Will apple let me exchange just the Apple Watch band?

[bonjourx]

So Ive ordered an Apple watch series 5 LTE stainless steel gold with the Aubergine Modern buckle in Small, now im afraid that the small wouldn't fit me! Would I be able to just exchange the band in store? I know the aubergine isn't available anytime soon right now so im thinking of exchanging it with the Saddle brown modern buckle in medium. Would they let me exchange just the band or I will have to exchange the whole unit (Apple Watch and everything else)?

 

[user_xyz]

Most likely the Whole Watch.

 

[jbachandouris]

Surprisingly, you do have to exchange the whole watch. I ordered one for pick up on Launch Day and decided to change bands. They had me return the original watch and buy one with the band I wanted. Quite strange as there is literally a watch band box/package EXACTLY the same as the one on the shelves inside the package. There is literally NO reason to do it this way.

 

[Donnation]

Depends on the store. I was allowed to do this with my wife's watch. She ordered a Stainless Steel gold and wanted to swap the band out. I only brought the unopened band box with me and they let me swap it out in store for one of the same price that she wanted.

 

[44267547]

Apple made exceptions in the past where they were allowing a band exchange, but there wasn’t anything advertised, they just were doing so with the first GEN watch when it launched in 2015, now, that’s not the case anymore, due to inventory calculations.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Surprisingly, you do have to exchange the whole watch. I ordered one for pick up on Launch Day and decided to change bands. They had me return the original watch and buy one with the band I wanted. Quite strange as there is literally a watch band box/package EXACTLY the same as the one on the shelves inside the package. There is literally NO reason to do it this way.

I rang Apple and they told me that I could exchange the strap without having to exchange the watch

 

[Donnation]

Apple made exceptions in the past where they were allowing a band exchange, but there wasn’t anything advertised, they just were doing so with the first GEN watch when it launched in 2015, now, that’s not the case anymore, due to inventory calculations.

They let me do it back in January of this year with the Series 4.

 

[Aniseedvan]

I did a reservation on the launch day to pick up on the same day and it was for the white sport band (SS). They changed the band for me no problems to a red one (essentially anything in the same range, but for example not a Nike one). The only issue was still getting the EPP discount, but they very kindly applied it anyway. This was the MK store in the UK.

 

[NBAasDOGG]

off topic.

"Aubergine Modern buckle", ahahhahahaahhaha.
I never laughed so hard in years, what a name

 

[44267547]

They let me do it back in January of this year with the Series 4.

Great, it’s an exception, _not_ the rule. Every Apple Store might be different, but I can tell you that’s not something that they typically allow anymore, given exactly what I said, it throws off inventory calculations.