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Link Bracelet Fit (Genuine Apple model)

redman042

redman042

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 13, 2008
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Last week I finally splurged on a Link Bracelet for my 42mm SS that I've owned since June. My prior straps are a leather loop and sport band.

I'm thrilled with the link bracelet - it feels great and is stunning to look at.

I'm still getting the fit dialed in though. Like most people I find that my wrist swells a bit during the day. I started with a snug fit per the advice of John Gruber and the iMore website, and that was comfortable for most of the day, but by day's end it felt a little constricting. So for the last couple days, I've been wearing it with an extra link added on one side, and I push the watch up my arm just a tad to snug it. There's a bit more play in the fit, and if I'm really active it can slide down to my hand, but for the most part it's fine. It's just a different feel and I wouldn't mind it being a tad tighter.

I can't help thinking that half a link would make the fit perfect. Of course, Apple doesn't offer half-links. Maybe the removable link design wouldn't be mechanically possible in a half link, but then they should consider a link 1.5 times the normal length. That would work too.

I've also wondered if a small thin adhesive foam pad applied to the back of the clasp would add just enough grip to the underside of my arm to take up the gap. I'm new to the watch world and have no idea whether this is ever done, or is a silly idea.

Anyway, I'm quite happy with this strap overall, and am adjusting to the minor change in feel. Just wondering how I can make it even better.
 
Of course one option is to carry an extra link around. I have a little pinch pouch (coin pouch) I keep in my pants pocket for holding a set of earbuds and a bluetooth earpiece. If the watch is feeling particularly loose, I can pull out a link and store it in the pouch. In fact, I just did that at my desk. I'm getting fast at adding/removing links easily. But this is not as convenient has having a half-link or some other means to find that sweet spot.
 
I have been wearing watches with Metal Bracelets for many years. Some watches come with half links that can help with adjustment regarding hot days when your wrist swells. Tag Heuer make a bracelet with micro adjustment that works really well, I tried one on a while back but don't own it, I just wish Apple adds micro adjustment in future so you can adjust it during the day without tools.

In a few months time as you wear your watch you will notice the Link Bracelet will loosen up / stretch slightly, this will help when your wrist swells but also make it worse during the cooler part of the day. In my case its better now compared to when it was new.

Your idea of a 1.5 times link is what I wish for as well, hopefully Apple decides to sell them separately or include them in future.
 
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Even better than a 1.5 link: a couple "1.3" links. Some other bracelets' half links are more like 2/3rds links, so you can use a combination for finer adjustment than simple half links would enable. Since the AW's bracelet links don't look like they can be shrunken, the alternative would be making them bigger.
 
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Good to hear about the stretching (break-in) over time. I will lean towards the tighter fit when I can in order to facilitate that break-in. Snugger does feel better/more secure as long as my arm isn't too hot/sweaty. I'm finding that just taking the watch off for five minutes here and there to let my arm breathe and the metal to cool off is a good thing to do. Feels great when I put it back on.

I'm not dealing with any major discomfort here, no more so than a sport band or leather loop. They all get a little warm underneath from time to time.

But I really do think a partial-length link would really dial in the fit. I hope Apple is working on it.
 
I don't have the link bracelet (not yet, anyway… hint*valentine's day gift?*cross fingers). When I last tried one on and was allowed to size it myself, I got it to fit almost exactly like my better-fitting bracelet-equipped traditional watches. I think I'm a hair skinnier now, though, and I haven't re-tested the fit. Hopefully I may find out soon. ;)
 
Despite my minor quibbles about dialing in the perfect fit, it's an amazing strap. I love the craftsmanship and the look. It's also, for the most part, very comfortable. As much so or more than the leather loop. I hope you get your wish.

For a while I considered a third party replica. But I'm glad I didn't go that route. I have never held one in person, but there's simply no way they have reached the level of perfection or durability that Apple has (I can tell just by looking at the photos of them), and those are the aspects I appreciate most.
 
Newtons Apple said:
It is why I settled on the leather loop as it was more quickly adjustable. The black metal band looked good but was hard to get to fit just right.
Click to expand...

True, though the leather loop is not infinitely adjustable. It adjusts in steps because the magnets must match up. But it takes two seconds to adjust and that's an advantage over the link bracelet. A disadvantage of the loop is the bumpy inside surface. The link is nice and smooth. It's also metal which seems to radiate heat better.

The Milanese is arguably the best blend of adjustability, durability, and comfort. But, I don't like the look on me.

In the end, each strap is pretty great in its own way.
 
redman042 said:
True, though the leather loop is not infinitely adjustable. It adjusts in steps because the magnets must match up. But it takes two seconds to adjust and that's an advantage over the link bracelet. A disadvantage of the loop is the bumpy inside surface. The link is nice and smooth. It's also metal which seems to radiate heat better.

The Milanese is arguably the best blend of adjustability, durability, and comfort. But, I don't like the look on me.

In the end, each strap is pretty great in its own way.
Click to expand...

If the bumpy surface inside the leather loop hurts you the giant hump on the back of the watch will too!
 
Newtons Apple said:
If the bumpy surface inside the leather loop hurts you the giant hump on the back of the watch will too!
Click to expand...

Neither hurt me. The bumps are just something I notice periodically when my arms swell and the strap gets snugger. These are minor points when comparing the comfort of each strap, but they are still worth mentioning.
 
