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The ultimate calf-cow leather strap for Apple Watch thread
- Thread starter mhoutman
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Ahh...I finally found the thread for strap snobs who aren't satisfied with the status quo -- Genuine Apple or overpriced Apple-targeted accessories! 
I've already ranted and raved about the 3rd party lug adapter market elsewhere, so I'll keep it short -- can anyone recommend some decent ones, preferably spring-bar style, and available in grey/black?
Trying to make my AW/cordovan combo happen…(yes, it's not cow...)
I've already ranted and raved about the 3rd party lug adapter market elsewhere, so I'll keep it short -- can anyone recommend some decent ones, preferably spring-bar style, and available in grey/black?
Trying to make my AW/cordovan combo happen…(yes, it's not cow...)
Can't wait for your review!The 60 Year Luxury Leather Lowry Case from Pad & Quill. Come back soon for a review
Dude, never mention spring bars again in this thread were your dreams come throughAhh...I finally found the thread for strap snobs who aren't satisfied with the status quo -- Genuine Apple or overpriced Apple-targeted accessories!
I've already ranted and raved about the 3rd party lug adapter market elsewhere, so I'll keep it short -- can anyone recommend some decent ones, preferably spring-bar style, and available in grey/black?
Trying to make my AW/cordovan combo happen…(yes, it's not cow...)
On horses check Bexar out
http://www.bexargoods.com/collections/watch-straps
Spring bars can be a PITA, but they're tried and true. Also, I actually like traditional lugs over the tubular ones much of the time.
Those Bexar straps are nice, but the cordovan cost more than I paid for the watch!
Those Bexar straps are nice, but the cordovan cost more than I paid for the watch!
Hey man, remenber the title of the threadSpring bars can be a PITA, but they're tried and true. Also, I actually like traditional lugs over the tubular ones much of the time.
Those Bexar straps are nice, but the cordovan cost more than I paid for the watch!
Currently having my first nightmare http://world.coach.com/en/coach-des...ml?search=true&dwvar_size=WMN&dwvar_color=CHK
http://world.coach.com/en/coach-des...ml?search=true&dwvar_size=WMN&dwvar_color=CHK
Last edited:
Coach military style: http://world.coach.com/en/coach-des...rap/W6131.html?dwvar_color=MGR&dwvar_size=WMN
Hey man, remenber the title of the thread
Touché.
For some, the ultimate cow leather comes from a horse's behind!
I got this AW cheap, mostly as a gadget...trying not to let it get out of hand...but it's hard.
People who are limiting themselves to "AW" specific straps when shopping are missing out on a lot of good stuff. That's why it's frustrating the selection of adapters is limited mostly to junk.
This is just wrong in every wayCurrently having my first nightmare http://world.coach.com/en/coach-des...ml?search=true&dwvar_size=WMN&dwvar_color=CHK
As recently promised a review of the 60 Year Vintage Lowry Cuff from Pad & Quill.
Introduction
Last February I bought three Pad & Quill Classic bands in tan, whiskey brown and galloper black. I had to buy them through their P&Q Etsy store as the black one was not available in their own web store anymore.
When I received the Classic band I was happy about the leather quality but not amused about their length. They were all too short so the second retainer could hardly be used. (my wrist measures 18 cm) Yey I initially kept them as I loved the look but a few months later I gave them to my son as their short length became lees practical and in fact annoying. Also the long buckle pin was not of my liking. I informed P&Q about my findings but did not get a real reply.
Discovery of the cuff
Still being on the hunt for the ultimate Apple Watch band, a couple of weeks ago I visited the P&Q web store again and read about the 60 Year Luxury Leather Lowry Cuff.
On the photo’s it looks fabulous and in my search for more info - most P&Q web store photos are lack detail - I found on P&Q’s YouTube channel a video with some more info
Other info was hard to find…but the band was only released last September.
