Worth the $240 dollar difference? REAL vs. FAKE Apple Watch Milanese Loop Comparison (Series 4 upd.)
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- Опубликовано: 22 авг 2024
- Is there a difference between real Apple Watch Bands and rip-offs? The answer is yes. A very tiny yes. One of these watch straps cost me $20 dollars whereas the other cost me close to $300 dollars.
*Checked both bands with the Apple Watch Series 4. Whatever I say in this video stills stands
Can you see which one is the real one?
Probably not. When I first got these two bands, the only way I could tell the differences was by the color of the magnet on the clasp. The dark one is the genuine Apple product. I’ll mark the knock-off with a piece of tape.
After spending several months with both straps, which one is better? Which band held up better to everyday use? The genuine Apple Watch band did but is it worth the $240 price difference? I’ll let you decide after I go into the details.
Check out what Apple Watch Bands Amazon has:
Amazon US: mreh.ca/2pux8lU
Amazon CA: mreh.ca/2puv5OC
Amazon UK: mreh.ca/2puCihP
Amazon DE: mreh.ca/2pusvbr
Or get it on eBay: mreh.ca/2pueF9e
Now I know Apple Products seem overpriced. In general, you do get what you pay for. More money usually means a better product which is true when it comes to Apple hardware in my opinion. Just ask my first iBook.
Accessories on the other hand are ridiculous? Apple’s iPad cases are brutal. The cases work well but are way too much.
For the iPhone, Apple’s cases are decent but are still definitely over-priced but the difference between a $10 dollar case and the $45 dollar case is quite noticeable. For $10 dollars, you get cheap plastic with sharp corners and for $45, you get a grippy case.
With the Apple Watch, when I started looking into different Milanese bands after getting the real one, I was appalled at the price difference.
They bands weigh almost the same, they have the same width but the links on the Apple watch are a little bigger but that’s about it. Both have a solid fit in the Apple Watch and neither of them gave me any issues while wearing them.
The $20 dollar band has a bit more bend which won’t make a difference when wearing it. I’m guessing that the links in the Apple Watch band have a tighter fit to them, which would be an indication of the build quality.
The biggest difference I noticed between the two? The coating on the $20 dollar band is starting to wear off. Sort of. You can definitely see wear the band makes contact with itself. How big of a deal is it? I am guessing not much because it happens on the part of the band that nobody sees.
The only other thing I’ve noticed between the two bands is that the $20 dollar has way more scratches than the genuine Apple product which goes back to the beginning of the video. You get what you pay for but these scratches are pretty hard to see on an everyday basis.
That’s it. Those are the only two things I’ve noticed over the last 22 weeks.
So I ask you, is this slightly better wear and tear worth the extra $240 dollars? I think the answer for most people is going to be….no? Let me know below.
But here’s a few things to think about.
When you’re buying the cheap band, you’re supporting a company that didn’t spend any time designing the band. They just copied it. They didn’t try to make it better, they straight up copied it. As a responsible consumer, I have a hard time feeling good about myself giving money to knockoff companies.
That’s the main reasons why I stay away from reviewing knockoff iPhone accessories. I’m not going to give any sort of credit to companies whose business model is to just copy what other’s are doing.
The second thing to think about is the fact that your premium priced Apple Watch has a $20 dollar band keeping it to your wrist. Now the average person isn’t going to be able to tell if you’re rocking the real or fake band. In fact, I don’t think I’d be able to see the difference without pulling the watch off that person’s hand to see if it is real or not.
I know I found myself falling into this mental trap. The real band “felt” better on my hand than the fake one even though they are pretty much identical and have the same functionality.
Now the last thing to consider is whether or not Apple should be supported. Is the product that much better that they deserve to command a premium price?
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So I've used both of the bands in this video with the Apple Watch Series 4 and whatever I say in this video still stands.
Oddly enough, I noticed that the Sport Loop that came with my Apple Watch Series 4 was smaller than the one on the Series 3...Is Apple trying to save on costs? Again?
Looks like it was taking in to consideration how the new model is slightly longer. That said because the watch is rigid, some people now have issues sliding their hands through the nylon loop
38-3 straps matches 40-4, 42-3 straps matches 44-4 is what I read...
