Does every band fit every watch?

[Exile714]

I think you misread Apple's web page...
http://www.apple.com/watch/gallery/

(Snip)

So I see 4 different metal accents shown in the Fluoroelastomer band, and none of them are aluminum. In fact, I can't find any aluminum accents on any of the bands or straps.

I didn't "misread" anything, because I never saw any of what you read. Good catch. I was basing that assumption on the look of the... accents/pins/grommets? I saw something on the regular Apple Watch page that simply wasn't there.

Anyway, the more I think about the combinations the more my head hurts. I'm betting Apple will have to "revolutionize" the purchasing process of this is going to work. I bet they'll need an entire keynote just to explain how all this is going to work.

 

[mashinhead]

I imagine what is going to happen is that you will buy a watch face (in one of 2 sizes and 1 of 6 colors) and it will not come with a strap. Then you will buy the strap or straps you want separately. The straps will have different tiers of pricing. There are way too many combinations to sell you the watch and the strap in one, to predict which combinations are best to produce. It also means the watch will cost more that $349. It will be that plus the strap cost, which given Apple's accessory pricing, will be at least $400.

 

[lirn8]

I don't think Apple will sell a product that you can't use the second you get out the store...
Maybe when you buy the watch you get to choose a strap from the selection

 

[Julien]

I imagine what is going to happen is that you will buy a watch face (in one of 2 sizes and 1 of 6 colors) and it will not come with a strap. Then you will buy the strap or straps you want separately. The straps will have different tiers of pricing. There are way too many combinations to sell you the watch and the strap in one, to predict which combinations are best to produce. It also means the watch will cost more that $349. It will be that plus the strap cost, which given Apple's accessory pricing, will be at least $400.

The Apple Watch Gallery shows the collections apple:Watch/band combinations/SKUs) that will be available at launch. It's all but certain all the bands will be sold individually too.

 

[Piggie]

The Apple Watch Gallery shows the collections apple:Watch/band combinations/SKUs) that will be available at launch. It's all but certain all the bands will be sold individually too.

I think the BIGGEST question is going to be:

Will Apple force you to have to buy the strap you don't want?

Personally I hope they don't.
They can "suggest" and "offer" a combination THEY like, but that should not be the only choices.

As Apple has gone on and on and on about this being a so very personal device, with so many combinations....

You should, from day 1, be able to pick the body and the straps separately, then go to checkout where you pay the combined price.

That would please everyone.
I can't see why anyone would not wish it to be done like this.

 

[fousfous]

I think that's too complicated to do.

 

[Piggie]

I think that's too complicated to do.

Really ?

Pick from 5 body types.

Then pick the strap type.

Go to checkout.

I'd worry for Apple if their customers found that complicated

That's less complicated than.
Pick which of 2 sizes of iPad you want. (soon to be 3 sizes)
Pick if you want WiFi only or Cellular version.
Pick which of 3 memory size options you want.
Then perhaps pick an optional case for it in a Varity of colours!

 

[ditzy]

My guess is when they sell you which ever version you want to buy, it will come with a strap of your choosing, within that collection. Then you will be able to buy whatever strap you want after that.
It makes no sense for apple to limit strap sales.
Also on the keynote they pointed out that there are millions of options, if you are limited to only buying straps from the watch collection that you bought, that would bring those options down dramatically.

 

[fousfous]

Complicated for Apple I would say.

 

[Rogifan]

I think the BIGGEST question is going to be:

Will Apple force you to have to buy the strap you don't want?

Personally I hope they don't.
They can "suggest" and "offer" a combination THEY like, but that should not be the only choices.

As Apple has gone on and on and on about this being a so very personal device, with so many combinations....

You should, from day 1, be able to pick the body and the straps separately, then go to checkout where you pay the combined price.

That would please everyone.
I can't see why anyone would not wish it to be done like this.

I have my doubts Apple will offer up an aluminum watch with a stainless steel band. Of course they can't prevent someone doing that after the fact but they're not going to encourage it. Why would they list models in each collection if they didn't want to steer people in a certain direction?

My question is why would someone want the aluminum watch with a stainless steel or gold accent band? Those combinations make no sense.

 

[Piggie]

So, current thinking is something along the lines of the following...

You will go to the web site and select the watch body type you want, it's material and finish.

Then you will only have te option of choosing, lets say 4 or 5 different straps apple thinks should go with that model.

If you don't want one of those 4 or 5 then you have no choise but to have to buy the one you don't want, then go, les say to an optional accessories page and separately buy the strap you want, so you will receive the watch and two straps on the mail and have to try and sell the one you did not want.

This is his most see it working yes?

Re the sports watch. Myself I don't see what's wrong with an aluminium watch with a metal strap.

