Not really, the stainless steel lugs look much better than I thought on the aluminum Watch... but to each their own!
I bought this saddle brown strap last week. I also own the black Classic Buckle (rev 2), black Sport band and of course the fauve Single Tour which came with my Hermès Edition.
I love the buckle design, simple but the straps are very Apple like (over-deigned). Although I actually love the color (very similar to Hermès fauvecolor), the strap does not look nor smell like leather. It actually smells like some cheap chemicals ....well Ecco's
What I don't understand is that the black Classic Buckle has some grain while the Saddle bron is complete without. I hope Apple will release new colors like red old dark brown. Also other leather sorts would be great and please give it a stitching.
Nice article to read below: https://medium.com/@flyosity/inconvenient-truths-about-the-apple-watch-11bafa44551b#.ebezojio1
Well, if you ever want to sell your Hermes Single Tour, then please PM me. I will gladly buy it.
Is the Saddle band thicker than the Hermes?
For me, i actually like the smoothness of the Saddle band (returned the Black Classic 2nd ed because the Saddle felt much better to my fingers)...i have an expensive couch ($5k) at home that has the same smoothness. But, i admit that i am no leather expert.
The Hermès strap is definitely thinner and also feels smoother. It has a different built up than the Ecco's (aApple) .I agree, the saddle brown Classic Buckle feels different (smoother) than the black Classic Buckle. But what I like about the black Classic Buckle is its grain.
Please find below two excellent movies on how Hermès crafts the strap:
making of:
Part 1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaADWGGKMSM
Part 2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw43Isosh_s
general info:
http://www.hautetime.com/hands-on-the-hermes-apple-watch/70452/
http://superphen.co
I must admit I have a leather fetish, since I bought my first Leica M. There are some beautiful leather cases from Italy or even Japan. .The beauty of leather is that it ages and good quality leather will become nicer and nicer (patina). At home we have some 20 year old Eames and Cassina leather furniture which gets nicer very day. )
So that is my main concern with the Apple leather. It is leather but doesn't behave as such
That all said, it might be an idea to start an exclusive leather band thread. I really like to see and talk about some premium leather bands which do not appear in the great strap thread.
I really love my new Pad & Quill Classic Band compared to Apple Saddle Buckle. Very nice quality leather!
Did you have Apple's Saddle Brown buckle before? I am sure that P&Q uses nice leather but the look is off to me for some reason...but then again, i have never seen P&Q in real life.
Definitwly nicer leather than Apple's but I would prefer a white beige stitching, but that is all a matter of taste.Did you have Apple's Saddle Brown buckle before? I am sure that P&Q uses nice leather but the look is off to me for some reason...but then again, i have never seen P&Q in real life.
I hope Apple are right when writing this 'This traditional design has been updated with a new calf leather that ages naturally over time to acquire a beautiful patina. The contrasting interior lining creates a dramatic two-tone look, and the filleted edge detail provides a clean geometry." http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MLE02/42mm-saddle-brown-classic-buckle.
Actually I started rubbing the strap with my fingers and some patina is showing
But my guess is that the leather from the phone case is completely different from the Classic Buckle. Also thinner. There is also a lot of discussion on the iPhone cases not keeping color. My son has a PRODUCT red iPhone 5s case which was after a few days already showing black
To be honest, I got the Hermès Edition as a gift. Sure it has a very nice strap and you have the additional type faces, but is still is an Apple Watch you need to charge with a cable. And yes I do not wear the Hermès strap a lot, just to preserve it. That made me also start to hunt for an perfect alternative....
Question. Does the second gen classick buckle still uses leather made by Ecco? There are no references to them in any page after the release of the 2 gen.
Only Apple and Ecco know, just kidding, the Ecco leather is not that special and are also made in China...
My guess, Apple was not satisfied with the initial Classic Buckle quality and choose another manufacturer for rev 2 and the saddle brown and Edition colors. I also noticed that the Edition blue strap is now also in two tone
Being made in China is irrelevant. I care more about quality control and materials used. If you dislike China made products, then you might as well give up on 90% things around you, including your iPhone!
I really love my new Pad & Quill Classic Band compared to Apple Saddle Buckle. Very nice quality leather!
You spoiled me. Today I ordered both their Classic bands in whiskey and black. It was quit a hassle to get them as the black one was only available through thier Etsy store (which is the same warehouse as their own store). Especially the whiskey is growing on me also because it has almost the same color as the band of my favorite IWC 5441. Will have to wait a couple of days before they arrive here...
Not mine, but here is a picture. View attachment 588273
I recognize that arm haha. I love this band, came with my watch. I've had the watch for maybe 4 months now and the band looks brand new. Has some small aging marks that has a slight orange tint, looks great. I also have a Milanese loop but I use the leather band 5 days a week. It's very comfortable. You can bend the tip of the band so it follows your wrist instead of sticking out.