As an occasional Apple Watch wearer (I wear it two or three days a week when the mood hits me) I’ve found one thing to be true: Apple knows how to make bands. Their rubber “fitness” bands are unique and fun to wear and their “Milano” metal strap is great if a little flashy. I got my hands on their new nylon straps and I’m here to tell you that they got nylon right.
Hear me out. The traditional nylon NATO strap is a whisp of a thing, designed to apparently hold in stink and sweat and fall apart in a few years. Apple’s nylon straps are made of thick woven nylon in multiple colors with end lugs that match the color of the band. The pink band is particularly fun as the pink in the material matches the lugs.
The bands seem waterproof enough to be dangerous and the buckles are PVD coated and quite nice. In short, it’s like Apple looked at an eBay NATO strap and said “Nahhhh” and made something really nice.
Apple is literally showing watchmakers how horrible they are. I’ve seen some terrible bands in my day and some awful watches. The Apple Watch is neither and, although the utility is limited for all but the most die-hard Apple fan. I just find it fascinating that a company dedicated to making shiny rectangles full of electronics got watch accessories so right. I’d love to see their take on watch winders. Apple Loupe anyone?
