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dfine1966

macrumors 6502
Apr 9, 2011
425
46
Ordered from Iinkoo88 on Ebay. I'll post pics soon + compare it to utica guy one.
I guess we will both be doing a comparison. I bought my 42mm blue LL FROM the Utica guy and ordered on the 28th from linkoo88 a 42mm beige(stone) LL. First I will have to see how long it takes to get here. The latest should be by August 5th. He sent me the tracking number yesterday and has been very quick on answering my questions. Once it comes in I will compare the two and then compare both of them to my medium OEM black LL.
 
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Jigga

macrumors 6502
Jun 11, 2009
471
74
I guess we will both be doing a comparison. I bought my 42mm blue LL FROM the Utica guy and ordered on the 28th from linkoo88 a 42mm beige(stone) LL. First I will have to see how long it takes to get here. The latest should be by August 5th. He sent me the tracking number yesterday and has been very quick on answering my questions. Once it comes in I will compare the two and then compare both of them to my medium OEM black LL.
Who has been quick answering your questions linkoo88 is my seller too. I ordered a few days ago, my questions have not been responded to and my tracking number is still invalid.
 

dfine1966

macrumors 6502
Apr 9, 2011
425
46
Who has been quick answering your questions linkoo88 is my seller too. I ordered a few days ago, my questions have not been responded to and my tracking number is still invalid.
linkoo88 has been very fast in response to me so far. But I used a different tactic. I wrote him before I bought the item and was very polite in my emails and thanked him in advance. Kindness does a lot for you.
 

Jigga

macrumors 6502
Jun 11, 2009
471
74
linkoo88 has been very fast in response to me so far. But I used a different tactic. I wrote him before I bought the item and was very polite in my emails and thanked him in advance. Kindness does a lot for you.
Many thanks for the life lesson.
 

Scottgb

macrumors member
Jun 25, 2010
42
10
Has anyone found a knock off leather loop band that is the equivalent length of the Apple Medium length band? From what I'm seeing, they all look to be the equivalent of the large band. Thanks!
 

Jigga

macrumors 6502
Jun 11, 2009
471
74
Has anyone found a knock off leather loop band that is the equivalent length of the Apple Medium length band? From what I'm seeing, they all look to be the equivalent of the large band. Thanks!
They're usually in between both sizes. As someone who has a small wrist, I hope the one I'm waiting for fits.
 

CarlJ

Contributor
Feb 23, 2004
7,012
12,216
San Diego, CA, USA
Yes, this listing, just like the "utica guy" listing that I ordered from (should arrive in the morning), gives measurements for both pieces, and they match within a millimeter or so of what I'm measuring on my actual Apple 42mm medium LL. I wanted to make sure I was getting a red one that would be the same size as my black one.

FWIW, I ordered from this listing from freedomoclock09 (aka utica guy):
Genuine Leather Loop Type Watch Band Strap Magnetic Buckle For Apple 38mm 42mm
 

fishkorp

macrumors 68030
Apr 10, 2006
2,536
650
Ellicott City, MD
I got blue and brown from freedomoclock and red from Amazon. The eBay ones seem better. I may order a red from him and compare. I assumed they all came from same place, but I think that assumption is wrong.
 

sean000

macrumors 68000
Jul 16, 2015
1,628
2,346
Bellingham, WA
I got blue and brown from freedomoclock and red from Amazon. The eBay ones seem better. I may order a red from him and compare. I assumed they all came from same place, but I think that assumption is wrong.

Which one did you order from Amazon? What seems better about the eBay ones?
 

soya

macrumors 6502
Jul 30, 2010
433
106
I guess we will both be doing a comparison. I bought my 42mm blue LL FROM the Utica guy and ordered on the 28th from linkoo88 a 42mm beige(stone) LL. First I will have to see how long it takes to get here. The latest should be by August 5th. He sent me the tracking number yesterday and has been very quick on answering my questions. Once it comes in I will compare the two and then compare both of them to my medium OEM black LL.

Same exact setup as you (blue LL from utica / stone LL from Inkoo88).

The main things I'm gonna look at are: Length, Magnet strength, Connectors, Texture of the leather & durability.

As for the color, we obviously won't be able to compare the colors since the bands we have ordered are different.

My ML already received tracking info but my LL still hasn't updated yet. Other than the LL I am also receiving a 3rd party WSB from MoKo, they seem to be the best knockoffs out there as far as Sport Bands go. I will order a Space Black Link Bracelet later on once they are done making a perfect 1:1 clone in the 80-100$ range..
 

BSG75

macrumors 6502
Jul 21, 2015
356
242
Tennessee
I just got my blue LL from Inkoo88 yesterday and I've been wearing it today. So far, it's been very comfortable and the magnets are holding strong. Overall, I think it looks great with my Space Grey Sport.

I never really looked at the Apple LL bands, just because I thought they were way too expensive, but I'm curious to see how this one would compare to the Apple version.
 

iVegas

macrumors 6502
Nov 16, 2013
360
171
My band from Inkoo88 finally arrived today. Overall I'm pretty happy with it. Just one of the adapters corners is just a hair off. It does appear to be about an inch longer than Apple's version so you might want to go with a sized one from another seller if you have tiny wrists. Not bad for $36.

