I really liked the Space Black but, I am not going to overpay even more with a Hermès, just to get the Space Black. If I was going to go full scale to the nines, I would get the Titanium.
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It's a shame they got rid of the Space Black SS Version
- Thread starter shenfrey
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Yep. Here's S6 Graphite SS, S6 Hermes SBSS, and S5 SBSS.
Which is which?
I doubt we'll know anything concrete until folks have them in person.
View attachment 954054
Yeah, I white balanced the photos of the new Graphite and the Space Black Hermes watch, and, even using a color tool, it's really difficult to find much of a difference in the two. We'll have to wait until we see non-product photos of them together.
I am presuming that Apple wants the cost of the stainless steel models to be in line with each other, given that they all sell for the same price. So I'm speculating that that was the driving force behind the change to Graphite.
Edit: also the fact that the high-end Hermes retains SG is further evidence to the point. It's a tacit admission that SG is higher quality than Graphite.
If Graphite Stainless is as glossy or almost as glossy as the previous Space Black Stainless, then I'll be okay with it. That is is a DLC finish gives me hope this could be the case.
If it looks more like SB Aluminum or SB Titanium, I will be disappointed (though perhaps not so disappointed as to not buy it).
Looks like it is now out of production.
It is still available from Amazon and perhaps other sites. So if you want it, snap it up now!
If it looks more like SB Aluminum or SB Titanium, I will be disappointed (though perhaps not so disappointed as to not buy it).
Looks like it is now out of production.
It is still available from Amazon and perhaps other sites. So if you want it, snap it up now!
That wasn't my pic. I was quoting someone above, but I think so.
Yep. Here's S6 Graphite SS, S6 Hermes SBSS, and S5 SBSS.
Which is which?
I doubt we'll know anything concrete until folks have them in person.
View attachment 954054View attachment 954056
The top right (Hermes SB) looks so much more sexier than the graphite, it's that slightly darker tint that makes all the difference.
Again, the Silver models are irrelevant to the question of whether there is a cost difference between SB DLC finish and Graphite DLC finish.
Please expand on what exactly you see as being the differences between SB and Graphite which would create a cost-of-manufacture difference between the two DLC treatments?
IMHO, the choice to switch the SBSS to GraphiteSS likely had far more to do with model line differentiation than it has to do with whether one DLC finish costs more to create than another DLC finish. i.e. Apple perhaps felt the Hermes models didn't "feel" as exclusive if they shared a color name with a lesser model.
Apart from naming, I've yet to see what the actual difference is between the two DLC finishes.
I've also yet to hear anything suggesting what would create an actual cost-to-produce difference between the two DLC finishes.
See my other post here and please tell me what's different given what we know today:
Yep. Here's S6 Graphite SS, S6 Hermes SBSS, and S5 SBSS.
Which is which?
I doubt we'll know anything concrete until folks have them in person.
View attachment 954054View attachment 954056
I guess it’s personal I think the graphite looks better. But Apple likes to mess around with consumer choice and force them into something they don’t need or want in watches. Having no non cellular options in SS demonstrates that.
I’ve already told you though, the differences is in the finishing. The one on the right is clearly space black as it has a darker tint
They look identical here.
We shall see what the reality is when they hit the streets.
Still haven't seen anything suggesting what exactly would cause a Graphite DLC to be less expensive to product than a Space Black DLC. "differences in the finishing" is vague and doesn't answer the question.
You’re seeking an answer that only Apple knows. We don’t know how much it costs if it’s different and why they did it, what we do know is - going off the renders Apple have published - is that there’s a difference in colour between the space black and graphite versions. How obvious this will be in person is yet to be seen.
When you take the two and correct for white balance of the background, they're essentially identical, and the SB is actually slightly lighter, so we'll just have to wait and see:
The cost of the Silver model is not irrelevant to the question.
Apple has a line up of three variations of the Stainless Steel model. Each is priced the same.
It is my assumption that, all else equal, Apple would prefer their margins to be the same for each.
