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The Apple leather watch bands are about to go extinct and it looks like we’ll have a new eco-friendly material instead.
As has been spotted on Twitter, we are due to receive an update to the Apple Watch with a new material Apple is calling “FineWoven.”. This is linked to a previous story about Apple discontinuing leather watch bands. In an effort to make the brand more sustainable and have a more unified look to watches, we are likely to see many band types using the FineWoven material in place of leather.
Unfortunately, our first look makes the material seem a little dull and it will need an excitingband and color to take advantage of its unique texture. Here are three Apple Watch bands from the smartwatch’s history that we think would look great with a FineWoven makeover.
Alpine Loop
The Alpine Loop’s ridged design fits with what we’ve seen of the FineWoven band and the buckle is so unique that it would be a shame to lose it. Coming with a clip, rather than a button, you can tighten it a little without having to take the entire band off.
The Alpine Loop currently combines materials to create a rugged effect and the FineWoven Alpine loop could do the same, interweaving different textures to get a much stronger feel. The Alpine Loop is designed for the Apple Watch Ultra but with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 on the way, it makes perfect sense to implement the FineWoven Alpine Loop too. In the images leaked by Kosutami, they show off a FineWoven Loop with an Ultra Watch so it seems possible we could get a more dedicated rugged FineWoven feel for future Ultra 2 accessories.
Braided Solo Loop
Apart from looking great, the Braided Solo Loop thrives in just how breathable it is. They entirely remove the clasp mechanism of other bands which is quite freeing in a way but it also means the band has to be very flexible. As we haven’t managed to get our hands on the FineWoven material just yet, we don’t know what kind of flexibility to expect.
If a braided style finish can be met with these materials, the quite washed-out color palettes in the original imagery could work well.
Modern Buckle
As the FineWoven line seems set to replace the leather bands, it’s important to not miss some of the best leather bands’ features.. The Modern Buckle is a leather watch with a very different type of clasp. Opting for a buckle mechanism, it has a metal frame that holds your watch in place when you put it through the holes on the side. Similar to that of a belt buckle, it’s a much more classic look for a watch, that looks particularly classy with the leather line.
With FineWoven material, Apple could implement the same basic buckle and go for a very dark brown color - complimenting the style. You don’t need leather to get that look and I think a FineWoven Modern Buckle band could prove this.
Ultimately, the FineWoven material is a way of replacing leather and becoming a bit more sustainable but this doesn’t have to be where it ends. The FineWoven line could, and likely will, look great in the future, especially if Apple adapts a little bit of what makes the Apple Watch look so good right now.
The pictures we have seen showcase a pretty ordinary strap likely intended to be the default leather band for many. This swap doesn’t suggest we won’t be able to get stranger and more expensive designs, especially given the leather-like color we have seen so far.
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