A few months ago, we had a full side-by-side review on the first generation knockoff Apple Nylon band for Apple Watch. It is super low quality and does not even worth a buck.

In the recent couple months, the second generation has been released. It has lower selling price (less than US$10) and gained much better design which looks much more alike to the genuine Nylon band from Apple than the first generation. There are happy buyers who are lucky to have got the knockoff band with better quality than many others, like what are shown below:

However, there are tons of reports of undesirable quality out of the knockoff Nylon bands despite that it already looks like the genuine ones. In this post, like what we researched on knockoff Leather Loop with comprehensive reports and advice, we are going to take a look at the many buyers of the second generation knockoff Nylon bands, how they hold up and what the most commonly seen issues are that the buyers are pissed off by.

Low build quality

Several customers reported that the band comes with low build quality, for instance, misaligned adapter due to bigger size, bad-looking free loops and the band is not securely glued into the adapter. User also reported that the nylon quality is bad and rough hence very uncomfortable on skin. Typical examples are shown below.

Not durable

A number of users reported that the band are aging way too fast and started getting rough and uncomfortable to wear within a month. Here are some examples clearly showing the adjustment holds and edges are getting torn or rougher after minimal use.

Broken parts

Quite a few customers reported and showcased their bands with broken parts after usage of a week or two. The most common cases reported the free loop is completely broken on the run or the loop itself started getting torn apart.

More ridiculous, or say less commonly seen broken parts, at least I have not seen from the genuine Apple Watch bands, including the buckle tongue and even the buckle or adapter completely separated from the band.

What do you think about the second generation knockoff Nylon band? Are you still wanting to get one by luck? Or have you got one already and how do yours hold up? Let me know in the comments and be sure to check out more reviews of Apple Watch bands available on the blog.

Last year, we reviewed the knockoff Hermès bands from famous thrid-party manufacturer Hoco right after Apple released the genuine Hermès watch and bands.

A year later, along with the release of Apple Watch Series 2, Apple released a few new designs and colors for the Hermès Apple Watch Bands, including the Single Tour Deployment Buckle and the Double Buckle Cuff that could easily cost you hundreds dollors each.

There are third-party manufacturers such as Monowear and Mintapple offering Deployment bands, and a number of handcrafted options for Cuff bands available in the market with a much affordable yet mid-range price. However, if you are not cashing in that amount of money for any of those but still want to get similar look and feel to it, here is a very good deal that we want to talk about in this post on a knockoff Hermès Double Buckle Cuff with the same sandal design.

The above image was taken by me, on a Stainless Steel Apple Watch Series 2, with a non-branded knockoff Hermès Double Buckle Cuff costing me around US$13.

Simply looking at the front and back sides of the band, the replica band has done a great job for getting itself look really like what you see from Apple’s advertisements. But let me show you how it compares with the US$689 genuine Hermès cuff band below.

The color is way off from the geniune band on both the front and back sides. The knockoff band has an obvious darker brown color than the genuine Hermès band on the front but much lighter color for the inner calf leather.

The Hermès buckle has a better design and more polished than the knockoff band. However, the adapter is not band for the low cost option when putting them side-by-side.

Though the leather used is less premium, the stitching is not so bad for the knockoff band. It is quite well-manufacturered. Looking at the free loops, the genuine Hermès Double Buckle Cuff has more attention to details that adds lining along the the sides and the back stitching looks much nicer than the cheaper option. There is also engraving on the Hermès band stating the size and Country of Origin – France.

So that is a brief look at the comparing between geniune and knockoff Hermès Double Buckle Cuff bands. Despite the fact that the replica Hermès Double Buckle Cuff is not anywhere near the premium quality that Hermès can offer you with a price difference for more than US$600, what do you demand more from a $13 leather cuff that look so similar? Anyway, let me know what you think in the comments.

Headline images credits: Apple, International Business Times

For those who have been following the blog, you know we are a big fan of Monowear‘s Apple Watch bands from Day 1 that the Apple Watch has launched. We have reviewed almost all of their current products sooner after or even prior to their official releases, including the Kickstarter Metal Link, refreshed metal and leather bands, the beautiful Silver Ceramic, Monochest and the Leather Deployant that the latest Hermès line up shared similar design with.

The only band that I miss from Monowear is their Nylon bands. Despite of ownership of Apple’s colorful Nylon band, I found it quite boring to wear with and the band does not quite match with my Stainless Steel Apple Watch Series 2 already to some extent. The Nylon Active, latest nylon band line-up from Monowear seems quite a fit to my two Apple Watches with different casings.

Thanks to the sponsor of Monowear, you are now use promo code SUPERPHEN15 to get 15% off from your purchase!

Specifications
Band Material: Nylon Band with Genuine Leather Patch
Band Color: Black, Gray, Olive
Adapter Material:  Stainless steel
Adapter Color:  Stainless Steel, Silver Aluminum, Space Gray Aluminum
Fastener Material: Velcro
Compatibility: Apple Watch Series 1 & 2, Apple Watch Edition, Apple Watch Nike+

The design is new in the market and looks absolutely stylish. It works similar to Apple’s Milanese Loop with an unibody design and that the band  wraps through the adapter. You may need to loosen the band a bit before installing it onto your Apple Watch especially when you get a shorter band like myself, otherwise it may be a bit rough to get the adapter settled.

Notably speaking, the band is compatible with most of the Apple Watch charging stands or docks as shown below.

In terms of quality, it is no doubt that I have not received any Monowear bands with low quality that does not align with the price tag. Unlike those nylon bands below $10, the surface and edge of the band are smooth and well-manufactured. It is slighter skinnier than Apple’s Nylon band yet tough to get through any stress tests. Under macro view, the bands are woven in different ways but the comfort of wearing is enjoyable for both.

I am particularly liking the design with the genuine leather patch. It is subtle, low profile, yet elegant to look at and comfortable to touch. The only thing I worry about is that I have small wrist and the patch will always be at my inner wrist and hit the desk or dining table that I rest my arms on. The color of the patch also complement with the color of the band itself which is a very nice touch by Monowear designers.

The velcro fastener has its own pros and cons. It is extremely easy to put on and get the band fasten or adjusted. It is water-proof but attracts dust, hair, lint or woven fabrics on the hook side which is quite difficult to remove. It may also lose effectiveness over time with repeated use due to the nature of this material but if you are good at sewing or so, you may be able to replace it on your own. Even if this is not something you prefer, you can always get yourself the regular Nylon Band from Monowear with watch buckles instead of velcro.

Overall speaking, I do appreciate Monowear offer a different yet welcomed design for a Nylon band for Apple Watch that stands out in the crowd. Make sure you head over to Monowear website now if you are interested in getting one of the bands as their Nylon Active and many other options are currently on sale for just $39.99 with free shipping.

Again, as you are our loyal blog audience, thanks to the sponsor from Monowear, you can enjoy discount at 15% for any of your purchase using the promo code SUPERPHEN15 at checkout. Happy shopping!

The Apple’s Link Bracelet has been always on my wish list to complete my Apple Watch Band collection especially when I purchased my Stainless Steel Apple Watch Series 2.

The reason that I have not convinced myself cashing in for the Link Bracelet is two-folded: Apple is putting up a relatively high premium over the band, despite its high quality manufacturing and material used; But there are abundant options in the aftermarket for the Link Bracelet in which these manufacturers keep refining its product yet maintaining a very competitive price with fairly close appearance and good quality against the genuine Link Bracelets.