I took the plunge and ordered the Vintage Lowry Cuff and some leather balm as described in the above YouTube video. I knew I had to add some extra costs like VAT and fees so was aware it became an expensive purchase.
On the cuff
Three days later the UPS envelope arrived. There was a small black box and a carton card about the Classic band. Huh, I thought I had bought a 60 year luxury leather cuff….
I was more happy when I opened the box and saw the cuff. It really is beautiful. Smooth, hazelnut color leather with in very small subtile ’Circa1950’ print and at the back side the name of the person who made the band and the P&Q logo. I was glad to see that on this cuff his name was printed in the leather and not just written with some pen. Ink vanishes due to sweat etc.
I put my original Hermès on the cuff and the adapters fitted well. I don’t like the Hermès cuff as I think it is too bulky, but this cuff is IMHO more elegant.
Next some more detail on what is wrong and what is good about the 60 Year Luxury Leather Lowry Cuff.
When I buy a very expensive band (total cost was about € 300,00) I expect some attention to all detail. So when a product is sold as a ’60 year luxury leather’ I need some more ‘evidence’ and not just a small carton with (general) info on another product i.e. the Classic band. Add a certificate or a paper with the complete story. Hermès has heritage, this has nothing except some text I have to believe the leather is truly 60 year old; a nice marketing trick but I hope it i true….
Sure the wooden box is nice, but it is in fact the same as shipped with the Lowry cuff which is half in price. See here:
The hardware is ok, but not original Apple adapters. The buckle is the very same buckle as with the Classic band…so the pin is a tad too long. Not a real problem but its sits above the buckle and the design can be improved.
The length of the band itself is ok. In fact P&Q made most of their bands longer as more customers complained.
The leather is ultra smooth, the color is very nice and it looks and wears great but the overall package does loose some points to make it a awesome user experience. But that is mainly based on the total price paid…
I wrote Brian Holmes, owner at P&Q with my findings and got a reply. On some issues (aded certificate) he could agree but he told me they exist only a couple of years and are learning.
I bought the silver steel version and now there is also a black hardware version available for pre-order. I asked for some photos of the black version before spending again so much money but got no reply.
The verdict
Im am not sponsored nor have connections with P&Q. This story is all about the price and expectations. Most bands made from good quality leather and hand made are probably cheaper. If you are in the market for a special band and are willing to spend $250 you also get the Modern Buckle from Apple. Then I would prefer the P&Q cuff as at least it looks and smells like real leather. Still some things in the packaging have to be improved to make it a better customer experience. Looking ate the P&Q range of bands, if it was priced between $180-200 it would have been a better purchase. The fee for '60 year' leather is really too high....
Introduction
Last February I bought three Pad & Quill Classic bands in tan, whiskey brown and galloper black. I had to buy them through their P&Q Etsy store as the black one was not available in their own web store anymore.
When I received the Classic band I was happy about the leather quality but not amused about their length. They were all too short so the second retainer could hardly be used. (my wrist measures 18 cm) Yey I initially kept them as I loved the look but a few months later I gave them to my son as their short length became lees practical and in fact annoying. Also the long buckle pin was not of my liking. I informed P&Q about my findings but did not get a real reply.
Discovery of the cuff
Still being on the hunt for the ultimate Apple Watch band, a couple of weeks ago I visited the P&Q web store again and read about the 60 Year Luxury Leather Lowry Cuff.
On the photo’s it looks fabulous and in my search for more info - most P&Q web store photos are lack detail - I found on P&Q’s YouTube channel a video with some more info
Other info was hard to find…but the band was only released last September.
I took the plunge and ordered the Vintage Lowry Cuff and some leather balm as described in the above YouTube video. I knew I had to add some extra costs like VAT and fees so was aware it became an expensive purchase.
On the cuff
Three days later the UPS envelope arrived. There was a small black box and a carton card about the Classic band. Huh, I thought I had bought a 60 year luxury leather cuff….
