Glad to report I had a great try on appointment at the Apple Store. I was on the fence for quite a while about 38mm vs 42mm. I'm a male, but tend to where understated watches and prefer their look and feel (current daily driver is a large Cartier Tank, which is pretty small compared to most fashion-type watches).
Based on my smaller wrists and enjoyment of my current watch, I was going to go with the 38mm stainless steel. I wound up convincing myself against it when the final bands were released, and the leather loop was limited to the larger size.
I went with the 42 at launch, thinking I might regret it. I tried it on the other day, and am happy to report it's wonderful. Definitely nicely sized (although I thought the 38mm still looked and fit nicely). I was a little surprised at how light it felt compared to other stainless steel watches I've owned, but the build quality was quite exceptional. I actually walked in with pretty modest expectations, and left feeling very impressed. I wound up liking the Milanese loop much more than I thought I would. It was sturdy, had an interesting texture and feel. I found myself constantly running my finger over the threading. I didn't like the leather loop as much as I thought I would because the leather itself feels strange and slightly plasticky, but I do love the look of it, especially in brown.
So, for guys used to smaller watches or with smaller wrists, or who are on the fence because of band selection, I don't necessarily think you can go wrong with either!
Based on my smaller wrists and enjoyment of my current watch, I was going to go with the 38mm stainless steel. I wound up convincing myself against it when the final bands were released, and the leather loop was limited to the larger size.
I went with the 42 at launch, thinking I might regret it. I tried it on the other day, and am happy to report it's wonderful. Definitely nicely sized (although I thought the 38mm still looked and fit nicely). I was a little surprised at how light it felt compared to other stainless steel watches I've owned, but the build quality was quite exceptional. I actually walked in with pretty modest expectations, and left feeling very impressed. I wound up liking the Milanese loop much more than I thought I would. It was sturdy, had an interesting texture and feel. I found myself constantly running my finger over the threading. I didn't like the leather loop as much as I thought I would because the leather itself feels strange and slightly plasticky, but I do love the look of it, especially in brown.
So, for guys used to smaller watches or with smaller wrists, or who are on the fence because of band selection, I don't necessarily think you can go wrong with either!