Until I find JUUK Design, got a chance to talk over their Stainless Steel Band with Apple-like design, premium quality material, mainstream color options that match with the Silver and Black Apple Watches, it is pretty amazing that I could get a Link Bracelet at Apple’s quality for more than 50% off from Apple’s price tag. Thanks to their generous support and sponsorship, I can get hands on its brushed Revo band for this review.

The review unit I received is the satin brushed Revo band. The band itself and the double push button butterfly deployment buckle are made of solid 316L stainless steel. The steel feels so good in the hand and it weighs quite a bit at 91 grams. Comparing with other third-party Link Bracelets you couldn’t really get more than 60% of such weight.

The band come with a small screwdriver for link removal which is extremely handy. Moreover, there is also a free microfiber cloth included for cleaning the band and Apple Watch. This is not something you can get from those cheap options. Instead, JUUK makes the bundle and experience simply like what you will typically get for your high-end Swiss mechanical watches.

For a 38mm size, it fits wrist sizes up to 190mm (7.48 inches). I have a relatively small wrist at 155mm and I have to remove 6 links in total. The screwed links are really classic in the mechanical watch world and this makes the link removal or addition process painless and intuitive for users without any professional watch tools.

Notably speaking, the sides are polished to match the Stainless Steel Apple Watch case that  gives a very Apple-like look to the band. Scratch on a polished metal band is basically inevitable. I have seen tons of negative reviews for the Apple Link Bracelet that users find it extremely non-scratch-resistant and with fading finish, not worthing $400…etc.

Thanks to the brushed finish on the surface of the JUUK band, it is hardly noticeable with any major scratch during my heavy usage over the week. I do notice micro-scratch on the side during the photography but only under my Sony Macro Lens.

Despite the fact that I am not a big fan of a butterfly clasp, I am really amazed by the quality that JUUK has obviously spent some effort in making its butterfly deployment buckle with very high quality stainless steel and perfectly manufactured parts that are way better than what you can get for 50 bucks on Amazon or eBay.

Overall speaking, my personal experience with the JUUK Stainless Steel Link Bracelet for Apple Watch has been incredible. It provides me with premium look that what the price can translate. The high-quality stainless steel with some weight to the wrist gives me a feel that I am wearing a luxury mechanical watch that I have never owned.

With a number of recommendations from various top tech blogs, same story here that I couldn’t agree more to you for this band as you can’t really go wrong with the spending on this band at less than $200 price point that has a much higher value-for-money than Apple can offer.

Last but not least, JUUK is currently launching a new Kickstarter campaign for its Premium Aluminum Apple Watch Bands which is color-matching with the current Apple Watch Sport line-up with aluminum casing. I personally really look forward to the red band that should go really well with any of the colors of the Apple Watches.

The campaign has already been 115% fully funded to original goal but your further support will trigger their commitment to bring the above cool red Aluminum Band or even a Jet Black option to the market. The campaign still has 12 days to do so make sure you check out and pledge this exciting Kickstarter campaign and also more currently available Apple Watch Bands in JUUK’s online store. 

You can now use promo code SUPERPHEN10 to get 10% off for any purchase there!

Be sure to check out more Apple Watch Band reviews here and let me know what you think about any of the bands I reviewed in the comment section.

There has been a number of requests from the Apple Watch community on the new Nike+ sport bands. As Apple is not selling the bands separately, this leaves current Apple Watch owners who really want the cool-looking Nike+ bands with two options: either get a Nike+ edition Apple Watch Series 2, or get from third-party sellers at a competitive price.

iDownloadblog and 9to5Toys shared quite a few options you can get from the Amazon US sellers Some best sellers you may be able to get in the U.S..But don’t expect them to ship those new colors until late November.

Earlier this month, there was a preliminary review on one of the bands with official color from Apple. But there were calls for other colors such as Midnight blue/White and Red/Black that look pretty amazing and not offered by Apple.

I have got in touch with multiple sellers in China recently to learn about the stock availability on those unofficial colored Nike+ bands and finally, we have just able to get the stock arrived couple days ago, including Midnight Blue/White, Pink/Azure, Red/Black, Black/Green, Purple/Green, and a new color Azure/Volt for my 38mm Apple Watches at an average price at $10 with freight cost inclusive.

Currently, only the Azure/Navy band has yet arrived. Make sure you follow my Instagram as I may be sharing cool pictures of this Nike+ band as soon as it is arrived if I have got good stats on this review. Anyway, let’s get started.

For these third-party Nike+ bands for 38mm Apple Watches, they only come with one single size S/M. I compared the Red/Black band with the Product Red Apple band and the longer side is around 3mm difference which Apple’s is slightly longer. Specially, I noticed that then color is slightly less sharp than the genuine red band. Yet still look good matching with the black color holds.

In terms of feel and quality, the bands are surprisingly good in terms of comfort and smoothness at this price point. There is no bad or strong smell from the Silicone. But it is slightly thinner and lighter that you can feel it.

I do noticed that this first generation knockoff Nike+ band is imperfect at the adapter side. It is half a millimeter short from the Apple Watch case. Nonetheless it is not significantly noticeable but you cannot expect perfect manufactured quality from Apple on their Sport bands.

For those who may be interested in some of the specific colors, here are some shots on individual bands with good white balance and lighting:

More importantly, there are tons of color options in addition to official colors. Even though there is no any color that you like at the moment, there could be more colors coming up as third-party market hears better from customers and more responsive to popular requests.

Hope you find this review useful and be sure to check out other Apple Watch band reviews and follow my Instagram for more daily cool pictures.

In the past two years, we have reviewed a number of third-party Apple Watch bands and one of the most wanted and viewed posts is on Hermès knockoffs, including the Hermès Double Buckle Cuff and Hoco’s Double Tour and Cuff Bands. The reason is obvious that the price is far from affordable and third-party manufacturers, which is mostly located in China, can do a good job in making something really close and sell it at a fraction of cost comparing with the original genuine Hermès bands.

I recently came across an option for a low-cost 38mm Hermès Feu Epsom Leather Single Tour for around $59 on some Chinese online resellers. It is definitely a replica comes right from an aftermarket production lines which is very close to Apple as the band comes with the exact same material and design, and that Apple only has taken the 38mm option off from shelf for this color variant and made it only available for 42mm size for sale at $339 which is 5.7 times more expensive. In this post, we will take a look at this replica band and see if it worth the price.

The packaging is a surprise. The band is shipped with a very high quality watch box with a fluff surface, like what you should expect for a luxury watch case, and the band is secured by high quality rubber bands on both ends.

The quality is excellent and it feels good in hand. It is well manufactured for both the upper and inner layer leather, well stitched and the pattern looks genuine. The band smells naturally as well.

Unfortunately I was not able to get a side-by-side comparison as the band was not available for try-on in my local Apple Store. However, I did notice a few similarities and major variances that differ the knockoff band from the original one.

1. The design, material and knurling looks identical, from both closer look and from a distance
2. The replica is slightly darker and less vibrant in color especially on the knurling pattern for the Feu band on display but the different is really minimal. It may look a lot closer for midnight blue or black variants.
3. No significant difference for stitching
   
4. The threads used for stitching on the bands and free loops are not differentiable with bare eyes so it looks basically identical
5. Very similar thickness and finishes on edges
   
6. The buckle and adapters are high quality and basically identical to genuine
   
7. Inner calf leather layer looks exactly the same except the engraving is more vague on the knockoff
   

Overall speaking, if you are looking for a really close replica for this specific premium Apple Watch band, this could be one of the best option for you at this moment. I did find a few links other than Taobao that appears to be offering similar band that you may be interested in ordering one at similar or even lower price than I mentioned earlier in this post.

