Thoughts on the leather bands

[Nicolecat]

Is anyone worried about the leather on the watch straps separating?

I've had issues with my apple ipad mini smart cover separating...and that's something that's been in the back of my mind while trying to decide if I want a leather band...or an apple watch at all. Leather quality means nothing to me if it's just going to separate from use.

Monday's announcement and following reviews will really tell all for me.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

It won't be just any cheap leather:

Modern Buckle: "A small French tannery established in 1803 produces the supple Granada leather for this elegant band...."

Leather Loop: "The Venezia leather for this band is handcrafted in Arzignano, Italy...."

Classic Buckle: "From the renowned ECCO tannery in the Netherlands, the Dutch leather used for this band is milled to give the grain a subtle, distinctive texture...."

 

[Flow39]

Is anyone worried about the leather on the watch straps separating?

I've had issues with my apple ipad mini smart cover separating...and that's something that's been in the back of my mind while trying to decide if I want a leather band...or an apple watch at all. Leather quality means nothing to me if it's just going to separate from use.

Monday's announcement and following reviews will really tell all for me.

I would bet it would be a little more durable. If I remember correctly, in the Apple Watch video at the keynote, they said the leather was more "sport" type, so it should be more durable.

 

[jabingla2810]

I love the look of the leather loop but I'm concerned about its durability.

The part of the strap that slides into the watch body looks to be leather, that's my main concern. Depending on how tight around your wrist the watch is, I could see some deformation for sure.

I'm sure Apple have thought about it though!

 

[Night Spring]

No way to tell if leather will separate until you use it for a while. It hasn't happened with any of my Apple leather cases, but I suppose there could be a bad one here and there. I'm not that bothered, because Apple stands by its products. If I get a Apple leather watch band and it separates, I'm confident I can walk into an Apple Store and get a replacement immediately.

 

[troop231]

As long as it's nothing like the leather they use on the iPhone cases, it should be much better lol.

 

[Nicolecat]

I love the look of the leather loop but I'm concerned about its durability.

The part of the strap that slides into the watch body looks to be leather, that's my main concern. Depending on how tight around your wrist the watch is, I could see some deformation for sure.

I'm sure Apple have thought about it though!

I hope they've thought of this, and with all the new hires well versed in the field of wearables...I would hope it to not be an issue.
I guess we'll see.
Their foray into this side of things is definitely causing a wide array of excitement.

 

[cambookpro]

It won't be just any cheap leather:

Modern Buckle: "A small French tannery established in 1803 produces the supple Granada leather for this elegant band...."

Leather Loop: "The Venezia leather for this band is handcrafted in Arzignano, Italy...."

Classic Buckle: "From the renowned ECCO tannery in the Netherlands, the Dutch leather used for this band is milled to give the grain a subtle, distinctive texture...."

Let's be honest though, the marketing team has gone to town describing the straps. I highly doubt that where it's made is going to have a huge effect. You can apply that kind of marketing speak to anything. Of course, they can't outright lie, but these things are still going to sell in the millions, so it's not going to be made by three people in some rural French gîte.

Apple don't have a great history with leather - the iPhone 5s and 6 cases discolour very quickly, leather smart covers often peel apart, iPod cases were vastly overpriced and wore quickly, etc.

I hope these bands are much better.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Let's be honest though, the marketing team has gone to town describing the straps. I highly doubt that where it's made is going to have a huge effect. You can apply that kind of marketing speak to anything. Of course, they can't outright lie, but these things are still going to sell in the millions, so it's not going to be made by three people in some rural French gîte.

Apple don't have a great history with leather - the iPhone 5s and 6 cases discolour very quickly, leather smart covers often peel apart, iPod cases were vastly overpriced and wore quickly, etc.

I hope these bands are much better.

We'll find out on Monday. If even the leather bands are crazy expensive, we'll know why. Otherwise, they're marketing speak.

 

[Rogifan]

Let's be honest though, the marketing team has gone to town describing the straps. I highly doubt that where it's made is going to have a huge effect. You can apply that kind of marketing speak to anything. Of course, they can't outright lie, but these things are still going to sell in the millions, so it's not going to be made by three people in some rural French gîte.

Apple don't have a great history with leather - the iPhone 5s and 6 cases discolour very quickly, leather smart covers often peel apart, iPod cases were vastly overpriced and wore quickly, etc.

I hope these bands are much better.

I get the feeling Jony and team have more sensitivity to Watch than iPhone and iPad cases. I think the latter things they do because they have no choice and accessories are good moneymakers. My guess is we won't be worrying about quality with Watch. But I think prices will reflect that.

 

[bushman4]

Apple is putting out a fashionable most likely expensive AppleWatch. With that in mind I don't think you have to worry about cheap leather

 

[Mr. Buzzcut]

The leather on the cases is pathetically thin and glued to a cardboard like backing. I hope the watch bands are not the same leather stitched or glued to fabric. The one that slips directly in the watch is obviously not completely leather.

