My Apple Watch band gave out before year two - and it could've been bad

1 month ago 16

My Apple Watch Ultra 2 is, as of today, 626 days old, and apart from charging, it has been on my wrist pretty much continuously. It's accompanied me on many an adventure, been in several countries, found itself deep inside loads of car engine bays, been covered in dirt and mud, and it still looks like new.

Regular readers will have seen it in countless photos here on ZDNET.

But the other day, something broke, and while it wasn't serious, it could have been really bad.

The band broke.

How Apple's own watch band failed me

Now, preempting the obvious question, yes, it was a genuine Alpine Loop Apple band. It was the band that came with the watch. And yes, it's been through a wash cycle a few times to freshen it up.

But other than being worn on my wrist, the band hasn't been abused in any way. I've hardly given it much thought over the months, to be honest with you.

A few weeks ago, I noticed that the adhesive holding down the end tabs was lifting, but I saw there was stitching underneath, so I didn't worry about it.

What I hadn't noticed was that the stitching must have already given way, because the other day the clip came off completely. It wasn't disastrous due to the resistance the band experiences at the loop that attaches to the watch.

But then I noticed that the stitching at the main loop has also frayed almost to failure, and if that had gone first, the watch could have been lost -- falling in the sea, down a cliff, or just onto a trail.

Also: I turned my Apple Watch into a dumbphone with this quick fix

That would have been an expensive -- not to mention, sad -- day.

It didn’t take much for this end to come off either.

Should a $99 watch band last longer?

This is a $99 band to replace, so it's no cheap bit of kit. Is two years a good lifespan for a watch band, or do you expect something this pricey to last longer? I'm open to the idea that mine was defective or that I exposed it to some chemical that degraded it.

I don't know.

Also: Your Apple Watch is getting a huge upgrade. Here are the 8 features I can't wait to use in WatchOS 26

If you own an Apple Watch with an Alpine Loop band, I encourage you to take a look at it for signs of wear.

Lets see how long this Titanium Milanese Loop will last.

What I'm upgrading to now

The upside is that this did give me a reason to get a new band. I could have bought another Alpine Loop, but knowing how I am, I'd have been worried about it. I've been looking for an excuse to get a Titanium Milanese Loop band, so I got this as a replacement. This band feels good, and it looks good.

Also: I've tested dozens of wearables and the Apple Watch 10 is one of my favorites - here's why

I'll see how long this one lasts!

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