Disclaimer: I am not associated with any of these sellers. I did not purchase from them but simply looked at the pictures and descriptions and found them to be very close from what I bought from Taobao. Any purchase will be at your own risk.

• Etsy – JuxliHome
• Amazon – Kartice
• AliExpress – Shine Vision

What is your take on this knockoff Hermès Single Tour Leather Band? Let me know in the comments.

Couple days ago we talked about the ‘really close’ replica Hermès Single Tour Band. In the Apple Watch Subreddit post I shared, one of the readers was looking for a good alternative to Fauve Barenia Leather Single Tour Deployment Buckle that only comes with the expensive 42mm Apple Watch Hermès Series 2 listed at $1,399 and Apple is not selling it separately.

I was at some point aware of such replica in the Chinese aftermarket and I did spent some time to search it again. Yesterday, I was able to find it on Taobao, one of the largest B2C online markets in China, available for both 38mm and 42mm Apple Watches and picked one up for 38mm for around $30 including transportation costs. (Disclaimer: I paid for this band by myself and not associated with any of the sellers. They do not ship internationally but only China, Hong Kong and Macau)

Unboxing

The replica Leather Single Tour Deployment Buckle is shipped with a very simple, unattractive packaging with only the band inside the box. No surprise that it looks quite alike the real thing that Apple showed in pictures.

The leather band

The band is definitely not comparable to the high cost Fauve Barenia made by Hermès. It does have similar texture, feel, thickness quality with the Hoco Saddle Brown Classic Buckle which costs $25. It has a good smell as a normal calf leather. The stitching is quite precise and no thread is sticking out. The finish on the edges are fairly done by machine.

The outer layer is quite vulnerable to stretches so as the edges and I was able to mess up the adjustment holes with the metal buckle tongue easily with a few touches only. For the inner layer, it is a thin layer of calf leather. It smells good, feels smooth and soft and comfortable on wrist.

The Deployment Buckle and adapters

The Deployment Buckle should be the main cast here. It comes with surprisingly good quality.The material feels strong and durable. It has a polished, glossy finish. There is no glitches when opening and closing. Simply pressing the clasp on both side and the buckle will open smoothly. And the buckle itself is well attached to the shorter band and the connector is well placed in the band.

The adapters are also polished to match with the buckles but you can always get different finishes from third-party sellers to match with your Apple Watch casing.

Putting onto Stainless Steel Apple Watch

A picture can tell millions words and below are some shots from different angles showing how the band looks like with the Stainless Steel Apple Watch, both off and on wrist.

This is how it looks like when putting on the wrist. You cannot really tell from a distance that this is the Deployment buckle unless you get closer to look at how it looks with the two free loops or looking at the area near the skin from the side.

What is your comment on this replica Deployment Buckle Apple Watch band? Let me know down below if you are interested in getting one for the holiday.

A leather strap is always by favorite and go-to for my Apple Watch Series 2 not only because any color and tan of leather hides match perfectly with the glossy Stainless Steel watch case, but also a relative elegant choice for business attire that I need to put on most weekdays.

We have had quite a few reviewed on the blog and yet most of them looks good but they may look alike as well with little customization. You may be able to get similar quality from Etsy but you have to go by trial and error. If you are looking for something different with various customization flexibilities, guaranteed quality and a decent, affordable price, the handmade Apple Watch leather straps from Outline Leather Goods could be one of the best options out there.

Introduction

Found by two cousins, Matt and Mark, and based in Britain, Outline Leather Goods is a brand dedicated to craft stunningly high quality, customisable leather products from the finest materials in their Midlands workshop, with intense time and care put in each one. Their custom-made leather strap aims at giving a dramatic transform to the look of Apple Watches of their customers.

That maximum customization rarely offered in market gives customers the nicest experiences to shop Apple Watch straps with Outline Leather Goods. Not only that both 38mm and 42mm sizes are available, but also 190 different combinations that you can choose from the below as you wish:

• Stitching style: Minimal (£55) or Traditional (£65)
• Hides: Amber Tan, Vintage Gold, Satchel brown, Dark black, Venetian grey
• Stitching thread: Oxblood, Red, Bright red, Orange, Yellow, Lime green, Emerald, Teal, Royal blue, Navy blue, Violet, Aubergine, Light brown, Hazelnut brown, Écru, Mouse grey, Slate grey, Black

The tailor-made leather strap

Thanks to the sponsor from Outline Leather Goods, we have got a chance to have a customized Apple Watch strap for this review – the Satchel Brown Apple Watch leather strap with traditional écru stitching.

My impression at first glance was incredible. The craftmanship is incredible. The smell of the leather is delightful too.

The leather pieces were evenly cut and shaped. The layers of lather piece is thicker than expected and they are securely, properly glued together. The leather, despite not the softest out of the box, grows better throughout the week as being worn every day.

The strap is hand stitched along the entire strap with French linen thread, and Using a 6-millimetre stitch length, these straps are back-stitched at all overlapping points to ensure their strength. The stitching aligns with the edges on the two separate bands and the free loop, and no loose thread is sticking out.

Hardware

The stainless steel adapters and buckle are of high quality. They are well-polished to match with the Stainless Steel Apple Watches.

The adapters are also perfectly sized to fit in the Apple Watch Series 2 casing where I could find no visible gap nor did I find any loosen parts.

Conclusions

I highly recommend the Apple Watch leather straps from Outline Leather Goods. For a sub-hundred dollar option, this is by far the best I have ever reviewed for Apple Watch straps made of premium quality leather, threads and hardware with fine stitching.

In addition to perfection in craftmanship, there is also a high level of customization on stitching style, leather hides and stitching options that can rarely be found in the Apple Watch aftermarket, in which most are basically standardized by machined mass production. For around $60, there is a very good value for money for a relatively unique good-looking Apple Watch strap that could easily get random compliments around.

Head over to the Apple Watch Strap session on Outline Leather Goods and shop for your holiday gifts now and be sure to check out our Instagram and Outline Leather’s Gallery for more high quality photos in addition to what are shown in this review.

Let me know what you think about the handmade Satchel Brown Apple Watch leather strap from Outline Leather Goods in the comment session below and check out many more Apple Watch band reviews here exclusively on Superphen’s Tech Blog.

While we are still celebrating the holiday season and everyone is busy on getting deals a nd gifts for themselves, family and friends, how about having something special and standing out that you or your beloved ones can wear and use every day in most occasions?

Da Cula gets you covered here if you are tired of trial-and-error and hopping around different sites. And in this review, we are showing you an amazingly elegant Apple Watch leather strap, top of the line from Da Luca, featured with a vintage style namely Sophear.

• $240.00 – Order now

About Da Luca

Found in San Diego, CA in 2009, Da Luca has been devoted its in-house manufacturing workshop to high level of craftsmanship in producing the finest hand crafted watch straps and expanded to high quality accessories such as wallets, belts, key chains, t-shirts and hats and among many other finely made goods.

Quality, simplicity and best-class customer services are always at the forefront to make their customer happy.