 

[kdarling]

It won't be just any cheap leather:

Modern Buckle: "A small French tannery established in 1803 produces the supple Granada leather for this elegant band...."

Apparently that's Tanneries Roux, which is owned by the luxury brand LVMH (who also owns TAG Heuer and Hublot). They supply the major watch brands with straps.

Leather Loop: "The Venezia leather for this band is handcrafted in Arzignano, Italy...."

There are several good tanneries in Arzignano.

Classic Buckle: "From the renowned ECCO tannery in the Netherlands, the Dutch leather used for this band is milled to give the grain a subtle, distinctive texture...."

ECCO supplies leather goods for fashion houses, automobiles, etc.

 

[KPOM]

As long as it's nothing like the leather they use on the iPhone cases, it should be much better lol.

It won't be. The cases are cheap accessories to protect expensive phones. The watch is intended to be a fashion item. As KDarling points out, they are sourcing from the same places that luxury manufacturers and auto manufacturers get their leather. Even "good" leather bands need to be replaced after 2 years or so, so expect the Apple Watch bands to be the same.

 

[troop231]

It won't be.

I know, was simply stating

 

[Mr. Buzzcut]

It won't be. The cases are cheap accessories to protect expensive phones. The watch is intended to be a fashion item. As KDarling points out, they are sourcing from the same places that luxury manufacturers and auto manufacturers get their leather. Even "good" leather bands need to be replaced after 2 years or so, so expect the Apple Watch bands to be the same.

Apple doesn't think the phone cases are cheap. Can we really trust anything that comes from their marketing hyperbole?

"These Apple-designed cases are made from premium leather for a luxurious feel. Because they’re precision crafted for iPhone 6, the case fits snugly and your phone still feels incredibly slim even with the case on. The soft microfiber lining on the inside helps protect your iPhone. And on the outside, you see color that’s more than surface deep, thanks to a dye that’s infused into the leather. Choose from five complementary colors."

 

[extricated]

I get the feeling Jony and team have more sensitivity to Watch than iPhone and iPad cases. I think the latter things they do because they have no choice and accessories are good moneymakers. My guess is we won't be worrying about quality with Watch. But I think prices will reflect that.

Totally agree. One of my favorite quotes from Jony's latest interview expressed his team's "sensitivity":

It was different with the phone – all of us working on the first iPhone were driven by an absolute disdain for the cellphones we were using at the time. That’s not the case here. We’re a group of people who love our watches. So we’re working on something, yet have a high regard for what currently exists.

 

[KPOM]

Apple doesn't think the phone cases are cheap. Can we really trust anything that comes from their marketing hyperbole?

"These Apple-designed cases are made from premium leather for a luxurious feel. Because they’re precision crafted for iPhone 6, the case fits snugly and your phone still feels incredibly slim even with the case on. The soft microfiber lining on the inside helps protect your iPhone. And on the outside, you see color that’s more than surface deep, thanks to a dye that’s infused into the leather. Choose from five complementary colors."

They sell them for $49, or $10 more than what they sell the silicone ones for. That's cheap by Apple standards. Expect the leather straps to be at least $100, and likely more, based on the prices of similar leather straps for watches on mid-range brands like Movado, Omega, and Tissot.

 

[Mr. Buzzcut]

They sell them for $49, or $10 more than what they sell the silicone ones for. That's cheap by Apple standards. Expect the leather straps to be at least $100, and likely more, based on the prices of similar leather straps for watches on mid-range brands like Movado, Omega, and Tissot.

I get that. But don't call just an average case premium and luxurious when it really isn't. Then they really shoot for the moon with the descriptions of the watch accessories. It's meaningless. They may be great but I can't count on what I'm reading and just need to see them first hand and how they wear.

 

[KenAFSPC]

No one else is going to be able to tell whether you are wearing a $100 Apple leather band or a $5 third-party leather band.

 

[KPOM]

No one else is going to be able to tell whether you are wearing a $100 Apple leather band or a $5 third-party leather band.

Since it has a unique, likely patented connector, it may not be possible to get a cheap leather band (though even those tend to be closer to $20). If you have a Movado or a Tissot you can put a standard third party band if you want, or you can get an official band for about $100-$150. The leather is higher grade, though most of the price is typical jewelry/clothing markup.

 

[bushman4]

Most likely have to be seen. Not a standard off the shelf item

 

[bushido]

No one else is going to be able to tell whether you are wearing a $100 Apple leather band or a $5 third-party leather band.

exactly. i expect "original fake" bands on aliexpress and alike by the end of the week just like u can get an "original" smartcase for 9€ instead of 69€