Metal Watch Buckles Scraping on your Mac Laptop While You Type 😬

[smirking]

Does anyone else have a problem with using your Mac laptop while wearing a watch that has a metal buckle? Besides that I don't want to scratch the finish off the aluminum surface of the topcase, it's just not a pleasing sound to have a metal buckle scratching against your laptop.

How do you deal with this? I go out of my way to find watch bands that either have no metal or have the metal parts positioned in such a way that it won't be at the very bottom of my wrist where it'll scratch against my laptop.

Right now it's cold where I'm at so I'm wearing a long sleeved shirt most of the time. I just pull my sleeve down over my watch and problem solved for the moment. That's obviously not going to work indefinitely. I'm considering buying sweat bands like the kind that tennis players wear to cover the watch when I'm using my laptop. That could get old.

Anyone have any clever solutions to this?

 

[raythompsontn]

Anyone have any clever solutions to this?

External bluetooth keyboard such as the Apple keyboard?

 

[smirking]

External bluetooth keyboard such as the Apple keyboard?

On top of the MBP keyboard? I do have a series of external mechanicals that I often use on top of my laptop keyboard. Those help as they alter the mechanics a bit, but I'm still scraping metal more often than I'd like.

 

[Lihp8270]

Your wrists should be above the keyboard and not resting on anything when typing. So shouldn’t be an issue really.

 

[smirking]

Your wrists should be above the keyboard and not resting on anything when typing. So shouldn’t be an issue really.

That's classic ergonomics for typing on mechanical typewriters, but it's not necessarily true for computer keyboards, especially scissor switch style laptop keyboards.

 

[donawalt]

I stopped using a watch during COVID, I just got in the habit of looking at my iPhone or a clock in my office now if I need to know the time.

 

[raythompsontn]

On top of the MBP keyboard?

No. I was thinking that maybe you may be using an external monitor.

Typing this response on my M4 Pro, 14", and my wrists do not rest on the laptop keyboard. Maybe my fingers are longer than yours. One option is not wear the watch while typing. That is not a real solution and is why I said it might be an option.

 

[juanmaasecas]

Same issue here. Apple Watch Ultra with metal band (even other bands have metallic parts) and scared of scratching the black MacBook Pro.

 

[smirking]

Typing this response on my M4 Pro, 14", and my wrists do not rest on the laptop keyboard. Maybe my fingers are longer than yours. One option is not wear the watch while typing. That is not a real solution and is why I said it might be an option.

Good to know!

I think it's because the 14" MBP is has a smaller trackpad area. On my 16" MBP, if I hike my watch up my wrist, it'll come close to the edge, but not rest on top of it where it'll be likely to scratch the finish.

I'm going to be trading up to a 14" M4 Pro soon so I guess that'll address the worst of this issue for me. I won't have to resort to wearing sweat bands around my wrists after all.

 

[chrismu]

Good to know!

I think it's because the 14" MBP is has a smaller trackpad area. On my 16" MBP, if I hike my watch up my wrist, it'll come close to the edge, but not rest on top of it where it'll be likely to scratch the finish.

I'm going to be trading up to a 14" M4 Pro soon so I guess that'll address the worst of this issue for me. I won't have to resort to wearing sweat bands around my wrists after all.

Same for me, it's only an issue on the 16".

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Does anyone else have a problem with using your Mac laptop while wearing a watch that has a metal buckle? Besides that I don't want to scratch the finish off the aluminum surface of the topcase, it's just not a pleasing sound to have a metal buckle scratching against your laptop.

That used to drive me nuts with the plain Sport band - the little metal stud would tap/scrape a lot. I finally tried a Solo Loop band and for me, the comfort is AMAZING- it’s all I wear now unless we’re going out to dinner or something. And no more issues with the keyboard!

 

[Fishrrman]

Get a leather wristband.
or
Get a pocket watch.
(heh)

I almost never wore a wristwatch in my life (heading towards 80 now).
I preferred pocket watches. (remember them?)

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I preferred pocket watches. (remember them?)

I did too, back when (a) I particularly cared what time it was and (b) there weren't a bunch of alternative ways to find the time. Actually just dug my last pocket watch out of a jewelry box a month or so ago & sent it to my nephew.

For my Apple Watch, perhaps the LEAST useful purpose is telling the time