The Sophear strap

The Sophear watch strap is made of vintage ammo pouch leather that feels and looks top-notch and will age and develop a gorgeous patina over the years of use.

• Length: 119mm/72mm
• Width: 22mm
• Thickness: 3.4mm
• Buckle: Polished
• Material: Swiss Ammo Leather
• Adapter: Per request to match with customer’s Apple Watch
• Ships with Apple Watch adapter screwdriver tool

Quick Take

Coming with a relative masculine design, the Sophear strap has a very unique, rugged style on every part along the strap, adjustment holes, stitching, threads and free loop. The strap looks traditional yet familiarly elegant coloring. Along with a large size, polished classic buckle, the entire strap shows a warm, fashionable and timeless vintage character as a whole that fits in basically any fitting and attire in your wardrobe.

You can smell the high quality Ammo Leather on this delightful vintage band, which benefits from stitching detail down at every edges of the strap and the classic stainless steel buckle. The leather used is thick and tough however well-refined on the surface.

Despite that the strap does feel a bit stiff out of the box and may take a few days usage for the leather to get soften up tp conform with the wrist, it is indeed very comfortable to wear and classy looking strap that injects a dose of style to your Apple Watch that you could easily get random compliments from people you may meet in any business or leisure occasions.

The adjustment holes are pretty much sufficient to fit most wrist sizes. For myself at 155mm wrist, I am using the second hole which is very comfortable and allows a good amount of length if I could get stronger in future.

Although the Da Luca branded hardware being review are limited to the polished silver stainless steel and looks fine with the mid-range Apple Watch, you can always get yourself the right colored adapters that fits your Apple Watch best.

Conclusions

With years of experience in satisfying customers with top quality and hearty design handmade watch straps and men’s accessories, the Sophear strap and hundreds other options from Da Luca certainly echoed with the mid-ranged price tag with great value for money.

The rugged stitching and vintage design of this particular premium Sophear strap adds dozens of characters especially if you are looking for an absolute masculine approach. The genuine Ammo Leather definitely grows with time that even starts gaining such over the past week that I have been wearing mostly outdoors under different weather and humidity conditions.

Stay tuned with another cool looking Horween style watch strap from Da Luca but meanwhile, be sure to check out more stylish Apple Watch straps on Da Luca official site  and lifestyle photos of this vintage Sophear strap on our Instagram feed and feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.

Recently, we reviewed a very unique, vintage-style ‘Sophear’ Apple Watch leather strap from Da Luca Straps and it is very welcomed and beloved by the Apple Watch community on Reddit.

As promised in the review, today we will share with you another cool-looking, Horween style Apple Watch strap from Da Luca namely Muzzuti.

• $190 – Order now

The Muzzuti strap

This watch strap is 100% handmade from genuine navy blue Horween Shell Cordovan leather with a dramatic two-tone design . It comes with traditional full stitching with high quality yellow-gold colored thread, and a Da Luca branded brushed stainless steel classic buckle. The strap by default is slightly longer than the Sophear strap which fits better for those who have strong wrists.

Specifications

• Length: 139mm/82mm
• Width: 22mm
• Thickness: 2.3mm
• Buckle: Brushed
• Material: Horween Shell Cordovan Leather
• Adapter: Upon customer request
• Ships with Apple Watch adapter screwdriver tool

Thoughts and impressions

The navy blue Muzzuti strap has a very rich look. It takes a relative conservative and traditional approach The strap has a less strong smell as the Sophear ammo leather strap. It is thinner with one single piece of leather of around 2mm. Therefore it is very soft out of the box that you don’t have to bend to conform to the wrist and leave breaking in period. Despite of the thinness and softness, the leather feels rigid and durable.

The strap is relatively long and I have to fix the buckle to the very end to make it shortest to fit my small wrist at 155mm. If you have a thicker wrist, it will not be an issue for you.

The two-tone design is a nice touch. The olive color tone on the inner layer looks pleasantly good with the yellow-gold stitch and navy blue outer layer leather.

Unlike the Sophear strap, the Muzzuti strap comes with a brushed stainless steel buckle which looks as nice as a polished one with more elegance at low profile. The classic buckle styles matches with the Horween, traditional look strap pretty well. But the Da Luca branded imprint may not be everyone’s favorite.

Conclusions

The $50 price difference did not make the Muzzuti strap a less preferrable option, but an even better value for money.The strap is not the most affordable option you can get, but definitely one of the best in terms of quality and uniqueness.

The good thing is, the design matches perfectly with both Stainless Steel and Aluminum Apple Watches as you can see in this review.

Considered that you actually have an excellent quality watch strap with quite a few flexibilities on customizing your strap on the leather color, length stitching style and color. If you are feeling a bit slack, there are hundreds preset options from Da Luca that certainly one of those will be appealing to you.

Be sure to check out more stylish Apple Watch straps on Da Luca official site and more exclusive photos on our Instagram and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more reviews coming soon these couple of weeks.

There have been countless options for Apple Watch straps and bands made of leather, nylon, metal, wood, ceramic, etc. We have been reviewing quite a few, from major manufacturers to smaller workshops which most of them are able to deliver great value for money, from an Apple Watch band collector point of view.

But if you are looking for something different from a normal watch strap or leather cuff, the Black Rhodium Apollo Cuff, the newest member of the Ultimate Cuff family, may be something you are looking to turn your Apple Watch into beautiful accessory.

• $149 – Order now

The Ultimate Cuff – Goodbye strap, hello cuff!

Proudly made in the United States, the Ultimate Cuff for Apple Watch has shown its creativity and ambition to turn the Apple Watch into a trendy and stylish accessory with personality.

Started with soft feminine designs with modern look, such as The Cleo, The Coco and The Diana, the outlet has welcomed a new member that fills in the masculine need in the community – The Apollo, made of Rhodium, has an industrial-textured design that presents itself with an edgier vibe.

The Apollo Cuff is packed in a simple, elegant collier box and well sit on a soft form insert like what you would expect from a piece of jewellery or bracelet.

The Apollo Cuff works perfectly with any 38mm or 42mm Apple Watch. The setup process is intuitive. Simply slide the watch into the connectors on both sides of the cuff and you are ready to go. You will need to bend a little bit before you can put on the cuff and secure it on your wrist.

Quick takes

After trying the Apollo Cuff for about a week, here are some thoughts:

• Unique industrial-textured design rarely found in market
• Fashionable and trendy design turns Apple Watch into beautiful accessory serving as accompany to other accessories such as bracelets
• High quality precious material
• Seemless installation
• Comfortable to wear
• Flexible for small and large wrists
• The design is not perfect for all Apple Watch charging docks. It works fine with relatively open stands like those from Belkin, but not like Griffin WatchStand or Amber for Apple Watch.
• Limited color choice for now looking for future expansion

What do you think about the Apollo Cuff from the Ultimate Cuff? Let me know in the comments.

There are quite a number of the premium Apple Watch Leather bands in the market and it is really hard to find a great piece from the ocean of third-party options, unless you try it one by one, or you go straightly to Apple and pay for that premium for the Apple and Hermes brands.

Thanks to the sponsor from Sonamu New York, I get to know there is a really nice piece of nice handcrafted leather bands that are made of the leathers used by Hermes and Chanel. In this review, we will take a look at their flagship Italian Cavier Leather Band which you can find the same texture on the luxurious Chanel leather bags.