 

[Gav2k]

So, current thinking is something along the lines of the following...

You will go to the web site and select the watch body type you want, it's material and finish.

Then you will only have te option of choosing, lets say 4 or 5 different straps apple thinks should go with that model.

If you don't want one of those 4 or 5 then you have no choise but to have to buy the one you don't want, then go, les say to an optional accessories page and separately buy the strap you want, so you will receive the watch and two straps on the mail and have to try and sell the one you did not want.

This is his most see it working yes?

Re the sports watch. Myself I don't see what's wrong with an aluminium watch with a metal strap.

I think it'll be set up so you pick one of the 6 watch faces then you pick your strap which up's the price depending on your choice. The plastic (sports) band being the free choice.

Then on an accessories page like cases for iPhones you'll be able to purchase additional bands. Sports being $29.99

----------

I certainly hope there will be the sport bands for the stainless steel watch, I will want one for the gym.

Watch the keynote Tim Cook has the darker stainless steel watch on with the White sportsband on during the keynote

 

[Dave245]

Watch the keynote Tim Cook has the darker stainless steel watch on with the White sportsband on during the keynote

I watched the keynote and noticed Tim Cook was wearing the white band, didn't know it was the dark stainless steel version tho. It's going to be very interesting to see what Apple does with buying extra strap bands they have got to know that people (myself included) want to own more than one strap/band.

 

[uwdude]

Looking closer at those options on the gallery page, I've got a couple of observations:

A) It looks like they have tried to make the straps for the aluminum and steel models as interchangeable as possible. Look how the steel link bracelet is actually brushed steel, so that it looks like it might blend in with the aluminum watch as well. And the parts of the metal that attach to the watch on the Milanese, that are facing upwards towards the user are also brushed and not shiny. And since the button on the aluminum has a shiny edge, it may not even look too out of place with the classic buckle or modern buckle, although those are the marginal ones. And the leather loop doesn't have any metal accents so it would go with either. I think we might be surprised how many of these straps will be interchangeable to both those models.

B) It also looks like the Edition watches will have their own sets of straps that also come with digital crown inserts. Notice in the gallery how the color of the digital crown matches the strap in every picture of the Edition watches, while the steel all have black and the aluminum all have aluminum (or grey aluminum). So it looks like in the Edition watches you'll be able to change out the digital crown color.

 

[extricated]

I think it'll be set up so you pick one of the 6 watch faces then you pick your strap which up's the price depending on your choice. The plastic (sports) band being the free choice.

I tend to agree with that perspective. I think the sport band will be the default - stainless, gold, or aluminum. People will then have the option to upgrade beyond that.

Notice where the bands connect.
The sport (and leather) bands are the only ones that aren't "metal on metal" at the connection. They seamlessly match any of the watches, and since the sport will be cheapest to produce, that will likely be default for everyone.

 

[Rogifan]

I tend to agree with that perspective. I think the sport band will be the default - stainless, gold, or aluminum. People will then have the option to upgrade beyond that.

Notice where the bands connect.
The sport (and leather) bands are the only ones that aren't "metal on metal" at the connection. They seamlessly match any of the watches, and since the sport will be cheapest to produce, that will likely be default for everyone.

What do you mean by 'default'? Seems to me you pick the watch you want and one of the bands available for it. Of course the watches with sport bands will be the cheapest. I can't imagine Apple will force people to buy a sport band if they don't want one and I highly doubt they'll give one to you for free.

 

[DC Wallaby]

What do you mean by 'default'? Seems to me you pick the watch you want and one of the bands available for it. Of course the watches with sport bands will be the cheapest. I can't imagine Apple will force people to buy a sport band if they don't want one and I highly doubt they'll give one to you for free.

Why wouldn't they? Do you really expect them to sell you a watch and NOT include some sort of band with the purchase price? The Sport Band would obviously come included for free with at least the Apple Watch Sport collection. They're not offering any aluminum-based bands beyond the Sport Band, so there's no way they'll charge you more for a band.

(Plus, if the Apple Watch Sport is available through other retail locations, which seems highly likely to me, it'll have to come with a band in the packaging.)

Besides, the Sports Band is the only one available on all three collections of the Watch, with the only difference being which metal is inserted in it. It's obviously positioned to be mass-produced, and since a watch needs SOME band to be useful, one will probably be included free of charge. And they'll also be the cheapest accessory to purchase them separately.

 

[iamMacPerson]

I imagine what is going to happen is that you will buy a watch face (in one of 2 sizes and 1 of 6 colors) and it will not come with a strap. Then you will buy the strap or straps you want separately. The straps will have different tiers of pricing. There are way too many combinations to sell you the watch and the strap in one, to predict which combinations are best to produce. It also means the watch will cost more that $349. It will be that plus the strap cost, which given Apple's accessory pricing, will be at least $400.

