I completed my try-on session earlier this afternoon. The young, female Apple store employee was courteous and let me take photos as I tried on the various watch combinations. During the session I tried on the 38 SS and 42 SS Milanese loop, the 38 and 42 SS classic buckle, the 42 SS blue and brown leather loop, and the 42 ALU black sport band. I had already preordered a 38 SS and a 42 SS Milanese Loop, so I was hoping this try-on session would help me finalize my decision.
Overall, I am really impressed with the Apple watch as an object (the software felt buggy and incomplete, but I won't go into that here). Apple's incredible attention to detail is absolutely apparent the moment you pick it up. They really did a great job with the two sizes. The 38, while small in the hand and on display, wears beautifully on the wrist. I was worried when I first held it that it might look small when worn, but it has a clean, subtle look that I think would work nicely as an everyday watch. The 42 looked like the perfect size when I first picked it up, and it, too, felt nice on the wrist. The larger size makes a stronger statement, but seemed a bit less elegant (more techy perhaps?). Of the two sizes, the 38 felt more organic, like a smooth pebble on the wrist. Whereas the 42 was almost like a tiny brick (obvious exaggeration). Readability was fine (for me) on both watches, but I was not able to test the functionality of the 38 for a true comparison.
The first set I tried on was the 38 and 42 Milanese loop. I love the look and feel of this band. There is a small fingernail ridge along the edge of the clasp that is intended to make it easy to grip and pull the band tight. In practice, however, I found it to be a little tricky to grab initially. Of the 4 bands I tried on, the Milanese took the longest to put on and tighten, though I assume it would become easier with practice. I will say the band felt great once tightened, and the infinitely adjustable magnet clasp allowed me to get a perfect fit in several different positions on the wrist. My initial thought was that the 42 seemed a little large on my wrist, but after a few seconds it felt fine. The 38 looks better in the pictures, but I think either size would work well with this band (for me). The only real concern I have about the appearance of 42 with this band is that the clasp ended on the outer edge of my wrist once fitted, making it clearly visible. On the 38, the clasp rested on the underside of the wrist when fitted (preferred).
The second set I tried on was the 38 and 42 classic buckle. The band was easy to put on and adjust. The leather felt comfortable on the wrist and seemed to be of decent quality, though it is unclear how well it would hold up to daily wear and tear (especially considering the watch must be charged frequently). The most important thing to note about this band is that the lugs add considerable visual size to the watch. The 38 wore nicely, but the 42 looked gigantic. While I did prefer the width of the classic buckles leather band on the 42 (the 42's band is wider than the 38's), I would only ever consider this band if I got the 38. Overall, though, the classic buckle is a nice, somewhat generic, band that I think would work well with casual office attire or even a nice suit.
So far, I prefer the 38.
The next band I tried was the leather loop. This band is only available for the 42. When I first picked it up, it felt a little thin and had an unusual texture that didnt quite feel like leather. However, as soon as I put it on, it felt fantastic. I was able to put it on and adjust it quickly, and the hold felt completely secure (not quite as tight as the Milanese, but certainly not as loose as some of the claims going around the web). I also loved the colors. The darker brown was my favorite. Unfortunately, they only had the brown in a large size so it did not fit properly on my wrist. They had the blue in a medium size which fit perfectly fine. Both colors looked great and would complement a wide range of attire. Also, because the leather loop disappears right into the edge of the watch face, the apparent size is smaller than the 42 with the classic buckle. I really wish Apple made this band for the 38.
Lastly, I tried on the 42 Apple sport in space grey with a black sport band. The quality of the sport band was better than I expected and it felt comfortable on the wrist. Like the leather loop, the band disappears into the edge of the watch, giving it a clean look that appears smaller than the 42 with the classic buckle. I prefer the stainless apple watch, but the sport version was very nice for the money. I would be like to see how the space grey version looks with a custom leather strap and matching clasp.
Now I really cant make up my mind. I slightly preferred the 38 Milanese (which is still my band of choice), but I also planned on getting a second band. I liked the 42 leather loop more than the 38 classic buckle. It really is unfortunate that I am forced to go with the 42 in order to get the leather loop.
The young female employee did not have a preference and said both looked fine. A male employee who was shadowing her for part of the session said he preferred the 42 (though he may have been a tad biased, as he mentioned that he ordered a 42 for himself he also had huge wrists!)
My wrist circumference is approximately 168mm, with a diameter of 55mm. I took several pictures while I was there. Sorry about the poor quality and over exposure. I brought 2 traditional watches (one mechanical and one quartz) with me for comparison A 36mm YG Rolex Day Date, and a vintage stainless Girard Perregaux Quartz. I also included a photo of the Rolex on my wrist. I generally prefer smaller watches, but take a look at the photos and tell me what you think.
