Space Black 38mm or Space Gray 42mm?

[Max Your Macs]

Decisions, decisions...

With Best buys' recent insanely great deals on Series 0 watches, I picked up a SS 38mm for my wife and a Space Gray Sport 42mm for myself. We both previously had Silver Sport 42mm models from launch day so familiar with the size.

Of course, Best Buy ran a deal for a few days for the 38MM Space Black with link band for $350 and since it was such a huge discount, I spontaneously bought one just to check it out. All I can say is that it is amazing piece of engineering, particularly the link band. But, I have been going back and forth with the smaller size. Honestly, it seems perfectly fine but my wrists measure 190mm around and I have been seeing people online talking about how the watch looks too dainty on wrists above 175mm or so. Not sure I agree with that completely.

I had to order some things from Amazon this week for work and looking at the 3rd party link bands, I bought a Kades 42mm link band for the Space Gray Sport to sort of compare side-by-side. The Kades band is pretty nice but not as well built as the Apple model, obviously. Looks great on the Space Gray Sport too aside from showing some silver in between the links.

After wearing the 38mm for a couple days, the 42mm seems like a giant in comparison. I have been bouncing back and forth between the two as I need to return one or the other, no need to have both watches. I was just wondering if anyone else had went back and forth like this between sizes and if you had any factors that influenced your decision. My gut is telling me to keep the Space Black since it was originally well over $1,000 while the Sport is still the entry level. They both perform great, excellent, and similar, battery life and everything else.

 

[Itsedstech]

keep the 38mm. I went 42 due to battery life, size difference to me wasn't too noticeable. id also stick with stainless due to it removing some of the smartwatch look making it seem more like a regular watch.

 

[44267547]

I preferably like the 42 MM, mainly with the larger screen and the battery life is better than the 38 MM accordingly. The Stainless just has more of a premium feel to it and holds value better.

And your correct, the Stainless link band is very innovative and is very sleek. I love mine. I have the black and Stainless bands.

 

[defboob]

I also got in on that 38mm link band deal before it jumped up in price. I'm very happy with it. I haven't worn the link band yet since I plan to sell it. Been using a Milanese band instead.

I say keep the 38mm SS, factor in the sapphire display much stronger than the sport model. Enjoy!

 

[Max Your Macs]

Thanks for the replies! I am leaning toward keeping the 38 since it really is such a premium item and not something that I would have bought at full price, no matter how impressive it is. For the Best Buy deal it's crazy good value for the SB model and especially for the link band. The bigger screen is nice on the Sport though but after getting more used to the look of the 38 on my wrist, the 42 just seems HUGE now.

 

[conleyca]

I jumped on the SB with link bracelet deal. I got it last Wednesday. Bought 2 sport bands and one Milanese loop on Amazon. I listed the band on Ebay and sold it for $260. After tax on the watch and the fees on the band, I'm down to only paying $158 for a SS Apple Watch!

 

[Defender2010]

Decisions, decisions...

With Best buys' recent insanely great deals on Series 0 watches, I picked up a SS 38mm for my wife and a Space Gray Sport 42mm for myself. We both previously had Silver Sport 42mm models from launch day so familiar with the size.

Of course, Best Buy ran a deal for a few days for the 38MM Space Black with link band for $350 and since it was such a huge discount, I spontaneously bought one just to check it out. All I can say is that it is amazing piece of engineering, particularly the link band. But, I have been going back and forth with the smaller size. Honestly, it seems perfectly fine but my wrists measure 190mm around and I have been seeing people online talking about how the watch looks too dainty on wrists above 175mm or so. Not sure I agree with that completely.

I had to order some things from Amazon this week for work and looking at the 3rd party link bands, I bought a Kades 42mm link band for the Space Gray Sport to sort of compare side-by-side. The Kades band is pretty nice but not as well built as the Apple model, obviously. Looks great on the Space Gray Sport too aside from showing some silver in between the links.

After wearing the 38mm for a couple days, the 42mm seems like a giant in comparison. I have been bouncing back and forth between the two as I need to return one or the other, no need to have both watches. I was just wondering if anyone else had went back and forth like this between sizes and if you had any factors that influenced your decision. My gut is telling me to keep the Space Black since it was originally well over $1,000 while the Sport is still the entry level. They both perform great, excellent, and similar, battery life and everything else.

