Long-time silver SS Apple Watch/Link Bracelet owner - considering Graphite S7 with Milanese

[redman042]

I've owned a silver stainless steel Apple Watch and genuine Link Bracelet since the Series 0. I've always loved the combo. The Link Bracelet is a beautiful piece of engineering. It's comfortable and I get random compliments.

However, I'm ready to upgrade from S4 to S7 and I've recently been admiring the darker SS options, first Space Black and more recently the Graphite that is offered on the S6 and now the S7. I like the idea of a DLC coating to reduce scratching, and I really like the shiny but darker look. I think I'm ready for the change.

And while the Link Bracelet is great in so many ways, I cannot adjust the tightness through the day as my body shrinks/swells. This can lead to some movement on the wrist and lately I've had the watch lock while wearing it. It's also a heavy band and I sometimes get sweaty underneath. I don't want to give up wearing it entirely, but I'm thinking of taking a different path for my daily driver strap.

My wife has always had the Milanese in SS. I love the feel of it but thought it was a bit too "sparkly" in the sunlight. However the darker metals like Graphite don't appear to have that "sparkle" that I don't like.

Which leads me to my current interest in the S7 in Graphite with a Milanese Loop. I just read the S7 is rumored to start preorders in a week. I am seeking any feedback from S6 graphite SS watch owners. Did you go from SS to Graphite SS and how do you like it? Have you ever tried pairing an SS Link with the Graphite watch? I may want to still wear my Link Bracelet sometimes. How are you liking the Milanese?

 

[ukms]

I've owned a silver stainless steel Apple Watch and genuine Link Bracelet since the Series 0. I've always loved the combo. The Link Bracelet is a beautiful piece of engineering. It's comfortable and I get random compliments.

However, I'm ready to upgrade from S4 to S7 and I've recently been admiring the darker SS options, first Space Black and more recently the Graphite that is offered on the S6 and now the S7. I like the idea of a DLC coating to reduce scratching, and I really like the shiny but darker look. I think I'm ready for the change.

And while the Link Bracelet is great in so many ways, I cannot adjust the tightness through the day as my body shrinks/swells. This can lead to some movement on the wrist and lately I've had the watch lock while wearing it. It's also a heavy band and I sometimes get sweaty underneath. I don't want to give up wearing it entirely, but I'm thinking of taking a different path for my daily driver strap.

My wife has always had the Milanese in SS. I love the feel of it but thought it was a bit too "sparkly" in the sunlight. However the darker metals like Graphite don't appear to have that "sparkle" that I don't like.

Which leads me to my current interest in the S7 in Graphite with a Milanese Loop. I just read the S7 is rumored to start preorders in a week. I am seeking any feedback from S6 graphite SS watch owners. Did you go from SS to Graphite SS and how do you like it? Have you ever tried pairing an SS Link with the Graphite watch? I may want to still wear my Link Bracelet sometimes. How are you liking the Milanese?

I can’t help you about the link ….. however I have had the graphite S6 since launch and been very very happy and have worn it with many bands including the graphite Milanese …. No issues at all with this and will certainly be making the change to S7.

 

[danmart]

I’ll get in before the rush… you need to be careful with the Milanese Graphite strap (or the Space Black one, for that matter) as they are one of the few things that can scratch the body of the Watch or even the Sapphire face. Having said that, if you exercise some basic care when putting the watch on / off and never wrap the strap around the body you will be fine. I have had both Space Black and Milanese straps and used them with ease. In my opinion the Milanese is the most comfortable strap due to its infinite adjustability.

I’ve not personally used the Graphite Watch with a bare steel link band, but it does pair quite well with the Space Black Link band that you can still buy:

 

[redman042]

I’ll get in before the rush… you need to be careful with the Milanese Graphite strap (or the Space Black one, for that matter) as they are one of the few things that can scratch the body of the Watch or even the Sapphire face. Having said that, if you exercise some basic care when putting the watch on / off and never wrap the strap around the body you will be fine. I have had both Space Black and Milanese straps and used them with ease. In my opinion the Milanese is the most comfortable strap due to its infinite adjustability.

I’ve not personally used the Graphite Watch with a bare steel link band, but it does pair quite well with the Space Black Link band that you can still buy:

View attachment 1854593

I’ve heard about these scratches. How serious can they get? Just hairline scratches visible only at certain angles, or deeper scratches?

 

[danmart]

Here’s a picture from the early days of the SB Milanese before people were generally aware of the issue. I’ve circled the scratches that my Watch got:

It was invisible in regular use.