Lineup for size comparison:
Milanese 38:
Milanese 42:
Classic 38:
Classic 42:
Leather Loop 42:
Leather Loop 42 Side:
Rolex 36mm Day Date:
Overall, I am really impressed with the Apple watch as an object (the software felt buggy and incomplete, but I won't go into that here). Apple's incredible attention to detail is absolutely apparent the moment you pick it up. They really did a great job with the two sizes. The 38, while small in the hand and on display, wears beautifully on the wrist. I was worried when I first held it that it might look small when worn, but it has a clean, subtle look that I think would work nicely as an everyday watch. The 42 looked like the perfect size when I first picked it up, and it, too, felt nice on the wrist. The larger size makes a stronger statement, but seemed a bit less elegant (more techy perhaps?). Of the two sizes, the 38 felt more organic, like a smooth pebble on the wrist. Whereas the 42 was almost like a tiny brick (obvious exaggeration). Readability was fine (for me) on both watches, but I was not able to test the functionality of the 38 for a true comparison.
The first set I tried on was the 38 and 42 Milanese loop. I love the look and feel of this band. There is a small fingernail ridge along the edge of the clasp that is intended to make it easy to grip and pull the band tight. In practice, however, I found it to be a little tricky to grab initially. Of the 4 bands I tried on, the Milanese took the longest to put on and tighten, though I assume it would become easier with practice. I will say the band felt great once tightened, and the infinitely adjustable magnet clasp allowed me to get a perfect fit in several different positions on the wrist. My initial thought was that the 42 seemed a little large on my wrist, but after a few seconds it felt fine. The 38 looks better in the pictures, but I think either size would work well with this band (for me). The only real concern I have about the appearance of 42 with this band is that the clasp ended on the outer edge of my wrist once fitted, making it clearly visible. On the 38, the clasp rested on the underside of the wrist when fitted (preferred).
The second set I tried on was the 38 and 42 classic buckle. The band was easy to put on and adjust. The leather felt comfortable on the wrist and seemed to be of decent quality, though it is unclear how well it would hold up to daily wear and tear (especially considering the watch must be charged frequently). The most important thing to note about this band is that the lugs add considerable visual size to the watch. The 38 wore nicely, but the 42 looked gigantic. While I did prefer the width of the classic buckles leather band on the 42 (the 42's band is wider than the 38's), I would only ever consider this band if I got the 38. Overall, though, the classic buckle is a nice, somewhat generic, band that I think would work well with casual office attire or even a nice suit.
So far, I prefer the 38.
The next band I tried was the leather loop. This band is only available for the 42. When I first picked it up, it felt a little thin and had an unusual texture that didnt quite feel like leather. However, as soon as I put it on, it felt fantastic. I was able to put it on and adjust it quickly, and the hold felt completely secure (not quite as tight as the Milanese, but certainly not as loose as some of the claims going around the web). I also loved the colors. The darker brown was my favorite. Unfortunately, they only had the brown in a large size so it did not fit properly on my wrist. They had the blue in a medium size which fit perfectly fine. Both colors looked great and would complement a wide range of attire. Also, because the leather loop disappears right into the edge of the watch face, the apparent size is smaller than the 42 with the classic buckle. I really wish Apple made this band for the 38.
Lastly, I tried on the 42 Apple sport in space grey with a black sport band. The quality of the sport band was better than I expected and it felt comfortable on the wrist. Like the leather loop, the band disappears into the edge of the watch, giving it a clean look that appears smaller than the 42 with the classic buckle. I prefer the stainless apple watch, but the sport version was very nice for the money. I would be like to see how the space grey version looks with a custom leather strap and matching clasp.
Now I really cant make up my mind. I slightly preferred the 38 Milanese (which is still my band of choice), but I also planned on getting a second band. I liked the 42 leather loop more than the 38 classic buckle. It really is unfortunate that I am forced to go with the 42 in order to get the leather loop.
The young female employee did not have a preference and said both looked fine. A male employee who was shadowing her for part of the session said he preferred the 42 (though he may have been a tad biased, as he mentioned that he ordered a 42 for himself he also had huge wrists!)
My wrist circumference is approximately 168mm, with a diameter of 55mm. I took several pictures while I was there. Sorry about the poor quality and over exposure. I brought 2 traditional watches (one mechanical and one quartz) with me for comparison A 36mm YG Rolex Day Date, and a vintage stainless Girard Perregaux Quartz. I also included a photo of the Rolex on my wrist. I generally prefer smaller watches, but take a look at the photos and tell me what you think.
Lineup for size comparison:
Milanese 38:
Milanese 42:
Classic 38:
Classic 42:
Leather Loop 42:
Leather Loop 42 Side:
Rolex 36mm Day Date:
