While I agree with you for the most part, Apple did also reduce the prices of some bands since launch. E.g. $149 -> $99 Milanese loop, $249 -> $149 modern buckle, $549 -> $449 space black link bracelet, etc
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Future of the Apple Watch Edition models
- Thread starter Al Rukh
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That’s a good point. But I wonder if that was a move made because those were selling poorly at the overpriced introduction. I think the other bands were discontinued and replaced and rebranded for the opposite reason.
Someone from the Hermès thread had a theory that Hermès might have a non-compete clause with Apple in terms of Watch band designs. So Apple had to stop selling Watch bands that had a similar design with Hermès’ offerings (woven nylon vs Hermès Jumping, classic buckle vs Hermès Single Tour, etc). In fact, there was even a prototype deployment leather band from Apple that never got to see the light of day because of the existing Hermès Deployment Buckle.
The old Woven Nylons, much as I liked them, did not have „thick“ material, they were rather thin. Much thinner than the Hermès Jumping bands in any case. While I whish the Woven Nylons would return they aren‘t in any way comparable to the Hermès nylon bands; those are in a whole different league.
Wrong. For the first few years the (starting) price for Apple leather was 149 $. So leather is actually cheaper now than it was before. Same for Milanese bands.
Hm yes maybe the woven nylon bands shouldn’t be described as thick, I guess I meant it in comparison to the sport loops I referenced after. And maybe thick is not the right word to distinguish them. Durable is maybe a better choice I guess.
And yes you’re right the original leather bands were 50 dollars more, my mistake.
The quality between the classic buckle and the leather link is so night and day that I imagine they lowered the price AND increased profit margins here lol
Edit : then again, it’s not to say I totally hate the leather link. It’s a wise thing to have leather with no metal finish, so that way it matches more watches. I just think it’s strange how they take the better bands and put them into a much much much higher price bracket while offering the most common choices a little cheaper than before , but much cheaper in construction.
Edit: it’s sort of what they’ve done by taking the space black stainless and making it “Hermes” exclusive and offering the (I assume) cheaper-to-produce “graphite” finish in its place. I imagine space black stainless was a very popular choice, and now they slap a brand name on it and charge you more for it than they did last year.
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I really don‘t think so. While I personally am not a fan of the new nylon Sport Loops, they are way more popular than the old Woven Nylons ever were, probably because they are softer/more comfortable and also adjustable in finer increments. Also, the Woven Nylons were the only Apple branded bands that had connectors that not-so-rarely wouldn‘t properly fit/connect to the Watches. Apple probably didn‘t need that customer service headache anymore.
I also vastly prefer the Classic Buckle bands to all other Apple leather bands, especially the later CB gens; those were almost as soft as Hermès leather. But as someone else already alluded to, Hermès may have negotiated a classic-buckle exclusivity clause. Another reason may be that the newer Apple leather bands, especially the Leather Link, are more/completely Watch case colour agnostic; Classic Buckles only ever looked really good/matching on silver stainless steel Watches.
You’re right. I recently picked up a woven nylon that only connects to certain watches on certain ends on certain days of the week. Annoying. You’re right about the sport loop being popular and it is more comfortable some days if comfort is what you’re going for. But at the same price for such less material. They are making bank on those sport loops. B A N K.
Same , the classic buckle is just the best imo. Classy but not too flashy. I understand that Hermes probably uses better leather or has ritzier designers but it really stinks that the style has been hijacked. Free the buckle !
Hm that could be the next Watch innovation , how about just bring back the 150 leather option with a cool way to have the same leather that a buckle would require … but while still being watch case independent because there is no metal. Make it happen, Tim !!
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Did not know this but it would make sense. I wonder how much of the watch project and product has been and continues to be an exercise in supply chain management and profit play? It is Cook’s baby, imo.
Well yeah. Every single product in existence could be said to be such. But what I meant was that the Watch seems to have be conceived and invented with “supply chain” being the first and foremost consideration.