IMG_1453.JPG
IMG_1454.JPG
IMG_1455.JPG
 

thebuzz

macrumors member
Mar 26, 2015
38
1
Here's the Amazon prime LL via "wearlizer". The color is just what I was looking for. The quality is just OK. The top short end of the band fits great. The bottom long end is a mm or so too narrow. The finish on the leather is also just OK. It kinda has that painted vibe. It might go back in favor of a an eBay band.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1438409171.658595.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1438409187.797966.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1438409205.270311.jpg
 
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cambookpro

macrumors 604
Feb 3, 2010
7,228
3,365
United Kingdom
My band from Inkoo88 finally arrived today. Overall I'm pretty happy with it. Just one of the adapters corners is just a hair off. It does appear to be about an inch longer than Apple's version so you might want to go with a sized one from another seller if you have tiny wrists. Not bad for $36.

View attachment 572256 View attachment 572257 View attachment 572258
Do you have a link to this one? It seems the adaptors aren't as short as other clones and don't leave a gap from the photos - what do you think? Thanks!
 

iVegas

macrumors 6502
Nov 16, 2013
360
171
Do you have a link to this one? It seems the adaptors aren't as short as other clones and don't leave a gap from the photos - what do you think? Thanks!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/381332872973?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=650538416256&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&rmvSB=true

The one corner that has the gap isn't bad at all. All the other corners seem just fine. Just be warned, this seller says they ship from the U.S. but it seems it does come from China first. Expect the standard 9-14 day delivery window.
 
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cambookpro

macrumors 604
Feb 3, 2010
7,228
3,365
United Kingdom
http://www.ebay.com/itm/381332872973?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=650538416256&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&rmvSB=true

The one corner that has the gap isn't bad at all. All the other corners seem just fine. Just be warned, this seller says they ship from the U.S. but it seems it does come from China first. Expect the standard 9-14 day delivery window.
Thanks. Unfortunately the seller doesn't ship to the UK - I wonder why, they ship to most other European countries.

I've seen a few other clones on eBay UK but all seem to have significant gaps at the connector end.
 

paulgandersman

macrumors regular
Jul 4, 2010
162
59
I just got in my blue leather loop from inkoo88. It's fantastic. I'm really impressed by the quality. After trying on the OEM model at the apple store, I would say this knock off is 95% the same quality of the OEM version. There's not really anything I can peg it for in terms of negatives, just that it feels "slightly" cheaper. But hey, that's okay for less than $40 that I paid.

I was worried at first because my band did NOT come in the packaging that everyone has shown here. It came in a clear plastic bag. That's it. Not documentation or anything. Also, Inkoo88 is lying about where he is shipping from. Mine originated out of Washington. Not DC, Washington State. And the dude says he is shipping from New Jersey. Lol. Whatever, I got it in under a week. It's just strange.

Also, and this is the best part, it appears to be a perfect fit in terms of the width in the watch itself. It doesn't have that gap that I see in a lot of photos on here. It goes right to the edge perfectly. Maybe this is a new batch? Thus the lack of packaging?

I gave it a good wash with light soap and water and I saw recommended online. I don't have any leather conditioner, so we'll see how it holds up and if I get a rash like other people are saying they've gotten. Overall I'm really happy with it.

Question for y'all - how important do you think the leather conditioner is? Should I pick some up? What is the best, cheapest option?

Thanks!

And for those wondering, this is the one I bought:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/38133287297...49&var=650538416256&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

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u5YmyAK.jpg

P0vTgar.jpg
FYqn7Aw.jpg
w9sRYTh.jpg
9e7uG6C.jpg
 

Skorpio

macrumors 6502
Apr 16, 2015
342
258
SC USA
Question for y'all - how important do you think the leather conditioner is? Should I pick some up? What is the best, cheapest option?

Thanks!
I used an automotive leather conditioner, only because it's what I had on hand. Any conditioner should do. To me, it feels slightly softer and plush, has a richer sheen, and smells nice. I realize it's probably not real leather, but faux leather also responds to conditioning.

From a shoe leather website-
What does Leather Conditioner do?

"Leather is skin. And like your skin – it’s tough but still fragile relative to rough surfaces and needs protection and care.
Unlike your skin – which is alive and receives nourishment from the body – the leather on your shoes only receives the nourishment you give it.
It can easily dry out, over-absorb water, or be damaged in numerous other ways. A good leather conditioner is designed to be readily absorbed and will nourish/restore flexibility in the fibers.
This is important as leather is prized as a clothing material because it can be both flexible and durability. If leather loses its natural oils and moisture, it loses it’s flexibility and its fiberous interweave will start to crack and eventually break down. Once this happens it is lost and needs to be replaced.
Leather conditioners prevent this breakdown – in some cases leather products well over 100 years old are as usable today as they were a century ago because the leather has been properly preserved."
 
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