$160 On sale for $119.99 – Order now (or from Amazon)

About Sonamu

As named, founded in New York, Sonamu founder David visited the most renowned leather tanneries in Italy and France. The personal dedication they showed to the raw material inspired him to bring it back to life.

As we embrace new technologies in our daily lives, Sonamu has been searching ways to adapt them while keeping our classic styles and tradition intact on the leather goods that are around us from daily essentials to fashion.

About the Italian Caviar Leather Band

The band comes with a classy design made of high quality leather, well stitched, the Apple Watch adapter of your choice to match with your Apple Watch case, either Aluminmum or Stainless Steel, and a glossy polished stainless steel butterfly clasp that holds the bands together.

Key features:

• Handcrafted with genuine Italian Caviar leather
• Type of leather also used by Chanel
• Automatic Stainless Steel Clasp ensure easy lock & take
• Color options include Navy, Black and Scarlet
• Compatible with 42MM Apple Watch / Sport/ Edition ONLY

Quick Takes

The leather band is born to be very soft and comfortable. You can feel it right away that the geniune leather is high quality as it feels and looks exactly the same as those being used on thousand dollar handbags and purse. The good thing is, the premium leather is not only used on the upper layer, but also the inner layer and the free loops.

Despite small flaws under the Macro Lens, the quality of stitching has been generally good. The stainless steel butterfly buckle feels solid and premium. Opening and closing are buttery smooth without friction. The clasp is secure enough so there should be no fear of having the band loosen by accident.

The adapters are okay and what you would expect from third-party bands. My only complain is that the adapter does not have screws hence locked to the band and you can’t change it to match with other Apple Watch casing if you need some day.

Conclusions

With 4.5-star rating on Amazon, you can’t go wrong with the purchase on this Italian Caviar Leather Apple Watch Band From Sonamu especially there is holiday sale going on. The watch band is premium, but at a relatively better value for money than what Hermes or Apple Leather bands could offer. It makes your Apple Watch look like a luxury watch and a classy functional jewelry rather than a piece of tech gadget.

Be sure to check out Sonamu’s other line up with a lower price with French Epsom Leather with a number of color options that look stunning as well (Dark Brown, Khaki, Mahogany, Blue Black, Black, Brown).

Let me know what you think in the comments and be sure to subscribe and follow us on all Social Media to stay on top of all the upcoming reviews and updates.

Bullstrap Apple Watch Straps have been on my wish list for quite a while since I found them on Instagram a few months ago. I have really fallen in love with the design and textures that the straps are born with, and as I see them around randomly on some pedestrians’ wrist, I am more eager to get my hands on trying out any of their straps.

The fundamental reason that I have not got one until the review units generously shipped to me is that there is no straps for the 38mm Apple Watch which is kind of bummer. As of this review being published, if you are a 38mm Apple Watch user, you can yet get yours ordered but it is coming this week.

It is hard to believe that there has been no review on Bullstrap’s products but most went to Nomad Italian Straps with basically the same design but with $50 markup on Bullstrap’s listed price.

Anyhow, in this review, we will take a look at the 38mm Classic and Terra Straps from Bullstrap. They are identical to the 42mm straps in terms of material and design so this review, or say preview with the 38mm variants would basically apply across the board.

• 79.99 (Save $20 for the holiday through 31 Dec) – Order Now

About Bullstrap

Based on Florida, U.S., Bullstrap offers exceptional craftsmanship on their leather straps with finest Italian Calfskin Leather. Along with reinforced, durable linen thread and a two-tone soft leather backing, Bullstrap Apple Watch Straps are handcrafted with excellent quality and the elegant appearance ages with user’s own style over time.

Quick Look and Thoughts

The Bullstrap Apple Watch straps are shipped with very nice packaging with a fluff inner-layer surface, like what you should expect for a luxury watch case, and the band is secured by sleek rubber band with a fine printed message card to customers.

The Classic and Terra straps are all made of Italian calfskin leather which means the leather will grow and darken overtime as the leather ages me with wear as leather ages. Both adapters and buckles are made of 316L Steel with a brushed finish which actually fits better with the aluminum Apple Watches.

Another shining point of the strap is the Linen Stitching. This makes the watch strap looks classy and matches better with the classic buckle design. I really appreciate the perfection that the stitching work has been done with such a thick piece of leather. The stitching also looks gorgeous on the soft leather backing, around the adjustment holes and Bullstrap brand engraving.

Despite the fact Vintage Strap looks more aesthetically appealing to me, I do love the styles of both review units. The unprocessed, raw, unsealed, unpainted leather that gives the strap a rugged feel and classic design. Due to the thickness of the leather itself, the strap does feel stiff out of the box. But after wearing for a few days, it is getting better and also starting to grow into an even more vintage look. For the inner layer of thin and soft leather, it is frictionless to the skin and it is very comfortable on the wrist.

A little complaint is that the buckle is quite tight when you put it on and hook the tongue into the adjustment hole. It does take some time to get used to exerting force with the thumb to push the buckle in order to release the band from the buckle tongue.

So what do you think about the Classic and Terra Straps from Bullstrap? Let me know in the comments and be sure to check out more Apple Watch related reviews on the blog and more straps on Bullstrap and stay tuned with the 38mm options coming up this week.

Yet, the key issue with the Nike+ Apple Watch Band is that Apple does not want to sell them separately from the Apple Watch itself, regardless of overwhelming demand from the community, leaving both existing Apple Watch owners or new users who might have got themselves with Stainless Steel or Ceramic Watches that may also love the new band design disappointed.

There created opportunities for the third-party band makers. Couple months ago, we reviewed some knockoff Nike+ Apple Watch Bands with multiple color variants that are not officially available from Apple. There are more manufacturers released the bands under the own brand name like Ouluoqqi for around $20. One of their major competitors in the market, Hoco, another very popular brand that offers Apple aftermarket products with good value for money, has recently joined the game.

Thanks to the sponsor from Focuseak, I am able to get the first-hand, pre-released package of the Hoco Nike+ Apple Watch Bands with three color variants right from the production line. The only color missing against the official ones offered by Apple is the Silver/White so you may need to wait a bit if you are a fan of Hoco.

• $25.99 – Order Now
• Use code 5focuseak for 5% off and free worldwide shipping

Direct links to each color variants are listed below. Both 38mm and 42mm sizes are available.

• Yellow + White (equivalent to Apple’s Silver/Volt)
• Yellow + Black (equivalent to Apple’s Black/Volt)
• Black + Grey (equivalent to Apple’s Black/Cool Grey)

Unboxing

The first impression when I received the shipment is all on the design of the package itself rather than the band inside.

Unlike any other bands from Hoco, it appears that Hoco intentionally made it to color-match with the design of the cool black Nike+ Apple Watch package. I used to be very careless to the unboxing but this time I tend to handle with care.

There is also a QR code that you can scan to validate if the product you purchased is Hoco original. I have scanned all the three packages and they all returned with positive results.

After lifting up Inside the box, you will find the watch band tucked under the cardboard stripes. And that is all you got in the whole package. Be careful when you take the bands out as there is a metal pin securing it on the cardboard that you need to remove first.

Quick Takes

The Hoco Nike+ Bands fits both Series 1 and 2 Apple Watches that I will use both of them in this review. The bands ship with the M/L band so it should fit most wrists unless you have a really small one. It shared similar thickness as other knockoff Nike+ bands. They are soft in nature and very comfortable to wear as far as I tested.