If, as you granted, it's possible that the Silver Stainless steel is cheaper to manufacture, then it follows that Apple would look for ways to bring down the cost of the Space Grey, to bring uniformity to the margins of their Stainless Steel line.
My conjecture is that Graphite is their solution to that problem. There may be other factors at play or I may be wrong.
... and that's exactly my point to the other poster who has the opinion that one DLC is less costly to produce than the other DLC.
I have no idea why that'd be the case -- I'd think they'd cost the same. Thus my curiosity in learning more about DLC and what would make one DLC finish cost different from another DLC finish.
Yes, as you say, it won't be until they're in the field that we get a clearer idea of the actual visual/textural differences.
We *may* be making a tempest in a teacup.
The question is this:
In what way, specifically, do you think Graphite DLC process costs less than the Space Black DLC process?
AFAIK, both DLC processes would cost the same to apply.
You're suggest otherwise.
Please explain your thoughts on what exactly is different between the two DLC processes and why one would be less costly than the other.
The rest of your assertions about cost balancing and so forth are irrelevant without first establishing that the two DLC processes have a different manufacturing cost.
It may be pure speculation as you said, but typically speculation has some underlying support; that's what I'm trying to understand from you.
Sure, DLC is going to cost more than non-DLC. That's not the question.
FWIW, Apple's had the SB and Silver milanese loops at the same price the past two years. $149 from Sept 2018 to Sept 2019, then $99 since then.
With the graphite being offered, I’m totally fine with the black space being discontinued. I’m just glad they’re giving us another option versus taking away the space black away all together with no alternative. Given that sapphire should be included on the graphite, I actually welcome the change, even though I did enjoy my space black Apple Watches over the years.
I know the Hermès says it’s space black, but to me, the new graphite and the Hermès look identical when you view the pictures side by side. IMO either the picture or the description is wrong for the Hermès because what depicted now is the graphite color with a space black label.
I’m disappointed with the change. I have the space black link but I just can’t justify the extra cost for the titanium, especially when I like to upgrade yearly there is just too much depreciation and that goes for the SS too. Anyone try the link with aluminum? How does it look? I am kind of concerned about a complete update next year that might render my link useless too if they decide to change band connector.
Let me start over and explain my reasoning for speculating that the move to Graphite may have been a cost-cutting measure from the Space Black.
The Silver Milanese loop was cheaper than the Space Black Milanese loop, leading me to assume that Space Black *material* is more expensive to produce than Silver.
If the above is true, then it stands to reason that the Silver Stainless Steel Watch is cheaper to produce than the Space Black Watch.
Yesterday Apple introduced a Graphite Stainless Steel Watch to replace the Space Black. They also introduced a Graphite Milanese Loop priced to match the Silver loop, indicating that the cost to manufacture the Graphite is more inline with the cost to manufacture the Silver, which would mean that Graphite material is less expensive than Space Black material. If the Graphite Loop was priced higher than the Silver, like the Space Black loop was, then I wouldn't have said anything.
Furthermore, they kept the Space Black for the high-end Hermes, further supporting the idea that the Space Black is more expensive than Graphite.
Now you tell me that Apple had since reduced the price of the Space Black loop. Fine. Point taken. That certainly goes some way to undercut my argument.
Nevertheless, my point was reasonable enough to qualify for a post on a MacRumours forum where we're speculating about Apple products.
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Not necessarily. The Hermès was never available with Titanium or Ceramic, and only got Space Black last year.
There’s been threads in the past with members paring the aluminum watch with the stainless Link, and it actually does work for it’s worth. [I have no idea where that thread would be, that’s on you to search for it.] Even though there is a difference in terms of the finishes, it’s nothing that stark where it would look off-putting.
When I look at the ’Space Grey’ metal band on my iPhone 11 Pro Max and compare it to my SSSB Watch the difference is minute and almost indistinguishable, so I am hopeful that the Graphite will basically look the same.
it’s a bit like how car companies have multiple shades of the same base colour and only a real car-geek can tell the difference...
it’s a bit like how car companies have multiple shades of the same base colour and only a real car-geek can tell the difference...