 

[BillGates1969]

I've gone from SS Silver S0 to SS Silver S2, then SSSB S3 to now SSG S5 (I ignore the Alu S4 SG).

So not had a SS Silver for about 4 years, and every time I see a picture I on here I really miss it. I really want the SS I think for the S7, but like the OP I am intrigued with the Graphite.

What I am worried is that if I go Graphite, will I still yearn for Silver. The Graphite from looking at pics (never seen one in the wild) seems a lot like the Silver and as much as I loved the SB S3 I had, I found it only really 'popped' with the Milanese. Does the Graphite go with as many bands?

 

[danmart]

Does the Graphite go with as many bands?

I doubt the Graphite goes with as many bands as silver, or even Space Black since there are some good third party bands in the finish now (Graphite seems too new for there to be a big third party market at this point).

Here are some shots of my Graphite with different band:

 

[redman042]

Part of me also worries about missing the silver and also not being happy pairing the silver Link Bracelet with the Graphite (I would mostly wear the Graphite Milanese but still want to wear the Link once in a while). But the Graphite does seem like a very classy looking hybrid of SS and SB. A change from years of wearing SS would be nice. Anyway that’s my current dilemma. I plan to visit an Apple Store this week to try on a Graphite S7 and see it in person.

The scratching potential doesn’t sound too bad. I’m used to patina on my SS and with the DLC it’s clear it would be less of an issue even if the Milanese contacts the watch body.

 

[danmart]

I’m hoping that they will make a Graphite link band available, but I don’t have huge hopes…

That would be the best result from my perspective.

 

[redman042]

That would be awesome, except that then I would have to buy two pricey straps

 

[Bazooka-joe]

I have the S6 graphite and I love it. It’s absolutely mint but it is not a DLC coating. It is PVD which is less resilient to scratches unlike the space black which is bullet proof. If you’re going for Milanese strap them be careful because it’s a watch killer and will scratch the hell out of the graphite if you are not careful

 

[redman042]

I have the S6 graphite and I love it. It’s absolutely mint but it is not a DLC coating. It is PVD which is less resilient to scratches unlike the space black which is bulket or off. If you’re going for Milanese strap them be careful because it’s a watch killer and will scratch the hell out of the graphite if you are not careful

Can the scratching really get that bad? Everything I found online is just about micro scratches. I'm planning to stop by the Apple Store today and will see how their display model looks.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Can the scratching really get that bad? Everything I found online is just about micro scratches. I'm planning to stop by the Apple Store today and will see how their display model looks.

There were a few comments came out when the graphite came out from guys that had the Milanese loop and they said that it scratched the Graphite really easily and not just micro scratches. The thing is because it’s a dark colour, any scratches are gonna show really easily. I am going for graphite again with the series 7, but there is no way that I’m gonna pair it up with a Milanese loop lol

 

[Pug72]

I have the S6 graphite and I love it. It’s absolutely mint but it is not a DLC coating. It is PVD which is less resilient to scratches unlike the space black which is bullet proof….

The Graphite is DLC.

Regarding a matching strap, I have the Nomad Graphite steel band and LOVE it!
Perfect match the Graphite watch, also DLC and a fantastic magnetic clasp. Will be using it again on the Series 7.

 

[redman042]

So I visited an Apple Store a couple days ago to see the graphite Series 6 and Milanese Loop in person. I thought it looked very classy and is a nice change from plain stainless. I inspected the watch and strap closely and did not see any obvious scratching, not even on the magnetic clasp. I did not look for micro-scratches, which don't worry me. The employee said they had this display unit for a while. That leads me to believe scratching is not that big of a problem, especially if you are careful. I'm sure there's some potential but am willing to take the chance in order to enjoy this watch/strap combo.

I also connected my SS Link Bracelet to the graphite watch to see how it would look if I ever decided to use my Link instead of the Milanese. The contrast in metal finishes is certainly noticeable, but the two-tone appearance seems nice in its own way. I'm still deciding how I feel about it. They also had a Space Black Link Bracelet there and I would say it's a similar level of contrast between the watch body and the strap. Maybe a little less obvious because it's dark, but you can still easily tell it's a different finish. So there really isn't a Link Bracelet that matches the Graphite Watch all that closely. Contrast will be a given if you want to wear a Link, unless Apple releases a Graphite one, which they have given no indication is coming.

Here are some pics I took from my Apple Store visit. My plan right now is to go for the Graphite S7 and Milanese on Friday. My Link Bracelet, as much as I love it, will take a break in the drawer for the most part. I'm going to go for a new look and for the comfort and adjustability of the Milanese.