They stretch over time
the charger is also short, upgraded from a series 1 to a series 4 today, i dont use the new charger (unless its faster? idk, seem the same but the old one is longer)
I have to say, the Milanese watch band style has been in existence for a long time, so there is really nothing "original" that Apple has done with this design.
Your dog just sat there watching you wondering "what's wrong with my human talking to the air?"
Whenever he said "Apple", the dog was like "Huh? Apple, i want"
sray118 🤣
I didn’t even see the dog until I read this comment😂
LOL 😂
Dog is so cute
I’m paying $20 for the knock off. Integrity has never filled my bank account
Now I know why apple is a billion dollar company.they make bands that cost a dollar and sell it for 200.
I paid $4.75 for mine😂 see how long it can last. Have had it for a week and I quite like it so far.
Yuppp
@@billwilson4210 the band actually costs 30 dollars to make. and now they are selling it for 100 dollars. which is a 70 dollar profit per sold milanese band.
@@billwilson4210 I bought the regular watch and matched it with the $100 Malanese Band. It's $100.00 otherwise but now I'm ticked b/c I need the big watch b/c of my eyes & I am a tiny person so the band is really big. It needs to have a way to take away links or something. I'm not going down and making it look cheap - so they're going to have to fix it. + all the other issues they have screwed up + I'm on the 2nd new MacBook 16" M1 whatever it is but it sucks. 2 lemons, and I waited since my birthday in the Spring.Nothing works. If I didn't have all these Apples, I'd buy another company. They suck.
Supporting the cheaper knockoff brand indirectly tells Apple that their product is overpriced, and they need to drop the price on their product, and I think it worked. The Apple Milanese bands went from costing $200 at first release, to $100 in 2020.
Yes! I think they're like $80 now in 2022 lol
Is it wrong to buy knock-off yes in a way because we aren’t supporting the company but I’m sorry but I’d rather support my wallet
haha, true..
By supporting the competition, it forces Apple to lower its prices. Competition is always a good thing.
you already supporting the company by buying the watch, which is like half a thousand dollars or even more. It's not our fault to choose 3rd-party accessories because Apple overpriced everything.
The "company", the execs, shareholders.. Are buying boats, mansions and supercars, having a good easy life at your expense. You don't owe them sh*t, it's them who owe you the consumer, good quality products for a fair price, the opposite of what Apple does
Not supporting Apple is purely a good thing
The real crime is buying a $300 band
Lol, True, 👍🏾👊🏾✌🏾🇳🇬🇺🇸
They’re much cheaper now. Guess Apple learned?
@@Jacobk66 yeah got it for 100. Awesome band for that price.
Like not cheap, but worth the money. Because it’s really great.
The dog is very attentive. So cute
👍🏾👊🏾✌🏾🇳🇬🇺🇸
I went back in video to if there was a dog.
He really loves the guy, you can tell. He must be treated well.
3rd party bands are not knock offs unless they are pretending to be apple straps, Apple didn't invent the watch strap.
they didn;t have to spend millions on R+D to design them, they charge so much because people will buy them...
Thx for the comment.
Actually they have spent a lot over designing the strap mechanism..!
@@Freesoul5995 wrong.
Apple never claimed to design milanese loop..it says on their site it’s a modern interpretation of a classic design.
And they are pretending to be apple products seeing as how they’re accessories made exclusively for an Apple product. Knock off.
They spend way more time designing these bands than you think.
Yes. Its worth supporting companies that give you cheap alternatives.
I have the cheap black milanese loop and it feels right on my expensive apple watch. It works perfectly and it looks elegant. Why would I feel bad?
The dog was so well-behaved, I didn't even notice it until half way through the video.
I just watch your cute dog😂
buy the knockoff and help a Chinese kid feed his family
They are made in China either way.
Roger Schooneveld mate fuck off
Roger Schooneveld
It's illegal for kids under 18 years old to work, in China, for your information.
Yes it is even more strict than the US laws.
安荣 it’s illegal, but not fully enforced everywhere in China
Kid no one is gonna spend $300 on the "real" band because its almost as much as the actual watch
Why on earth does a watch strap cost $270?!?! They probably make them for about $5
I think there is one that is $600
who in the right mind would even look at buying that..
