Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
How Apple will charge a premium for the Space Black Stainless Steel Watch
- Thread starter TheDeviceUser
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If you own a Rolex and damage the watch face are you able to just buy a new face without buying a new watch?
I would expect customer service for Rolex to be the best there is, and if you went into a store, you would be able to replace or get replaced only those parts that needed it.
Anything less from such a brand would be unacceptable.
What would you think?
I caught my watch in the workshop, and damaged the body, go to Rolex dealer and they say, sorry, you will have to buy a new watch and it will have to come with another $10,000 gold strap also.
I don't think so.
Don't know about Rolex, but when I used to wear watches, I went to the watch store, picked out a watch, then the store people showed me a selection of bands that fit that watch, and I picked one.
I've never had a band that outlasted a watch, but I'm sure if one did, I could have taken the band to a watch store and asked for a watch to fit that band.
I agree with you there sir. However there are some fundamental differences between the Apple Watch and other traditional timepieces including the Rolex.
Firstly, the Apple Watch may not be considered just a watch. You will be busy doing several activities on the Watch face all day, including touch gestures, Apple Pay, etc. On the other hand, you mostly glance at your Rolex to know the time, or maybe change the time when you're travelling through time-zones.
Also if the Apple Watch supports sleep monitoring (not v1.0 but the future iterations maybe), then you might even wear it while sleeping - everyday.
Again, you need to charge the Watch regularly. One may even come across a bad battery - has happened with me a couple of times with my iPhones - thus requiring a replacement. Also, Rolex doesn't vibrate.
In short, chances of damaging/replacing/changing your Apple Watch are more. Hence thinking about the plausibilities of your designer Watch bands is a valid point in my opinion.
You can buy any Rolex part. Down to individual strap links, or individual mechanism parts.
Are you assuming you can't get a damaged
Watch repaired? If so what do you base this on?
Are you assuming you can't get a damaged
I don't see where that was implied, it just looks like it was a straight answer to a simple question to me.
I don't see where that was implied, it just looks like it was a straight answer to a simple question to me.
Looks like I may be guilty of assuming wrongly, but knowing how bizarre some of Tanegashima theories can be....
Are you assuming you can't get a damaged
I'm not assuming anything.
Stop obsessing with a damned watch.
And I'm assuming otherwise. Apple is very likely to say "Select from a few options curated by us or make your own Watch", thus making everyone happy.
Just a healthy disagreement here my friend. I am in no way criticizing your opinions.
Apple has not provided a list but it is believed by most (me included) that the Apple Watch Gallery lists the
Watch/strap combinations that will be available . Also all straps will likely be sold individually.
Yes we'll have to agree to disagree. In fact I doubt Apple will officially allow third party bands right away. Why give that revenue stream to someone else right away?
But the bands fit mechanically (say like the leather case for iPhone 6), how would Apple be able to regulate that?
Apple has a patent(s) on the clasp mechanism. So using the same clasp would be a patent infringement. This will not stop Chinese knockoffs though. Apple will likely license it through their MFi program
That brings up an interesting question. Have any Watch patents been filed/published? It seems like they were really able to keep this one a secret.
I've just seen this which i thought was interesting
"While all of the bands of a matching size will fit any of the three editions, Apple said it will package specific models with matching bands, and in some cases exclusive band styles. All together, this will result in the largest range of different SKUs of any product Apple sells. This is one aspect of "our most personal product" marketing line Apple is using: extremely broad customization."
The link to where i found it -http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/09/09/the-watch-first-impressions-of-apples-new-wearable
i particularly find the first bit very interesting, so basically ALL of the bands will fit any of the three editions, so you could put a sports band on a steel watch or a modern leather on a gold edition or a black stainless steel watch. I think Apple are doing the right thing by doing this rather than limiting customers to a specific style/look.
"While all of the bands of a matching size will fit any of the three editions, Apple said it will package specific models with matching bands, and in some cases exclusive band styles. All together, this will result in the largest range of different SKUs of any product Apple sells. This is one aspect of "our most personal product" marketing line Apple is using: extremely broad customization."
The link to where i found it -http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/09/09/the-watch-first-impressions-of-apples-new-wearable
i particularly find the first bit very interesting, so basically ALL of the bands will fit any of the three editions, so you could put a sports band on a steel watch or a modern leather on a gold edition or a black stainless steel watch. I think Apple are doing the right thing by doing this rather than limiting customers to a specific style/look.
Apple, like most large companies, makes many patent filings. They also do things like filing a mundane patent and the same time they file an exotic one. The exotic gets all the attention while the mundane patent flies under the radar.
Here is an example of an exotic Watch patent Apple filed and the article suggest other patents were files at the same time.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/22/apple-itime-patent-smartwatch/
----------
This is known. The strap mechanism is a standard on all
Watches. There are just 2 mechanism sizes. So any 38mm strap will physically fit on any 38mm Watch.
This is known. The strap mechanism is a standard on all
I didn't know this, i hoped it was the case tho. People on the forum have been asking and debating it. But it's good to know for someone like myself who intends to by a
Watch with a sport band and a stainless steel link bracelet, that i will be able to do this and change the bands at will. Hopefully even after a couple of months if i want to by another band i will be able to do so from Apples online store, much like the iPhone cases 
If it's simpler for you, think of it like this:
You are NEVER buying a strap you don't want... You either cough up more money for a premium strap... or you TAKE THE STRAP THAT APPLE IS INCLUDING FOR ABSOLUTELY 100% FREE. If you had bought Apple Watch Edition (assumed prices) & it was $3,000 with the free strap or $3,500 with the gold & leather strap.... and in this instance you chose the more expensive option- then horribly damaged the watch only... the simple solution would be to replace it with a $3,000 model & NOT pay the premium for the undamaged band that you still own. Make sense?
What free band? There's no way Apple will be giving away a band for free, imo. Models with a sport band will be cheaper but you'll still be paying for the band.