It replicates the design philosophy of the genuine band with compression‑molded perforations. It looks exactly the same against the genuine bands. Comparing with those knockoff bands that I reviewed earlier, Hoco did a much better job on this aspect that the perforations are more precise, and not as weak and easily deformed when putting onto the wrist as those made by smaller manufacturers failed on.

You may notice, if any chance happening on the band you receive, a little bit of manufacturing flaws under my close-up shots. But they actually look insignificant from a distance.

In terms of color, I do see a variance against what you might imagine. For instance, the Yellow color is apparently different from Volt. It is closer to pale yellow and less vibrant comparing to Volt or Green. Do manage your expectation as the product description has already indicated it is the yellow color variant instead of Volt.

The metal pin is made of polished stainless steel and the quality is fairly good. The adapter is okay too and I had no issue or difficulty when sliding the band onto my Apple Watches.

Final Thoughts

We all understand that Apple’s Sport Bands or Nike+ Bands are made of higher quality fluoroelastomer to make it to a higher density and more durable for active use. On the other hand, third-party Sport Bands are basically all made of Silicone to keep low-cost material and manufacturing processes, as well as to maintain a more similar feel and appearance against Apple Watch Bands.

Same situation here, set your expectation for this Hoco Band like many other third-party Sport Bands on the material and feel. However, the bands do feel solid in hand.

Despite the fact that it is not the cheapest option you can get in the market for a knockoff Nike+ Apple Watch Band, Hoco, for its popularity and word of mouth has been great. It is a definite trustworthy option you can pick at a reasonable price.

What do you think about the third-party Nike+ Apple Watch Band offered by Hoco? Are you probably buying one of these? Or have you got other options already? Let me know in the comments.

Nike+ Apple Watch Box image credit http://tw.mixfitmag.com/

Earlier this year, we reviewed a premium Crocodile Leather Apple Watch Strap from Mintapple.The strap is limited for its material and the relative more premium price tag is not for everyone. On a contradictory, the response has been quite well and there is constant reader traffic coming in to check on this strap. They might have returned with disappointment, if they are interested, as the strap has been out of stock for quite a while for its precious material made of. But Mintapple has built some great stuff with a more affordable price tag and brought to the community this winter.

Recently, Mintapple released a few new line ups of New Style Apple Watch Straps, namely Alligator, Crocodile, Lizard, Ostrich and Super Soft Leather Straps with quite a few color variants to pick from. In this review, we are going to take a look at two of them, the Crocodile Leather and Super Soft Leather Straps, thanks to the sponsor from Mintapple.

• £69.99 GBP – Crocodile Leather Strap
• £69.99 GBP – Super Soft Leather Strap

Unboxing

Following the tradition, Mintapple continues to ship their bands with a nice and sleek package with the Apple Watch Strap securely positioned in scratch-free foam tray. For this new strap, Mintapple has added a nice touch to the packaging to have a transparent window so customers can look through it and see how the strap looks like.

Fact sheet

Before we head to the review and detailed pictures, below are the variants you can get from Mintapple for these two straps you may be interested to know:

• Watch Case Size: 38mm, 42mm
• Watch Type: Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 (due to slight difference on the opening in terms of height and contour at the slot for sliding in the watch adapter)
• Leather Material: 100% genuine Calf Leather
• Leather Color: Black, Brown
• Hardware Material: 316L Stainless Steel
• Hardware Color: Stainless Steel Silver, Space Grey, Space Black, Edition Yellow Gold, Edition Rose Gold, Sport Yellow Gold, Sport Rose Gold, Sport Aluminum Silver
• Buckle Type: Deployment Claps with buttons

Quick Take

The leather quality is fantastic. Despite of thick embossed leather used like what the genuine Hermes Leather Bands do, the Mintapple bands are not stiff out of the box and it can easily get well with your wrist after some wears. The material used for both outer and inner layer leathers are 100% calf leather that has a pleasant smell and a smooth surface for best comfort. The patterns for the Crocodile variant is well-crafted and I have already got quite a few compliments for how it is aesthetically pleasant to eyes.

The stitching work is great too. It is carefully done and consistent along the line even at the part close to the adapters. The threads used also match with the color of the strap which is a very thoughtful touch.

The buckle design is amazing and I really love it for its design, build quality and how easy it works. The 316L Stainless Steel feels very solid and high quality and is well brushed or polished on different faces. It is a subtle but a very welcomed touch to make it look more elegant and less boring.

One of the best moves in response to customers’ and my readers’ request is that Mintapple is engraving their logo on the inner side of the buckle instead of the face out. This should have pleased who were unhappy with the apparent logo on the strap or buckle on previous generations.

Taking the watch on and off could not be any easier. Simply press the button on both sides to release the buckle. You can also easily adjust the strap to fit your wrist by lifting the clamp to release the strap and press the clamp down the secure it for specific length you find most comfortable with. This offers a better flexibility than traditional adjustment holes that I often find somewhere between two holds the best fit for my wrist.

The adapters used are of high quality too. I have not got any issue to slide them into the slot and secure it inside the slot. Another good thing is that the adapters come with screws which means you can easily change the adapter with a different color to match another Apple Watch in case you see a need.

Conclusions

Mintapple has set the bar higher again to gain more happy customers to enjoy a great leather Apple Watch strap at relatively affordable price than Apple’s line-up but with superior build quality and luxurious feel. The new styles looks elegant and fit for any occasions, both business and leisure. But as the rule of thumb for preserving the condition of leather goods, it will not be a wise choice for workout or heavy outdoor activities.

Certainly you can tell from this review that I am taking the Crocodile style as my daily driver now. If you are interested, head over to Mintapple and pick your new straps as soon as you can as the stock lasts for the new year coming in a couple of days from now. There are also other variants of this band such as Alligator, Lizard and Ostrich and they all look pretty good for the price.

Let me know what you think about Mintapple’s New Style Apple Watch Straps in the comments and be sure to check out more Apple Watch reviews on the blog.

Two months ago, we reviewed a great Link Bracelet alternative from JUUK with fantastic build quality and relatively much affordable price. It was very welcomed and followed by our review, Jeff Benjamin from 9to5Mac has also done a very nice review on the Revo band with more color variants showing in the video. Check these out if you have not yet.

Thanks to the sponsorship from JUUK again, I am lucky to try on their pre-production samples of their upcoming Ligero Aluminum Apple Watch Band that had a great success Kickstarter Campaign earlier in 2016. In this quick review I will share my first impression to the bands and something you may need to know about the final product if you are one of those who pre-ordered.

• $119 / $129 (38mm / 42mm) – Pre-Order Now

Right now I have got four color variants – Silver, Cosmic (Matte) Grey, Ruby (Matte Red) and Pink which are available for pre-order except the Pink one. They are made of 6061 series hard anodized aluminum with the following technical specifications:

• Solid 316L stainless steel double push button butterfly deployment buckle
• Weighs 46 or 53 grams for 38mm or 42mm variants
• Fits the Apple Watch Series 1 and 2
• Comes with Link Removal Tool and Micro-fiber cloth for cleaning

My first impression is on the weight. It is much lighter than the Revo Stainless Steel Band to go with if you are going for a workout or outdoor activity that gives you less burden on the wrist. It is very comfortable to wear not only for its relative light weight, but also the well-manufactured anodized matte finish on the aluminum. The material is strong and solid. Unlike those low-cost replica link bracelets that use Aluminum to replace Stainless Steel which is very soft and easily deformed with some force. This did not happen on the Ligero Bands.