Pingu Noot no. It’s worth more than $5, but still WAY less than what they charge for it. It’s pure stainless steel (check how much that costs) and the black one is coated in a diamond like carbon coat.
It's $150 for the silver, $200 for the Space Gray. But it's still crazy overpriced.
The one he’s talking about that cost $600 is the link one. And part of why it’s so expensive is because of the type of quick release links and the butterfly mechanism they came up with. If you’ve ever had a butterfly style clasp they’re big and many are very uncomfortable. Apples is extremely thin and accurately machined. Their links have a very unique quick release system that nobody has successfully copied yet and their tolerances and quality control is much higher than the knockoffs. The best knockoffs of the link band you can get are currently on the 5th or 6th revision and still don’t match apples quality. They wiggle, the links don’t release as well, the clasp doesn’t release as well, you can almost always see the connections between the links which looks bad and the coatings scrape off quickly. Even then, they’re $90-100. The cheaper ones get even worse. So yeah, is there a big markup at $600, probably. But are they $5 bands repackaged with an Apple logo and sold for $600? No way.
I'm glad you made this video 😃I'm a Apple person, love just about everything they produce. But to charge almost $300 for a watch strap?? Apple has lost there mind.If I had a Apple Watch I would DEFINITELY buy the knock off brand. Thanks again for informing us (the consumer)about this.😀😃😃
:)
they are $200 USD not 300!!
And? Look at pricing an Skagen's milanese straps for normal watches. Having personal with Skagen watches, those are amazing. A nylon nato strap that'll last 10 years no biggie will cost you 30 dollars from blushark. Go buy a cheap amazon strap for the mounts, use shears to cut off the band, put the mounts in, then grab your nato strap, lead it through the lugs and you have a high quality nato strap on your apple watch.
Gio048 l
It's not a knock off....SMH. It's called 3rd party products. Ay ya yai. If the product were to come in an Apple box then it would be considered a knockoff.
That dog is looking at him thinking “who the fuck is he talking to”???
Actually Monty is looking at me thinking "that's not what we practiced..."
You get what you paid for, but $300 is way over priced IMO.
:)
I'm not trying to be a snobb but in the watch world $600 is not expensive. wearing a 20 dollar band with a $600 watch is normal, it's when you buy watches over $2000 then it is a little odd. And that band design has been available with normal watches for a long time. This band design was not invented by Apple
Meanwhile, I'm sporting a $15 watch I got from WalMart. I'm not a watch kind of person though, so my priority on quality watches differs greatly from you or others out there.
Thx for the comment.
Good post!! Screw 250$ strap. I'll buy knock off all day
Depends on the strap. With a nylon nato strap they'll run a 10k rolex subbie on a 30 dollar strap.
I bought a BMW 5 Series and instead of buying BMW all weather floor mats for $100. I bought a $30 all weather floor mat and it works just fine.
👍🏾👊🏾✌🏾🇳🇬🇺🇸
That doggy sure loves you. Sat there the whole video staring at you like...😍. Adorable.
I've got the "fake" one but in silver, been using it for a few months now and it's pretty nice IMO. Also because it isn't painted scratches/wear doesn't really show too
Thx for the comment.
Username I’m getting a fake one in the mail today and I’ve been looking to get this band since I got the watch 2 months ago and there is no reason at all to spend the same amount of money I spent on the watch just for a ban
I have a fake silver one too. The oil from the loop end comes off and leaves black marks on the links over time but it cleans off easily enough with soapy water.
Where can I buy it?
You actually bought in the wrong place lmao,. that band is 2 dollars on ali express.
Came here to learn about these watch straps but instead got to watch an awesome dog show his love.
Great review, but I found myself watching your dog a lot, I love the way he's paying attention while you're talking.
How your dog watches you the whole vid like he totally understands you 😂😁
In case anyone sees this and wants a recent opinion on the original and knock off bands: I’ve had knock off bands for 9 months before switching to an original apple milanese band. All the cheap bands I’ve tried were really beautiful in the beginning, but the coating starts to wear off eventually. The last knock off I used started wearing off the second I put it on and then I decided to get a genuine band. Since the price is now around $99 (I paid €87) I think it’s a more reasonable and affordable price and I would recommend getting a good band once instead of buying a cheap alternative every few weeks/months. Eventually you’ll spend a lot more money on knock offs over time. It’s also better for the environment since you have a lot more waste when you buy 10 knock offs instead of one original that can last years :)
I bought my Milanese band for $6 I’ve had it for 3 months and it’s pretty good. No complaints only complements
Your dog is simply amazing. BTW genuine apple milanese watch bands are currently $99 USD on the site which is now making me curious whether it’s worth it over my $12 one from Amazon.