Personally I think Apples going to use a build-to-order system like they do with the Macs. Online, you'll be able to choose either a pre-made combo (most of what's shown in the gallery) that will ship same day or next day (later on after supply improves) or build your own which will take an additional 1-2 days to 'build'. There seems to be too many options to make SKUs for each combo.

In Apple Stores, you'll be able to buy the pre-made combos (same ones that are online) but if you want to do a BTO it must be completed online. In third party retailers (like BB) the models carried in store will be more scarce and most likely won't be the "Edition" models.

 

[leenak]

As someone who will never wear leather and has no interest in a metal band as I plan to wear this for sports activities, I'd hope there would be mix and match. I wouldn't do gold but I may consider the stainless steel body.

 

[extricated]

What do you mean by 'default'? Seems to me you pick the watch you want and one of the bands available for it. Of course the watches with sport bands will be the cheapest. I can't imagine Apple will force people to buy a sport band if they don't want one and I highly doubt they'll give one to you for free.

Sorry I didn't reply to your question sooner. I agree with you, they won't force you to buy a sport band. When I say "default", I just wonder if that will be the standard configuration for the sport model.

In other words, $349 for the Sport and the Sport band would be a standard offering. If you want a different band, there may be an "upgrade" fee - like adding extra RAM or a different hard drive to an iMac when purchasing online.
So you wouldn't be, say, paying full price for leather and still getting stuck with a sport band you don't want, you'll just pay the difference.

I don't know if I'm doing a good job of articulating my thoughts on this.
Since we just don't know, I don't know how to explain my thoughts on the unknown. haha

 

[Rogifan]

Sorry I didn't reply to your question sooner. I agree with you, they won't force you to buy a sport band. When I say "default", I just wonder if that will be the standard configuration for the sport model.

In other words, $349 for the Sport and the Sport band would be a standard offering. If you want a different band, there may be an "upgrade" fee - like adding extra RAM or a different hard drive to an iMac when purchasing online.
So you wouldn't be, say, paying full price for leather and still getting stuck with a sport band you don't want, you'll just pay the difference.

I don't know if I'm doing a good job of articulating my thoughts on this.
Since we just don't know, I don't know how to explain my thoughts on the unknown. haha

No I completely agree with you. To me "standard" or "default" means cheapest. The cheapest watch in each collection will come with a sport band. If you want something better you upgrade to a different band.

 

[sonicrobby]

From an engineering perspective, and with logical marketing principles, Its likely that the bands can be interchangeable between all watches in both sizes.

That being said, my thoughts on the Apple retail strategy will be this:
I believe they will be selling all these band options as accessories, as some people want to change their bands to match their outfits, or for whatever their reason may be. Each watch will come with their own "default" band, correlating to the color and model of the watch. Therefore if you want any other band, you would likely have to purchase an additional band. Im not sure if Apple will allow you to customize your initial order to choose a band; the number of pre-packaged combinations of all watches and bands would be a nightmare for them.

It would be simpler, and make more financial sense for them to have a base watch package with its correlating band, and we'd have to pay (what I assume will be a relatively hefty price) for additional bands.

 

[Piggie]

It would be far easier for everyone.

NOT

To bundle any straps with any watch.

They are separate items in separate box's.

You select a body you want, you select a strap you want.

Box box's arrive you slide the strap in, and all done.

Apple does not have to "guess" what combinations to put together.

Customers don't have to have a combination they don't want.

Apple can simply make and packages watch bodies and watch straps separately.

It's so easy for everyone.

 

[Dave245]

It would be far easier for everyone.

NOT

To bundle any straps with any watch.

They are separate items in separate box's.

You select a body you want, you select a strap you want.

Box box's arrive you slide the strap in, and all done.

Apple does not have to "guess" what combinations to put together.

Customers don't have to have a combination they don't want.

Apple can simply make and packages watch bodies and watch straps separately.

It's so easy for everyone.

Like the iPhone and iPhone cases, it's a good idea tho, to be able to select the watch you want and then the strap you want along with any extra straps you may want.

 

[Rogifan]

It would be far easier for everyone.

NOT

To bundle any straps with any watch.

They are separate items in separate box's.

You select a body you want, you select a strap you want.

Box box's arrive you slide the strap in, and all done.

Apple does not have to "guess" what combinations to put together.

Customers don't have to have a combination they don't want.

Apple can simply make and packages watch bodies and watch straps separately.

It's so easy for everyone.

Wait weren't you the one saying every Watch should come with a sport band?