 

[jazz1]

I’ll get in before the rush… you need to be careful with the Milanese Graphite strap (or the Space Black one, for that matter) as they are one of the few things that can scratch the body of the Watch or even the Sapphire face. Having said that, if you exercise some basic care when putting the watch on / off and never wrap the strap around the body you will be fine. I have had both Space Black and Milanese straps and used them with ease. In my opinion the Milanese is the most comfortable strap due to its infinite adjustability.

I’ve not personally used the Graphite Watch with a bare steel link band, but it does pair quite well with the Space Black Link band that you can still buy:

View attachment 1854593

Looks good! But I’m hoping Apple will offer a graphite link watchband.

 

[jazz1]

The Graphite is DLC.

Regarding a matching strap, I have the Nomad Graphite steel band and LOVE it!
Perfect match the Graphite watch, also DLC and a fantastic magnetic clasp. Will be using it again on the Series 7.
View attachment 1856049

How is the comfort with the Nomad?

 

[danmart]

Looks good! But I’m hoping Apple will offer a graphite link watchband.

Not this year it seems, unfortunately

 

[Pug72]

How is the comfort with the Nomad?

Very comfortable.

You get the same minor problem with as every metal link strap, the wrist can change size which can make the strap slightly loose at times. Taking out a link makes it too tight. Had exact same thing with my Apple Link bracelet.

 

[redman042]

My Nov 1-8 order arrived early. I’ve worn it for several hours and am finding the graphite color looks really luxurious and the Milanese is high quality and very comfortable. Thanks for all the input!

 

[lazygolfer666]

Updated from Series 4 black aluminium, wanted silver SS but couldn’t find it anywhere so bought Graphite from Amazon, but yesterday silver was in stock on the Apple Store so got it as well. Now deciding which one will return. I wanted silver because I got ‘bored’ of always using black however I must say I’m not 100% convinced of silver. Could say it matches with my silver iPhone 13 Pro but is not relevant.. 1st world problems

 

[haruhiko]

The first ever Apple Watch band for me (from the S0 era) is the Milanese Loop. I heard many people saying that it can scratch the body and bottom of the watch so you should take this into consideration. Also, my hair often got trapped in the band....so I finally upgraded to the Link Bracelet and haven't looked back since.

 

[Al Rukh]

Aren’t you guys afraid of the Milanese loop’s mesh scratching the back of your AW? I used to have the combination and the back of my watch is all scratched up. I once placed the watch into my pocket in a hurry and the SS mesh scratched the screen of my Alu watch.

 

[lazygolfer666]

I haven’t had any bad experience with Milanese loop at least with the aluminium one. I’m taking care with stainless steel. Being said that.. I love Milanese loop, it’s very elegant, not complicated to wear on, doesn’t leave any mark on my skin, etc.

 

[KG87]

I've owned a silver stainless steel Apple Watch and genuine Link Bracelet since the Series 0. I've always loved the combo. The Link Bracelet is a beautiful piece of engineering. It's comfortable and I get random compliments.

However, I'm ready to upgrade from S4 to S7 and I've recently been admiring the darker SS options, first Space Black and more recently the Graphite that is offered on the S6 and now the S7. I like the idea of a DLC coating to reduce scratching, and I really like the shiny but darker look. I think I'm ready for the change.

And while the Link Bracelet is great in so many ways, I cannot adjust the tightness through the day as my body shrinks/swells. This can lead to some movement on the wrist and lately I've had the watch lock while wearing it. It's also a heavy band and I sometimes get sweaty underneath. I don't want to give up wearing it entirely, but I'm thinking of taking a different path for my daily driver strap.

My wife has always had the Milanese in SS. I love the feel of it but thought it was a bit too "sparkly" in the sunlight. However the darker metals like Graphite don't appear to have that "sparkle" that I don't like.

Which leads me to my current interest in the S7 in Graphite with a Milanese Loop. I just read the S7 is rumored to start preorders in a week. I am seeking any feedback from S6 graphite SS watch owners. Did you go from SS to Graphite SS and how do you like it? Have you ever tried pairing an SS Link with the Graphite watch? I may want to still wear my Link Bracelet sometimes. How are you liking the Milanese?

I owned a Milanese with my SS Series 0 and again with SB SS S5. I hardly ever wore them because they just couldn't stay tight during a day of use. It felt like I had to constantly adjust them to keep a proper fit.