Those looking for a classic leather look on their Apple Watch can find a few options at the Apple Store ranging in price from $149 to $249. With only a handful of third-party manufacturers entering the Apple Watch band game, quality accessory designer Pad & Quill has launched its own line of classic Apple Watch bands for a cheap entry price of $89.95 that’s closest to Apple’s classic buckle.
The big difference with the pad and quill option is an array of color options — Galloper Black, Chocolate, Whiskey and British Tan — allowing customers to keep a traditional watch aesthetic with added customization. The company offers each user the option to purchase any color, including stainless steel or polished black finish, to successfully match the Apple Watch face (Sport versions will support the accessory, but the same visual and corrosion warnings from Apple’s own band still apply).
Design
The pad and quill bands are made in an Italian leather tannery using a “soft-tumble method” resulting in what the company aims to be a comfortable watch band with added durability. Designed to fit both 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch sizes, the Classic Apple Watch Band will fit wrist sizes from 130mm to 210mm in diameter.
Unlike some other third-party companies, and Apple itself, Pad & Quill is making every leather color option in its band line available in both Apple Watch sizes, lending each band a unisex universality that looks good on any wrist. The company even lets users mix leather colors with metal finishes that range from traditional (British tan with stainless steel) to unusual (polished black with chocolate).
Nevertheless, a flaw customization is welcome, and ultimately results in a handsomely made and robust Apple Watch accessory. Pad & Quill sent me the chocolate with stainless steel band and I wore it for a few days for testing. The outside of the band feels smooth to the touch and seems to back up the company’s claims about the accessory’s sturdiness, while the inside is stitched in a light-toned stitch that contrasts nicely with the leather color chosen.
daily wear
After about half a week with the classic Apple Watch band, I can say that things have gotten a lot better since the initial start of wearing the band. A few things to note: The Apple Watch is the first watch I’ve worn in over a decade, and the Sports Band is the only band I own. Subsequently, I found the more traditional notch and clasp closure to be somewhat cumbersome when compared directly to the speed and sleekness with which I can slide on and off the Sports Band.
Fortunately, once the leather began to bend and fold into the correct shape I started wearing the accessory, Pad & Quill’s Apple Watch band became much less of a hassle to wear on a daily basis. I’m still not entirely sold on using it during heavy workout sessions, however, even with the company’s reassuring, but generic, band’s “active lifetime” claim.
I put the leather band through some traditional cardio workout sessions and a few runs, and it came out the other end intact, but remarkably unscathed. The band has many points of contact with the skin — the metal clasps and loops that hold the end of the band down, in particular — that go almost undetected on a daily basis but magnify under a high-stress, high-movement exercise. Pad & Quill doesn’t mention any kind of water resistance on its website, and while I can’t claim to have put it through any kind of heavy water testing, the band has come out of a few rain showers and sweaty workouts completely unscathed, though the obvious water warning against leather still applies.
The sleek, professional look of the leather band is the biggest plus for Pad & Quill’s new line of Apple Watch bands. While I can’t directly compare it to Apple’s leather loop and classic buckle options, the classic Apple Watch band is sleek and beautifully designed, with Pad & Quill’s rustic brand naturalness clearly evident from the accessory’s under-stitching to the unique tannery’s pops of color under the Tucson art.
bottom line
Like some third-party accessories before it, Pad & Quill’s Classic Apple Watch Band is a great budget alternative to Apple’s offerings of a similar nature. While $89.95 is far from cheap for some, those looking for a genuine, durable and professional-looking leather option for their Apple wearable — and don’t want to risk buying a cheap knock-off — probably won’t find a better option than the Pad & Quill.
The accessories company, known for its genuine leather iPhone, iPad and MacBook accessories, also launched a line of Apple Watch products around the launch of the device in April.
professional
- Attractive design
- $89 price tag
- Multiple color and finish options
- Available in both 38mm and 42mm sizes
- Finally, quite comfortable
cons
- Day-long break-in period
- Not suitable for workouts
How to buy
The Classic Apple Watch Band is available for pre-order today on Pad & Quill’s official website in Galloper Black, Whiskey, Chocolate and British Tan. The company is targeting a mid-September shipping date for the first round of pre-orders.
