Has anyone taken apart a modern buckle to put on a different color band?

[athousandbands]

I’ve got a sunset modern buckle on the way and have fiendish plans to swap in my black and gold modern buckle/lugs from the fall 2019 bands with that hardware. I have a few torx screwdrivers from buying fake amazon lugs and have swapped out the lug part no problem, I just worry I won’t be able to get the buckle screws factory tight again and kinda ruin my black and aubergine modern buckles in the process.

 

[Apples n' Stone]

I’ve got a sunset modern buckle on the way and have fiendish plans to swap in my black and gold modern buckle/lugs from the fall 2019 bands with that hardware. I have a few torx screwdrivers from buying fake amazon lugs and have swapped out the lug part no problem, I just worry I won’t be able to get the buckle screws factory tight again and kinda ruin my black and aubergine modern buckles in the process.

How did it go! Any joy?

 

[athousandbands]

oh god so...the sunset buckle swap with aubergine went well...I did have to hammer the screwdriver into the screw because it stripped on the top part. But couldn’t be happier, the aubergine looks so much better paired with my ceramic white and silver hardware, I pair it with cornflower for a fake hermes look. Sunset on gold is godly and pairs amazingly with raspberry. Just so warm.

Subsequently I found out that per Made for Apple Watch spec, the screws are not supposed to be re-used, that is to say, screw once and then discard if you remove them. So, heedlessly I snapped up cheap modern buckles from cstore and people on eBay...tried to take apart the black modern buckle...one of the buckle screws just never came loose and one wouldn’t go back in...marigold didn’t even look good on black anyway...so I escaped and put everything back like it was...the black modern buckle doesn’t really need all four screws haha.

And I think the marigold also didn’t want to come apart. Regardless of whether it’s retail Apple or these factory rejects, some of the screws just have the top part stripped so the pentalobe screwdriver (you want the Pentalobe Precision Driver PL2 x 40mm by Wiha) wouldn’t even get purchase.

But recently the lovely and talented @rosegoldoli turned me onto an Etsy seller with gorgeous, sturdy lugs...they got to the Shanghai airport 4/19 and I’m still waiting, a bunch of hirsch straps from england ready to pair. See the thread linked below, I will reply there when I get my etsy lugs.

It’s tempting to try to swap raspberry and cornflower but I think i’ll just wait for Apple to bless us with the perfect blue/gold band.

So, moral of the story is: don‘t mess with the screws and their sockets!

Best third party Apple Watch Lugs in Rose Gold?

Hey guys, I got my first non-OEM leather band from Coach. It's a great leather strap, only I'm not fond with the lug they used. Does anybody know the best quality lugs in Rose Gold (alum and/or SS looking)? Thanks!

forums.macrumors.com

 

[toxtrepla]

oh god so...the sunset buckle swap with aubergine went well...I did have to hammer the screwdriver into the screw because it stripped on the top part. But couldn’t be happier, the aubergine looks so much better paired with my ceramic white and silver hardware, I pair it with cornflower for a fake hermes look. Sunset on gold is godly and pairs amazingly with raspberry. Just so warm.

Subsequently I found out that per Made for Apple Watch spec, the screws are not supposed to be re-used, that is to say, screw once and then discard if you remove them. So, heedlessly I snapped up cheap modern buckles from cstore and people on eBay...tried to take apart the black modern buckle...one of the buckle screws just never came loose and one wouldn’t go back in...marigold didn’t even look good on black anyway...so I escaped and put everything back like it was...the black modern buckle doesn’t really need all four screws haha.

And I think the marigold also didn’t want to come apart. Regardless of whether it’s retail Apple or these factory rejects, some of the screws just have the top part stripped so the pentalobe screwdriver (you want the Pentalobe Precision Driver PL2 x 40mm by Wiha) wouldn’t even get purchase.

But recently the lovely and talented @rosegoldoli turned me onto an Etsy seller with gorgeous, sturdy lugs...they got to the Shanghai airport 4/19 and I’m still waiting, a bunch of hirsch straps from england ready to pair. See the thread linked below, I will reply there when I get my etsy lugs.

It’s tempting to try to swap raspberry and cornflower but I think i’ll just wait for Apple to bless us with the perfect blue/gold band.

So, moral of the story is: don‘t mess with the screws and their sockets!

Best third party Apple Watch Lugs in Rose Gold?

Hey guys, I got my first non-OEM leather band from Coach. It's a great leather strap, only I'm not fond with the lug they used. Does anybody know the best quality lugs in Rose Gold (alum and/or SS looking)? Thanks!

forums.macrumors.com

WOW. This came out really well done and makes such an interesting statement.

Ever since the dual tone Sport Loops, I have a new appreciate for dual tone anything.

 

[JoshCalvetti]

the screws on the watch bands use the same size pentalobe screw as the iphone. If you get a screwdriver made for fixing an iPhone it'll work on the bands too and you won't strip anything.

 

[athousandbands]

the screws on the watch bands use the same size pentalobe screw as the iphone. If you get a screwdriver made for fixing an iPhone it'll work on the bands too and you won't strip anything.

I have the right screwdriver. Trust me they get stripped. Maybe I could be a little more cautious Not turning until I have proper purchase. But the sockets also get stripped.

I considered buying the screws bulk per the Apple spec but haha that’s sooo many screws.

 

[JoshCalvetti]

I’ve taken my band apart probably half a dozen times now and it’s never come close to stripping heh. But I imagine that the screwdrivers have a lot of QA issues since they’re so tiny.

 

[athousandbands]

I’ve taken my band apart probably half a dozen times now and it’s never come close to stripping heh. But I imagine that the screwdrivers have a lot of QA issues since they’re so tiny.

Fair enough...are we talking the modern buckle or just the lugs? Tbh most of the issues probably stem from those really tiny screws on the modern buckle...this was almost half a year ago now.

 

[CWallace]

I've heard the Apple OEM screws use lock-tight so they won't come undone which makes it pretty easy to strip them even with a high-quality screwdriver and careful torque application.

In my experience with Apple OEM Classic Buckle lug-swapping (silver for black to match my S4 SB SS) one of the screws usually comes out fine and the other strips. So I just bought a small bolt-cutter and cut the OEM lugs off.

 

[CarlJ]

Ever since the dual tone Sport Loops, I have a new appreciate for dual tone anything.

I've often worn dual tone Sport Bands. Mix'n match.

 

[athousandbands]

I've heard the Apple OEM screws use lock-tight so they won't come undone which makes it pretty easy to strip them even with a high-quality screwdriver and careful torque application.

In my experience with Apple OEM Classic Buckle lug-swapping (silver for black to match my S4 SB SS) one of the screws usually comes out fine and the other strips. So I just bought a small bolt-cutter and cut the OEM lugs off.

Dem, you savage, props. But yeah now that I have this Etsy seller (package stuck in somewhere between Shanghai and here still), I wouldn’t be so precious about the Apple ones...but tbh the lack of black buckle still holds me back.

 

[Tran Tienqa]

I still have a couple more band colors to add to my collection Love to mis-match them with my Stainless Steel. I bought PL2, PL3, PL4 from Wiha and so far only the PL2 gives result. Good luck.

 

[athousandbands]

I still have a couple more band colors to add to my collection Love to mis-match them with my Stainless Steel. I bought PL2, PL3, PL4 from Wiha and so far only the PL2 gives result. Good luck.

Lovely! Looks like my collection. Get saddle brown before the summer is over! It’s the softest apple leather band I’ve ever encountered!