The design looks aesthetically pleasing and has taken a more sporty approach. The links are very flexible to adapt to my wrist after removing some of the links. There are smaller links for users to add or remove so to make the band a better fit for the wrist. I did remove one of those so it is now just about right to wear in comfort. And according to JUUK:

Of note is the fact that we have full sized removable links at 8mm, but much less common among the cheap bands, we’ve also designed 2 smaller 5mm removable links. What this means is that the different combinations of removable links has vastly increased from just taking out multiples of 8mm, to the possibilities of taking out 5mm, 8mm, 10mm, and 13mm gaps…so ultimately this gives you a lot more, finer adjustment options to fit your wrists.

The pins and buckles work very well without any major issues. The pins on the links are secure and the connector is tight enough to hold in the Apple Watch slot so the band is basically impossible to fall out.

For those who may have pre-ordered, notably speaking, JUUK has been working much further than other watch makers in the market with their engineering team and manufacturing partners to make the band perfect for all the backers and customers who pre-ordered it. They include a custom designed and developed tool for their advanced concave Custom Capsa Pins, which will be much easier to hunt around than traditional pins for removing links from the band, ultimately making it a better experience for the users to adjust the length of the band without any clutter. For technical details, feel free to check out the FAQ session on JUUK’s official page.

Another perfection they are to chase for is minimizing the gap between the connector link and first link by having a 10 degree drop. It will look much better than the pre-production prototype you are seeing now which I personally think it works better than the Stainless Steel version I am currently wearing by looking at some snapshots I received from JUUK on this. This is a very good news for users with smaller wrist, no matter it is 38mm or 42mm watches, you are getting a nicer look from the band without big gaps here and there.

One more thing is about the buckle. The buckles on the pre-production samples look and work very well as far as I tested them out over the month. They are well-polished and smooth against the skin. However, it is always not good enough from JUUK’s perspective. They are using a nicer buckle than the current one you see. Certainly we will share with you when we received the final product later.

Last but not least, there will be quite a number of color variants other than the four we showed in this preview coming up from JUUK. So stay tuned with us for more follow-up review once they come out in the near future. Meanwhile, if you are interested in getting some JUUK bands which are currently on sale, head over to JUUK Store and pick your band for 10% off with promo code SUPERPHEN10.

It has been quite a while for Apple Watch band review on the blog. Today, we come back and share with you some really good-looking Apple Watch Bands from one of our good friends at Black Forest Atelier, who is famous on Etsy for its high quality, well-designed handmade leather bands for Apple Watch. We have put up two detailed review on both vintage style and limited edition bands in the past couple years and they have caught quite a bit of attention from the Apple Watch community.

Thanks to their sponsors once again, we are going to take a look at four different styles of handmade leather bands from Black Forest Atelier that definitely, as usual, stand out from what is generally served in the market right now.

1. NE03 Cuff – Buy now at $89.90

This is another vintage style Cuff band that Black Forest Atelier offers in addition to my long-time favorite Military Army Style. The texture of the band is different with a raw and rugged finish on both sides of the leather which makes the band feels softer and more comfortable on the wrist than tanned leather bands.

The stitching work is properly done. It combined various styles across different sections of the band. They all matched perfectly and I could hardly find any significant misalignment or anywhere off. The buckle used does not feel cheap. It is held tight at the end of the band and feels strong in material.

2. Artisian LV Vintage Panerai – Buy now at $119.90

On the left is the limited edition leather band handcrafted from a piece of legally purchased Louis Vuitton canvas leather. It is stated that the band is 100% authentic but not a licensed Louis Vuitton product and neither not affiliated with nor sponsored by Louis Vuitton.

The leather is quite thick and tough. Two pieces of leather of different textures are stitched together. The inner layer of calf leather is very soft and feels great on the wrist.

Though this is not the best craftmanship that I could look for a $120 priced band, if you are looking for something looks as luxurious as a Hermès band and have some cash to spare, this is an option you may consider.

3. Koi Fish – Buy now at $99.90

The limited edition Sterling Silver Pendant 2-piece band I reviewed last year has been one of my favorites at all time. I wear it whenever I want to have my Apple Watch be spotted in the crowd, be asked by the staff in the Apple Store and many casual occasions.

The Koi Fish band is a very cool variance of the one I owned. It a nice addition to my collection. The koi fish pendant the a silver color really pops and looks very Asian-styling. The medium-sized grain leather piece is born to be soft.

Stitching work is minimum on this band comparatively but it is just appropriate. The stainless steel buckle and adapter are chosen with quality.

4. NE03da123 KD60 – Buy now at $79.90

Last but not least, I have got another band that looks really like the Rally Racing band that I first reviewed for Black Forest Atelier. This band is a more rugged and tougher one than the tanned texture as the Rally Racing.

In my opinion, the brown leather free loop and golden-color stitches are perfectly matched with the black-colored band, more than that on the blue tanned leather band. This is by far one of the best looking bands to match with a Space Black or Space Gray Apple Watch.

There is a tremendous amount of different other styles of Apple Watch bands you can pick from Black Forest Atelier’s new Etsy online store, that I am sure there must be at least one of them fits your style and need.

For more high quality pictures like the above ones, be sure to check out and follow my Instagram account at @superphenblog. Stay tuned for more review and product photography like this in the near future.

A few months ago, we previewed the new line-up from JUUK namely Ligero which had been successfully funded on Kickstarter at the end of 2016. The Ligero Aluminium band is a spin-off design from its popular Stainless Steel Link Bracelet with a lightweight material of usage and more vibrant color options.

I have just received the final product from JUUK for this review, including Rainbow, Ruby and Silver for my 38mm Apple Watches. There has been a number of improvements overtime on the final design after our preview, including parts, craftmanship, finishing and more colors added. More importantly, the new Rainbow design is specially made for a specific cause.

Buy now – From $119 to $169

Specifications and key features

• Hard anodized, premium 6061 series aluminum

• 316L stainless steel deployant buckle

• Fits wrist sizes up to 190mm (7.48 inches) for 38mm Watch size; 214mm (8.42 inches) for 42mm Watch size
• 46 grams (38mm); 53 grams (42mm)
• Scratch resistance

• Super lightweight

Unboxing

What you should expect inside the box:

• The Ligero Band with color and size of your choice
• A 4-stage link removal tool
• A microfiber cloth
• 3 pieces of concave capsa pin
• A credit card size paperwork

New Color options

In addition to the colors we previewed earlier, JUUK has added a few nice colors to the 42mm models, including Cobalt (blue), Obsidian (polished black), Cadmium (burnt orange), Tyrian (plum), and Viridian (green).

Currently there are fewer options for the smaller Apple Watch variant. And the Rose gold (formerly Pink) models are coming soon and are expected to start shipping by late June.

Rainbow for a specific cause

The limited edition Rainbow Ligero is not only a very attractive and special-looking Apple Watch Band, but also designed for a specific purpose. Each sale of Rainbow Ligero, US$20 of revenue will be donated to the Amnesty International Hong Kong to support their efforts to combat discrimination.

Other than that, it is basically identical to other colors of Ligero bands in terms of specification. For its uniqueness and very limited quantity, if you are interested in getting one for yourself, you can pre-order it from JUUK now and expect arrival in late June 2017.

