Apple Watch Studio, a brand new way to purchase an Apple Watch, now lets your wrist do its own thing. Apple announced at its September 10th keynote the debut of an all-new Apple Watch Studio, which consists of both an online tool and an in-store experience that lets customers pair any model watch with any band they want. According to Apple, that is some 1,000 possible pairings.
It seems like a no brainer, but up until now, buyers had very limited choices of which bands they could choose with their initial Apple Watch purchase. Now, you can get anything you want, upfront. Don’t like that rubberized sport band? That Sport Loop doesn’t come in the right color? No problem. Go crazy with any band that’s available. Buy two, even. Uh oh — this could be dangerous.
Previously, Apple Stores had just a couple of watches available to try on and a very small selection of bands to accompany it, and the same was true for buying an Apple Watch online. If you didn’t fancy the band Apple chose, you were free to whip out the old charge card and purchase a different one either from Apple or from the legions of third-party vendors. With the Studio, in-store buyers will get to see and immediately order more varieties of bands and watch combinations to get the exact ones they want right away.
For the online store, you start with the Apple Watch Tool and then get started in creating your own personal style. First, you choose the watch size, then the finish (Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Titanium, or Ceramic), and then comes the fun part: You get a choice of four band types, Sport Band, Sport Loop, Leather, or Stainless Steel. Then, click “I’m Done” which then takes you to the check out page. And yes, you can still change your mind by clicking the Create Your Style button, which takes you back to the beginning so you can mix and match to your heart’s content.
Both the Series 5 aluminum and stainless steel models come in a silver, gold, and space gray finish, alongside the new titanium cases, which come in natural or space black. New bands sport vibrant colors like pomegranate and midnight blue alongside new colors for the Nike Sport Band and reflective Nike Sport Loop. And then there’s the ultra sophisticated Apple Watch Hermès which updates last year’s color block band with a Della Cavalleria print and a sleek all-black band.
Most new watches and bands will be available on September 20, but you can pre-order with the fully functional Apple Watch Studio right now. Apple Watch Nike is available for order today too, and will be available on October 4.
