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ssledoux

macrumors 601
Original poster
Sep 16, 2006
4,410
4,243
Down south
I can't go through a thread with nearly 3500 responses to find this. Can anyone recommend a good knockoff?
 

blasto2236

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2012
798
392
I had seen a lot of good feedback on the JETech ones, but ordered from Amazon and was pretty disappointed. Overall the feel is pretty nice, but the magnetic clasp on mine was scuffed on arrival. Pretty badly, at that.

Granted, I didn't expect a whole lot from a $13 band vs the $199 asking price for the real deal. And having said that, the folks at JETech reached out to me and offered a replacement after seeing a photo. So I'm pretty pleased with their service if nothing else. I'll report back on the replacement once it arrives.
 
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Liam_89

macrumors member
Aug 30, 2016
59
34
Durham, UK

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mizmimi02

macrumors 6502a
Feb 27, 2014
611
870
Midwest
I'm going to also recommend JTech. The only issue I had (and it may have just been me) was that the rubber type seal surrounding the magnet, allowed it to slip just a tiny bit throughout the day. I shaved off a bit of that and it works like a charm! It's one of my favorites. Don't forget too remove the plastic film from the magnet.
 

satinsilverem2

macrumors 6502a
Nov 12, 2013
934
460
Richmond, VA
JTech for sure. I got one fall 2015 and love it. I've held it next to a real Apple one and I can't tell the difference. its also held up remarkably well.
 

ssledoux

macrumors 601
Original poster
Sep 16, 2006
4,410
4,243
Down south
Okay thanks! I got one that popped up when I ordered my leather band from Amazon (which I'm returning because it sucks), and it's BRG I think? It seems like a pretty good one and it has 4 1/2 stars with over 2500 reviews. I just wanted to see if any of you recommended that one. It seems fine, but I really don't have another knockoff to compare it to.
 

jamin00

macrumors 6502a
Apr 14, 2012
616
168
Essex, UK.
Moko I got based on reviews from here. I use it swimming too, if I have to buy 2 a year it will still not get me anywhere near the cost of the OEM before the AW2 is long outdated ;)

Some will say that you will spend and spend on aftermarket straps but tbh, I cant see it. Im sure the AW will be outdated long before I have spent anywhere near the cost of an OEM strap as I mention above.


but Im sure there are good 3rd party straps and crap ones too.
 

fyun89

macrumors 6502
Oct 3, 2014
439
452
The knockoff black ones concern me that their paint will fall off quickly (confirmed in many reviews). It's probably because they are not PVD coated (which costs money).

I'm not too sure about silver one though.
 

jamin00

macrumors 6502a
Apr 14, 2012
616
168
Essex, UK.
I got a black one and will report when it starts to fail in any way. Like I said, I wear it in the swimming pool and the hot tub most days so if they that bad it wont last long.
 

fyun89

macrumors 6502
Oct 3, 2014
439
452
I had the JTech black and it started to wear the black off right away. Magnet wasn't as strong as Apple's either.

Have tried others yet.

I strongly doubt others ones will perform better. Think about it. Black paint cannot be bonded to steel unless some expensive coating is used (PVD DLC etc). Even if they found another method, it may potentially harm you since these cheap companies most likely skip safety test procedures... Little things go a long way.
 

dictoresno

macrumors 601
Apr 30, 2012
4,515
658
NJ
I just grabbed one off Amazon from the seller/brand Penom as others here I've seen got the same one.

The box was a nice touch, very Apple-like in a way. The band overall seems pretty high quality and has very strong Amazon reviews. I got mine after seeing it pop up on a 9to5toys email with a $2.00 off coupon. The fitment into the watch was very precise and well engineered. Also, the magnet appears to be very strong. We will see how time treats it, it won't be an everyday band for me however. Not bad for $7.99 either way.
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