ty for reading my lengthy post a week or two back about a post-purchase problem with the Grand H bracelet that another forum user posted about shortly after
i really wanted the Hermes Series 11 paired with the Grand H bracelet- it really dresses up so well!
I had the same problem with 3 (!) separate bands (all within the 14d return window thankfully!) falling apart due to the tiny screw that holds the attachment lug spontaneously coming loose, while just gently wearing around the house. After a bit research of research, I found that the right tool to tighten those "pentalobe" screws is a Wiha 26762 PL2 available on Amazon. I posted about this post-purchase experience on the apple.com discussion forum, thinking that a QC person would notice (the moderator replied with a direct link)
Another user there replied he had the same issue, just outside his return Window, and I was extremely concerned to hear that AppleCare would not cover this problem and he was directed to contact Hermes directly(!!)
At this price point, I decided it was not worth all these hassles and reluctantly returned it, so unfortunately, I do not have the extra links to offer to you
so there was a silver-lined ending for me to my saga with the Grand H bracelet, ordered with the 46mm case (worn gently around the house and within a few days of purchase, spontaneously falling apart at the attachment lug, due to the tiny pentalobe screw becoming loose- this happened with 3 separate bracelets!!) (see post#16,591 10/10/2025)
I went of course to return (reluctantly) the watch (for the 3rd time!!) and resigned myself that I would have to "settle" for the "regular" Titanium AW Series 11 (Silver finish on Hermes not available, closest alternative being "Natural") and purchased one for pickup.
I reviewed my post-purchase experience(s) with the Hermes AW configured with Grand H with the Apple Store manager (who was excited to directly see one for the first time; a couple of other associates gathered around as well to give it a "look-see")
It was evident that I really liked the watch and I was told that I could
keep the watch and just return the bracelet ($999) refund- I was totally thrilled (!) as I had not anticipated that option since the watch was purchased configured with the Grand H (glad to be able to stay in this Hermes "club" as well 😊)
There was also the most welcome bonus of keeping the Orange Hermes Sport band bundled with the watch (though I guess Apple-Hermes think that only larger-wristed persons want the 46mm case and so only include a lengthy M/L size strap, which I will eventually need to trim when I get the nerve to do so 😅).
Furthermore, I can now repurpose the (pricey as well) Titanium Grade 5 bracelet I purchased last year from sandmarc.com for my Ultra2. (2nd photo below) The Natural titanium color of the bracelet is slightly off compared to the Hermes Silver titanium case and it is not quite as "dressy" as the Grand H (but good enough in that regard to me!)
Additionally, I find the lighter weight of the Sandmarc Titanium bracelet to perceptibly feel more balanced and wear better with the Titanium Hermes AW case vs the much heavier Grand H. I'm pretty certain that the heaviness of the Stainless Steel Grand H (at least for the 46mm case) is too much for those tiny pentalobe screws that hold the attachment lug together, and would never trust to wear it for more than the most gentle use.
As an aside, I noticed that the Grand H bracelet is not hallmarked 316L like the Apple Stainless Link bracelet, making me wonder if despite the preumium price, it is lower tier? (There is a small asterisked notice on the bottom of the order configuration page that the Grand H is not water resistant; another big plus of the Sandmarc Titanium Grade 5 bracelet is that it is fully suitable for use in the water; and with much stronger lug design, won't fall apart on you !!😅)