions. It’s like saying, Rolls Royce or Bentley and you blur out neither. Jeep Grand Cherokee only.

 

[acblue94]

Neither......i don't like bling!

Great so you can settle for a bland finish.

 

[tmoerel]

Ultra is a different type of Watch. It’s not as luxurious as the stainless steel versions. It’s like saying, Rolls Royce or Bentley and you blur out neither. Jeep Grand Cherokee only.

Please do NOT include a Jeep in the noble company of Rolls Royce and Bentley. If you are going to compare to those, please use a Land Rover Defender!!!

 

[forzagaribaldi]

I see OP has exchanged for a SS and that’s obviously a great choice if possible! I don’t wear it much but I think the silver milanese looks good with starlight (this is a 41mm 7). The colour difference shows up more in warmer light as starlight then looks noticeably warmer too. Just took a couple of pics for comparison…