I was more happy when I opened the box and saw the cuff. It really is beautiful. Smooth, hazelnut color leather with in very small subtile ’Circa1950’ print and at the back side the name of the person who made the band and the P&Q logo. I was glad to see that on this cuff his name was printed in the leather and not just written with some pen. Ink vanishes due to sweat etc.
I put my original Hermès on the cuff and the adapters fitted well. I don’t like the Hermès cuff as I think it is too bulky, but this cuff is IMHO more elegant.
Next some more detail on what is wrong and what is good about the 60 Year Luxury Leather Lowry Cuff.
When I buy a very expensive band (total cost was about € 300,00) I expect some attention to all detail. So when a product is sold as a ’60 year luxury leather’ I need some more ‘evidence’ and not just a small carton with (general) info on another product i.e. the Classic band. Add a certificate or a paper with the complete story. Hermès has heritage, this has nothing except some text I have to believe the leather is truly 60 year old; a nice marketing trick but I hope it i true….
Sure the wooden box is nice, but it is in fact the same as shipped with the Lowry cuff which is half in price. See here:
The hardware is ok, but not original Apple adapters. The buckle is the very same buckle as with the Classic band…so the pin is a tad too long. Not a real problem but its sits above the buckle and the design can be improved.
The length of the band itself is ok. In fact P&Q made most of their bands longer as more customers complained.
The leather is ultra smooth, the color is very nice and it looks and wears great but the overall package does loose some points to make it a awesome user experience. But that is mainly based on the total price paid…
I wrote Brian Holmes, owner at P&Q with my findings and got a reply. On some issues (aded certificate) he could agree but he told me they exist only a couple of years and are learning.
I bought the silver steel version and now there is also a black hardware version available for pre-order. I asked for some photos of the black version before spending again so much money but got no reply.
The verdict
Im am not sponsored nor have connections with P&Q. This story is all about the price and expectations. Most bands made from good quality leather and hand made are probably cheaper. If you are in the market for a special band and are willing to spend $250 you also get the Modern Buckle from Apple. Then I would prefer the P&Q cuff as at least it looks and smells like real leather. Still some things in the packaging have to be improved to make it a better customer experience. Looking ate the P&Q range of bands, if it was priced between $180-200 it would have been a better purchase. The fee for '60 year' leather is really too high....
Attachments
Well, you know my opinion on P&Q...from pictures, the 60-year band has not changed my opinion. Beyond (lack of) quality of hardware, the whole antique style leather with unfinished edges just does not match the modern style of Apple Watch.
I guess it is all a matter of taste, but IMHO the silver steel watch is a perfect fit with such a Cuff. Black might be different...
It looks like this thread has been stagnant for a few months, but I'm a relatively recent Apple Watch owner. I bought a Series 0 space gray aluminum watch with the black sport band back in September and recently bought a Series 0 stainless steel watch from B&H at a pretty steep discount (it came with a "leather" loop band that stayed in the box).
The space gray watch has been my workout watch, so I'm perfectly fine with something like the sport band, though I've been trying a few alternatives to the genuine Apple sport band as I don't like how the tail goes under; it just feels weird. I'm also not a huge fan of how it looks.
The stainless watch on the other hand was purchased for everyday and more formal use, possibly to replace my Rolex Sea Dweller (in the looks department, that's kind of expecting a lot out of the Apple Watch), so I've been looking into nicer band options.
I had read nothing but positive comments about Apple's link bracelet, so I bought a genuine Apple link bracelet on eBay after finding a pretty good deal on a new one, rather than paying full price. It's ok, but I'm not impressed by how the clasp functions - in my opinion the clasp mechanism feels cheap. Though it probably isn't a fair comparison, comparing the Apple Link bracelet directly to the link bracelet on my Rolex, the Apple Link bracelet isn't even close; the Rolex band has a much nicer finish, looks better, has a much better clasp mechanism, and so on. I haven't read reviews of any third party link bracelets that have encouraged me to give them a try as I'd rather not waste money.