Improvements and differences

There are quite a number of improvements and noticeable differences comparing with the pre-production review units.

First, about the color and finishing. There is no noticeable difference for the Silver band in terms of color. However, for the Ruby band, I do see a slight variance in terms of color tune that has a very minimal lower profile than the pre-production prototype, which in my opinion looks closer to the color of new Product Red iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

The inner finishing of the links has changed to a blushed finishing in the final release rather than plain one on the pre-production unit. It is actually the same finish as the higher-end Link Bracelet and it definitely looks more premium in this sense. The buckle is also upgraded to premium 316L stainless steel which is also on par with the Link Bracelet.

Second, the connector links (adapters) now has a 10° drop angle to best fit most wrist sizes. It is quite noticeable when you put the bands side-by-side like the picture above that the right one has a significantly deeper angle turning. I personally find this as a very nice touch as it curves better along the wrist and fits my 155mm wrist perfectly, while the pre-production sample simply leaves a huge gap between the connectors and first links as the falloff becomes much steeper on the 2nd links on both sides. And it was not as comfortable as it is for the final iteration.

This does also help reducing certain friction when sliding into the Apple Watch. Plus with improved rubber pieces and the button at the connector, it does have a smoother experience when installing the band.

Third, about the link and pin. JUUK aims at making things more user-friendly and easier to play around with. So the band ships with two smaller (5mm) links near the buckle that makes the band more adjustable for all wrist sizes. This means, by right, with the main links being 8mm wide, users can adjust the sizing in several different increments; 5mm, 8mm, 10mm, 13mm, and 16mm or more. And you can see a comparison below between the Ligero band and the Link Bracelet, the Ligero band definitely has a higher degree of flexibility in terms of length adjustment.

Speaking of the pin for the links, JUUK has disposed the screwing links as in their pre-production units and developed a proprietory custom concave capsa pin system so that there would be less hunting around when adjusting the band. This prevents unnecessary scratching on the sides of the links. If the pins were flat, as is normally the case, a user would be moving the tool’s pin back and forth trying to locate the link’s recess (which there won’t be with a flat pin), and potentially scratching the links.

JUUK has also developed a proprietary, 4-stage link removal and installation tool that’s super simple to use, and is included with every unit. It is simple and effective. You can check out the step-by-step link removal tutorial from the YouTube video below:

Lastly, there is a nice engraving of the JUUK logo on the middle link piece of the band. Again, it is there no matter you love or hate it.

Final thoughts

My personal experience with JUUK Apple Watch bands has been awesome and I cannot recommend more to you to give it a try. With years of professional experience in manufacturing premium watch bands, JUUK keeps up their fantastic build quality with affordable price tags in their latest Ligero line-up.

As always, you can’t really go wrong with the spending on this band at less than $200 price point that has a much higher value-for-money than Apple can offer. It definitely worth every buck you have paid for the great product and customer service.

Head over to JUUK’s official site and pick up one Ligero band if you haven’t or missed their pre-order campaign. Be sure to follow our Instagram as well for more cool pictures.

We have been a big fan of Monowear’s Apple Watch accessories and we have come across most of their line-ups including their leather, nylon and metal Apple Watch bands and Monochest to hold your Apple Watch, charger and bands.

As a good friend of the blog, we are happy to be sponsored with the latest Perforated Leather Bands with all the color options.

Buy now (40% off) – $49.99

Unboxing

The Monowear Perforated Leather Bands come in packaging of familiar design. There is a see-through window on the front so you can have a sleek peek on your new watch band. At the back you will see the detailed specification of the band you have chosen, such as color, size and finish. It comes with no surprise but a brand new Perforated Leather Band inside the box.

Design

The new Monowear Perforated Leather Bands come with three different color options, namely Chestnut, Black and Gray.

The Perforated Leather Bands are made from Genuine Leather with subtle edge-stitching and a tapered shape. This is a very special design yet elegant enough that is rarely found in the market.

All the bands can go with any of the adapters and buckles that are color-matched with your Apple Watch casing, including Space Gray Aluminum, Silver Aluminum, Rose Gold Aluminum, Yellow Gold Aluminum and Silver Stainless Steel. They are all made of high quality material and feels durable so far as I tried out in the past couple weeks.

Thoughts

The new Monowear Perforated Leather Bands look very unique and professional in today’s market with abundance of different Apple Watch Band. The bands ship with three different colors that in my opinion fit best with business attire that I need to go with every weekday.

The quality can be highly expected as Monowear has strived through over the past few years as Apple Watch launches and evolves. The leather surface and stitching finishings are perfectly manufactured.

In terms of comfort, the band is born with soft texture and fits around my wrist perfectly. It is kind of nice that length of the band can cater most wrist sizes with 10 pin holes for adjustment.

Their other leather bands, including the Classic Leather Band and Leather Deployant Band, have also received a huge discount with up to $40 off over their original listed price. Be sure to check them out if you are interested.

We have put up quite a few detailed review on handmade leather Apple Watch bands from our long-term partner at Black Forest Atelier in previous years and they have been very welcomed and supported by the Apple Watch community.

In this month, we have come back with another four cool variants of leather bands thanks to their generous sponsor again. These are again high quality, well-designed handmade leather bands for your Apple Watches that are worth checking out.

NE18G-D60-2K – Buy Now at $79.90

This Vintage-styled Leather Band is literally a close variant from their original C3 Military Army Style Handmade Leather Cuff Band we have reviewed a year ago. This vintage-style leather band has been alway one of my all-time favorites and on-the-go band for work and formal occasions.

The leather comes with a moderately soft nature. The double free loops help in a great deal in securing the loosen band if you have a thinner wrist. The stitching style is more of a traditional one with the stitches evenly done along the edge of the band. The color choice for the stitch thread is simply perfectly matched with the brown leather that give a more classic look to the band itself. Overall, it is a very decent option if you are a big fan of traditional style leather watch band.

Artisian LV Vintage – Buy Now at $119.90

This is actually a color variant of the black/grey Artisian LV Vintage band we reviewed a couple of months ago. The material and style look the same. The leather is a little bit stiff at first use and gradually grow and soften over time.

I am personally more attached to this color option as it looks more like the real deal for a luxury piece of leather from Louis Vuitton. It does look more popped out than the black variant.

One little detail I noticed is that the band I received does not have the Louis Vuitton marking on the band which is slightly disappointing. But overall I really like this band despite a more steep price tag.

NE89R (Variant) – Buy Now at 79.90

This band was shipped by mistake but it turned to be a gem and immediately becomes one of my daily drivers for leisure occasions as it matches perfectly with most of my outfits.

The design looks quite alike the Baseball Red Stitching band we reviewed couples years back when we first knew about Black Forest Atelier. But the leather and texture are completely different. I do like soft leather bands right out of the box like this one that can easily get used to on the wrist.

Though this variant is not being found on the Etsy Store, do keep eyes on the store as it may return at any time.

NE01-D4 – Buy Now at $79.90

The last band we share with you is definitely a nice addition if you love more visible stitching on the band as a signature for style of yours.

The band shared the same leather as NE89R Variant we just talked about. It is soft out of the box and very comfortable to wear. The stitching pattern is beautiful and classic. The double extra-wide free loops match well with the signature stitching that makes the band looks sharp out of my Apple Watch band collection.

So how do you think about this batch of leather Apple Watch bands from Black Forest Atelier (Etsy Shop: NameEngraved)? Let me know in the comments.