I was in the same situation. Returned my 38mm and got a 42mm, then reversed that. The 38mm is perfect even on 190mm wrists - it looks like a watch, not a hulking smart watch. I've seen so many pics here of guys with 160/170mm wrists sporting a 42mm and it looks ridiculously big on them, but they think it loooks great. Keep the 38mm. People saying battery life and ease of touching items on the screen are reasons to get the 42mm, but in truth there is very little difference in battery life (depending on your use case) and if you can hit an X to delete an app on an iPhone, I don't see why similar sized icons seem so difficult to press for some of our 42mm die hards.

 

[avkam]

.. it looks like a watch, not a hulking smart watch.

This is a smart watch!
In any case I would take a 42mm, because of the screen size. I don't care much how it looks, usability is much more important. ...for me.

 

[julesme]

The SS looks great. I agree with post above that it has a more premium look compared to space grey. There is one reason only that I went with the space grey aluminum...price! I imagine many others have made a similar decision in order to save some cash.

SS also seems to go with a greater variety of bands compared to the space grey case.

 

[mguzzi]

I have had a 42mm for 10 months but the Best Buy deal was too good to pass up so I also bought a 38mm Space Black Link as well. I like the 38mm better it doesn't get in the way and it is so comfortable I forget that I am wearing a watch. The 42 now seems bulky too me after wearing the 38. Plus the sapphire is really hard to scratch. You also could sell the band at any time and get most of your money back. Just my two cents.

 

[ZebraDude]

I was in the same situation. Returned my 38mm and got a 42mm, then reversed that. The 38mm is perfect even on 190mm wrists - it looks like a watch, not a hulking smart watch. I've seen so many pics here of guys with 160/170mm wrists sporting a 42mm and it looks ridiculously big on them, but they think it loooks great. Keep the 38mm. People saying battery life and ease of touching items on the screen are reasons to get the 42mm, but in truth there is very little difference in battery life (depending on your use case) and if you can hit an X to delete an app on an iPhone, I don't see why similar sized icons seem so difficult to press for some of our 42mm die hards.

If you want to laugh I'm wearing my Space Black 38mm watch on a 202 mm wrist with a third party Red sport strap and it looks a bit tiny but I love the build quality. I too got the $349 BB deal and could have never had afforded it! the link works as well BUT JUST!

 

[Max Your Macs]

Thanks everyone for all the info! Sticking with the 38mm Space Black. I actually like both very well and the one thing that I don't like about the Space Black is that it is a FINGERPRINT MAGNET! I am constantly wiping prints off the screen and sides, that gloss just shows every single thing it touches. But again, the quality of the construction, the sapphire and particularly the real, authentic Apple link bracelet seal the deal for the crazy price of $350. After wearing them both off and on for a few days, they both look fine on my wrist, and honestly I am thinking the 38mm looks a little more professional where the 42mm is more sporty. I work as a professional but also have an active lifestyle but I would thing it will hold up to anything that I have put my past aluminum Sport through. One thing about the Sport that bugs me too... I just sold my original silver 42mm Sport and the lettering on the back was coming off, as if it were corroding. I saw online that this is even more common on the Space Gray models so that is in the back of my mind if I had kept the 42mm SG too. Just wondering about the durability of the anodizing. When I called Apple they we no help at all. Of course I was just out of warranty but this is a high dollar item with a known problem documented by many people online. I would have expected at least a little more concern. A little spooked about the aluminum after that.

 

[Max Your Macs]

Update: Definitely keeping the 38mm after wearing it a few days. the build quality and overall look and feel are just fantastic. After a few days on the wrist, I barely notice it's smaller than the 42mm I had been wearing for a year and a half.

But, I think I will also keep the Space Gray since I also got a great deal on it and it would be good to have for the gym or other 'daily wear' situations where I don't want to bang up the SBSS. But, I just noticed something on the Space Gray... In an above post, I mentioned my previous silver Sport from last year had the finish literally corroding away at all the letters around the back. This has made me a little more than keen on the anodized finishes of the Sport model. Well, today I was wearing the Space Gray outside and lo and behold, when the sun hit it the right way I can see two very small dots where the finish has come off, right on the very thin flat area next to the glass and before the case body rounds down. It is obviously not from a scratch or impact as it is in sort of a protected area and there would be more obvious scratching on the body and possibly the glass. But there they are, one at the top right corner and the lower left corner.

I have been glancing around in some other forums and places online and I have seen almost exactly the same thing on other people's Space Gray models in their photos! This surely is some sort of manufacturing issue with the aluminum models now I am second guessing this watches durability. I do not work in a harsh environment nor bang my watches around so I really don't have an explanation other than mfg. issues.

Just wondering if anyone else with Space Gray is seeing this with their watches?