I purchased a Nomad Traditional Build leather strap with silver hardware. The build quality seems to be pretty good, but I agree that the buckle is too big. It's also taking a long time to break in; after wearing it a few hours a day for a bit over a week, it's still pretty stiff and a bit uncomfortable, but I suspect it will be fine given some more time.
I also purchased a Sonamu New York band from Amazon. This one is a lot less stiff and seems to be decent quality, but I haven't worn it much yet as it's a bit dressier than the Nomad band.
My feeling is that the quality of leather and build quality is more important than where the band is made or whether it's hand made or not.
I'm currently debating what to try next. I've never tried a leather band with deployment buckle, but that intrigues me as my understanding is that it is better for the longevity of the leather than a traditional buckle. An obvious option would be the Hermes band with deployment buckle, but it looks like that can't be purchased separately at this time. The current colors Apple has available for the single tour Hermes band (without the deployment buckle) aren't appealing to me.
The space gray watch has been my workout watch, so I'm perfectly fine with something like the sport band, though I've been trying a few alternatives to the genuine Apple sport band as I don't like how the tail goes under; it just feels weird. I'm also not a huge fan of how it looks.
The stainless watch on the other hand was purchased for everyday and more formal use, possibly to replace my Rolex Sea Dweller (in the looks department, that's kind of expecting a lot out of the Apple Watch), so I've been looking into nicer band options.
I had read nothing but positive comments about Apple's link bracelet, so I bought a genuine Apple link bracelet on eBay after finding a pretty good deal on a new one, rather than paying full price. It's ok, but I'm not impressed by how the clasp functions - in my opinion the clasp mechanism feels cheap. Though it probably isn't a fair comparison, comparing the Apple Link bracelet directly to the link bracelet on my Rolex, the Apple Link bracelet isn't even close; the Rolex band has a much nicer finish, looks better, has a much better clasp mechanism, and so on. I haven't read reviews of any third party link bracelets that have encouraged me to give them a try as I'd rather not waste money.
I purchased a Nomad Traditional Build leather strap with silver hardware. The build quality seems to be pretty good, but I agree that the buckle is too big. It's also taking a long time to break in; after wearing it a few hours a day for a bit over a week, it's still pretty stiff and a bit uncomfortable, but I suspect it will be fine given some more time.
I also purchased a Sonamu New York band from Amazon. This one is a lot less stiff and seems to be decent quality, but I haven't worn it much yet as it's a bit dressier than the Nomad band.
My feeling is that the quality of leather and build quality is more important than where the band is made or whether it's hand made or not.
I'm currently debating what to try next. I've never tried a leather band with deployment buckle, but that intrigues me as my understanding is that it is better for the longevity of the leather than a traditional buckle. An obvious option would be the Hermes band with deployment buckle, but it looks like that can't be purchased separately at this time. The current colors Apple has available for the single tour Hermes band (without the deployment buckle) aren't appealing to me.
Except for authentic Hermes bands, Apple Classic Buckle band is the best in terms of quality, durability, fit, and included hardware. I have spent much on 3rd party bands...only to be severely disappointed with them.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/classic-buckle-saddle-brown-water-test.1988189/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/classic-buckle-saddle-brown-water-test.1988189/
Have you checked out Combat-Straps.com? I don't own one but they look beautiful and get pretty much universal good reviews.
I've certainly been considering giving one of those a try, but have certainly read some mixed reviews (largely ignoring the smell test as that could boil down to how the leather was processed). I would definitely want to go with the more recent ones with stitching.
Many of their samples look amazing. I may have to explore that option - thanks!
Equus leather makes beautiful leather straps, I've been looking into them for a while. The company uses barenia leather like Hermés, among other types. http://www.equusleather.co.uk/watch-straps/calfskin-watch-straps/baranil-watch-strap.html