i have done that too - because my Apple Space Black Bracelet must match the Color, i like this Band and i have it since the first Watch came out
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Graphite Steel vs Space Black Titanium
- Thread starter batman75
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
i have done that too - because my Apple Space Black Bracelet must match the Color, i like this Band and i have it since the first Watch came out
so I may end up doing same but in reverse... if on 25th I find Graphite not enough of a change.. but you are 100% correct about it looking to close to aluminum one. Good Luck
I should have just ordered both and returned one as without direct comparison its hard wondering if my local store will stock after this Friday?
I should have just ordered both and returned one as without direct comparison its hard wondering if my local store will stock after this Friday?
Had a titanium watch ages ago , the case was the strongest and best thing about it
The guts were mediocre at best ( Seiko )
Apple are in a different league compared to the mainstream
The guts were mediocre at best ( Seiko )
Apple are in a different league compared to the mainstream
yes
[automerge]1600268022[/automerge]
same here I have the link bracelet in SB and I want it to match
The SBTi has the DLC, so it should have similar scratch resistance to the SBSS.
If you research here you should be able to find folks experience with the SBTi S5 - when I last looked, apart from some early scares, the reality is that it's durable.
From what I’ve anecdotally seen in these forums, the SBTi is pretty durable, but the SBSS is the most durable.
It's very hard to find but there's a place where you can click on the various colors, sorry I'd have to go to apple.com to hunt it down, but it shows Black as DLC, Gold as PVD and nothing on Silver. Titanium does not reference any coating on this page.
Clicking on the watch descriptions in the app, it says the titanium has a "coating that resists stains and fingerprints and preserves the natural brushed finish". That doesn't sound like DLC and certainly it's not on the lighter titanium model because DLC is black.
My guess is no DLC on either of the titanium models just based on their colors. Even the darker titanium isn't nearly as dark as what you typically see from DLC.
Clicking on the watch descriptions in the app, it says the titanium has a "coating that resists stains and fingerprints and preserves the natural brushed finish". That doesn't sound like DLC and certainly it's not on the lighter titanium model because DLC is black.
My guess is no DLC on either of the titanium models just based on their colors. Even the darker titanium isn't nearly as dark as what you typically see from DLC.
Love it.
My aluminum S2 ended up dinged within a couple months and I had to stare at it for months
My aluminum S3 cellular ended up dinged within a couple months and I had to stare at it for months
My SBSS S4 remained mint for the whole year
My SBSS S5 is also still mint after nearly a year.
Since I really do like cellular, the price difference from aluminum to SBSS hasn't been too painful when considered against the subjective value to me of not needing to be as careful and not having to stare at a ding for the rest of the time I had the watch.
YMMV.
REALLY glad I didn't pull the trigger on the SB Link Bracelet at this point. I never would have guessed Apple would tweak the color of the black watch. I still don't understand why they did to be honest. If they wanted a grey steel watch they should have made it lighter to make it stand out more. Honestly, my only guess is that it's a cost saving issue for them. Really disappointed.
The reasons I chose the SBTI over the SSSB or SS Graphite are:
1. I've had both and it definitely feels lighter and more comfortable wearing. I don't mind the weight in traditional watches as I don't sleep or workout with them but I do with the AW and its the most comfy watch I've ever worn..
2. I like the way the finish plays with light and is more discreet.
3. It doesn't get fingerprints on the case.
4. Ti is an exotic cool metal so some bragging rights haha.
My only problem is the cheaper AL models are more practical since I upgrade every year but I'm a watch enthusiast that enjoys having the sapphire and higher end materials.
1. I've had both and it definitely feels lighter and more comfortable wearing. I don't mind the weight in traditional watches as I don't sleep or workout with them but I do with the AW and its the most comfy watch I've ever worn..
2. I like the way the finish plays with light and is more discreet.
3. It doesn't get fingerprints on the case.
4. Ti is an exotic cool metal so some bragging rights haha.
My only problem is the cheaper AL models are more practical since I upgrade every year but I'm a watch enthusiast that enjoys having the sapphire and higher end materials.
FYI, the SBLB's brushed surface isn't an exact match for the SBSS watch. If the graphite is ever so slightly lighter it may in fact be a better match.
There are some youtube videos and discussion here from a year ago comparing the SBLB on both the SBSS and SBTi watches that you may wish to look at.
Was looking for someone to give a thumbs up to the previous titanium model since I’ve ordered a titanium 6. I prefer the lighter colored metals. Loved my silver S2 but it’s just too slow now.
To be clear though - the silver titanium is scratch prone. Its is the black titanium that is holds up.
It’s hard to say. I think in general when you have metal on metal contact, you still take the risk of having scratches accrue. I personally am not a fan of the Milanese loop, but I can tell you with the issues surrounding the DLC on the black Milanese loop, it didn’t take much to scratch the watch, so I still think there’s a good probability that I would not let the Milanese loop come in contact with the watch casing regardless of a PVD coating.
I’ve had four Space Black Watches, and have a Milanese to go with them. Scratches resistance is strongly related to hardness, and with both the Watch body and the strap both the same hardness there was a real problem.
Obviously only time will tell for sure, in general DLC produces a harder finish than PVD does so I am hopeful. I really like the Milanese but am reluctant to use my Space Black one these days.
Obviously only time will tell for sure, in general DLC produces a harder finish than PVD does so I am hopeful. I really like the Milanese but am reluctant to use my Space Black one these days.
I don't think either will hold up as well as you might hope if there's no DLC, and there's no evidence that either have DLC.
Apple called the Space Black titanium DLC in the Series 5 press release.
"Available in two beautiful brushed finishes, the natural titanium has a custom-engineered surface which helps maintain its color and resist staining, while the space black titanium achieves its deep color from a diamond-like coating (DLC)."
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/09/apple-unveils-apple-watch-series-5/
Apple Watch Compare
Compare specs for the latest Apple Watch models: Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch SE 3.
www.apple.com
Aluminum available in silver, space gray, gold, blue, and (PRODUCT)RED.
Stainless Steel available in silver, graphite (DLC), and gold (PVD).
Titanium available in natural titanium and space black.
I can't tell you about S5 because for all practical purposes it has ceased to exist. Even the refurbished page doesn't have titanium information.
It is possible that the Space Black is DLC, it's close in color to my Fenix, but they aren't making it clear.
Apple Watch Compare
Compare specs for the latest Apple Watch models: Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch SE 3.www.apple.com
Aluminum available in silver, space gray, gold, blue, and (PRODUCT)RED.
Stainless Steel available in silver, graphite (DLC), and gold (PVD).
Titanium available in natural titanium and space black.
I can't tell you about S5 because for all practical purposes it has ceased to exist. Even the refurbished page doesn't have titanium information.
It is possible that the Space Black is DLC, it's close in color to my Fenix, but they aren't making it clear.
I imagine that they only mentioned the DLC last year, because the titanium finishes were new, and I think it's likely those titanium finishes haven't changed, but we'll see. Apple didn't even mention sapphire crystals this year.
While for some reason Apple does not add the (DLC) to the Space Black Titanium like they do to the Space Black and Graphite Stainless Steel to their technical documentation, there are plenty of reviews of the watch that reference the coating is DLC per Apple representatives speaking on it.
Natural titanium has a more matte finish than natural stainless steel and this likely carries over to why the DLC coating on the Titanium Edition watches looks more matte than glossy (as on the Stainless Steel models).