Just thought I'd posted an update after three weeks with the link bracelet. The minor fit issues I raised in my original post are much less of an issue now. With every strap I've owned (Sport, Leather Loop, Link Bracelet) I've had a great first impression but found there was still a period of getting used to it: how to put on and take off quickly, how to adjust, etc. Well three weeks in and I feel much more "dialed in" with the link bracelet. I've worn this bracelet almost exclusively for the three weeks, only switching to the Sport for half a day one time. As mentioned above, I started carrying an extra link with me for "swollen wrist" days, but have found that I'm not using it anymore. I'm happier without it.

I do still have moments, usually at home after a long day of work, where it feels a bit snug or sweaty underneath. So what I do now is just take it off for 15 minutes. The link bracelet is extremely easy to take off and put back on. When I put it back on, the metal is nice and cool and feels good on the wrist. That's an advantage of metal over leather. It's fast to release heat.

Anyway, I remain very pleased with this strap. It was big bucks, but I spent enough time with the watch beforehand (8 months) to know that I would never go back to not having one on my wrist. Therefore, investing in a strap that is designed so well and feels/looks so great became a clear choice. The only problem now is: when will I ever want to use my other straps?
 
redman042 said:
Neither hurt me. The bumps are just something I notice periodically when my arms swell and the strap gets snugger. These are minor points when comparing the comfort of each strap, but they are still worth mentioning.
Click to expand...
Now that you make the point I would like to ask: How snug do you fit the leather loop? When I take it off there are marks of the bumps in my skin. Any loser and the watch just slides down when my arms are down.
 
andreyirra said:
Now that you make the point I would like to ask: How snug do you fit the leather loop? When I take it off there are marks of the bumps in my skin. Any loser and the watch just slides down when my arms are down.
Click to expand...

I wore it snug enough to leave marks (which fade away after a minute or two). I think any strap worn tight enough to not slide around will leave an impression. Basically I wore it snug enough that it wouldn't slide on it's own, but no tighter. I could push it up or down my wrist slightly with a little effort.
 
I must be lucky with my wrist size. I'm very happy with the fit at all times of day.

When I first got the watch I used to take it off in the early evening in because I wasn't used to having a heavy watch on my wrist and it felt uncomfortable. Now I keep it on all the time though, as the OP said, if I've gone for a very long walk it tends to get sweaty underneath, so I take it off for a short while and wipe it down.
 
redman042 said:
I wore it snug enough to leave marks (which fade away after a minute or two). I think any strap worn tight enough to not slide around will leave an impression. Basically I wore it snug enough that it wouldn't slide on it's own, but no tighter. I could push it up or down my wrist slightly with a little effort.
Click to expand...

So it's perfectly normal. Thank you very much :)
In fact I'm using it right now.
 
FWIW, I found that the link bracelet fits me best when I wear 2 extra links on the "pinky side" of the band. This does a better job of centering the clasp on my inner risk and ultimately gave me a more snug fit. Worth trying out if you haven't
 
I was going to say the same thing. Sometimes adjusting where the clasp fits under your wrist and how it sits on your wrist bone makes a difference with how the watch wears.

I'm a watch guy long before the Apple Watch and have always been comfortable with the tips of my 2 fingers fitting between the band and my wrist. This link bracelet is a perfect fit, I have rarely removed it since I got it. I'll also throw this out there, the price is steep, eBay has quite a few authentication at really good prices, never hurts to look.
 
today I bought used (looks almost like new) genuine apple link bracelet for my apple watch 42mm (original band is milanese loop) and I found that fit is quite ok with 6 "button equipped" links for my wrist, BUT I found that best fit (so watch face is perfectly centered on my wrist from top side and also butterfly clasp is perfectly centered on my wrist from down side) is when there are 4 links with buttons on 12th side and 2 links with buttons on 6th side... if I will use same amount link for both sides then the clasp is not in middle of my wrist (its because your forearm is made up of two bones (radius and ulna) running up to your elbow and especially when you are not fat kind of guy (or like me - with around 5% of fat) than your forearm is wider on pinky finger side than on the other side, so you have to add more links on that pinky finger side to fit watch perfectly on your wrist... its not just about how it looks, but also how it feels when you are actually using your hand, for instance when you perform a twisting action like turning a key in a lock or using a screwdriver, these two bones will rotate slightly and if your watch bracelet links have been incorrectly adjusted, you may find the watch roll slightly towards the pinky finger edge of your arm)
image.jpg
 
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I was having trouble getting a proper fit since I was evenly removing the links (partly because this is what the instructions say to do, but also my OCD ;-) ), but the tip about removing a link on the "pinky" side of the band seems to give a much better fit so far. I'll see how that works for a few days.
 
I stopped using the link bracelet and went with a black and now brown leather loop as it was way more adjustable during the day. My wrist size changes during the day and the leather look has near infinite adjustments.
 
Im perfectly happy with my link bracelet for whole day (already put my original Milanese Loop for sale - and that is only one which is really infinitely adjustable), but that asymmetrical link setup is really needed for comfort fit with link bracelet (at least for me)
 
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I have a knockoff link bracelet. The fit always seems a bit loose in the morning but after 10-15 mins it's fine. I also notice that having 4 links on one side and 2 links on the other helps "center" the clasp.
 
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Gregintosh said:
I have a knockoff link bracelet. The fit always seems a bit loose in the morning but after 10-15 mins it's fine. I also notice that having 4 links on one side and 2 links on the other helps "center" the clasp.
Click to expand...

Good tip! I have 6 on one side, 3 on the other, and now the clasp and Watch are better centered on my wrist.
 
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