The Apple link bracelet is where the price premium is REALLY justified. The push button system to remove links is truly innovative and practical. Nobody does it like Apple.
Thx for the comment.
you dog knows exactly what you're saying and fully agrees with you. (but give food)
The Milanese loop is 99USD these days.
Lol dog just chilling watching you
Your dog is an awesome listener~ LOL
Lol it’s funny because he’s actually trying to make himself feel better because he gave $200 for a strap when he knows he fucked up lol
The dog is like “bruh where’s my lunch”
That dog is unbelievably cute!!
Thanks for this video. I actually just bought he knock off one at Target and was wondering how different it was from the actual Apple one. Makes me feel better about my $20 purchase.
I like your dog every video his just there staring at you😂😂
I wish I had a friend that listens to me as well as your dog 😞
i got one for 3$ on aliexpress, holds up good and feels very good..for 3$ i can buy 100 bands for 300$
This video deserves a subscription. The way you thoroughly reviewed the product then brought your ethical position in. Well done sir, looking forward to your other videos.
I was with you right up until you started talking about whether it's right to support the companies making the knockoffs and profiting from Apple's innovation. They didn't invent that sort of wristband, it's been around since the 19th century (something that's even on their website). The only thing Apple did that might be considered innovation is sticking a magnet on it rather than a clasp mechanism.
Honestly, I'd rather buy dozens of cheaper watch bands than fork out for the ridiculous cost of Apple's "real" Milanese loops. The knockoffs offer a much wider variety of colour options and are way cheaper. The upshot to this is that I could buy a bunch of colours, have way more options, and still have spent less. This applies to each type of band Apple does. $79AUD for a sports band, when I can get a dozen of the same style in way more colours than Apple has ever offered (even if they didn't keep nixing options from the lineup) from AliExpress or Amazon for half that price? The only genuine band I've bought from Apple, aside from the ones that have come with my watches, is the 2018 Pride band and that was because I had a gift card for the Apple store.
When I buy a knockoff do I get a better product? No, of course not. I didn't pay for the better product. I paid far less, and I paid for a variety. Either way, the money I spent is going to a massive company. Whether that's Apple or a Chinese manufacturing company doesn't matter to me.
He’s trying to convince himself the Apple one is better bc he regrets the fact he just spent $200 on a band and the $20 one looks the same 😂😂
Your dog is the best! So cute... lol...
Got a nice looking one from Groupon for $7 and very happy with it . I would absolutely NOT spend 200-300$ on the Apple one. Glad you said they are not much different😊
That's how capitalism works. Offer the product at a reasonable price and people will buy it. The Apple Watch band is much better quality, but not $250 worth.
:)
Anyone else spend that entire video wishing he would clap the doggo??? 😂
Huge difference. The apple is such high quality. You can get that band on eBay now for $120 sealed in box.
Thx for the heads up.
So I can only buy 5 of the knock offs for one Apple? What a bargain!
Love how closely ur dog is paying attention telling u to say the knock off is way better! Fuck the real strap and use it to help get ps5
That doggo is such a good boy.
You have the most well behave dog I ever had seen in my life! As a matter of fact he seems to be paying attention to all your explanation! 🤣. Congrats!
Until I read the comments I thought your dog was a statue lol. He's so adorable.
your dog is so amazing lol just staring at you like a human
The dog being like pet me pet me😂
Your dog is so freaking cute!
The dog is absorbing all the info like nobody else!!! great video
I totally agree with the internal conflict as far as knockoff vs the original.
Glad I'm not the only one.
I was waiting for the dog to give its opinion
The dog is using telepathy to bring us this review.
His dog is like man just wasting your time haha
The dog was the best part of the video.
I bought a few knock off sport loops and the weird thing is that their quality is actually better. Not only for 1/10 of the price, but overall. the cheap one is a bit thicker, but it does not get deformed and loose in a wave pattern. I like to pay the extra when it is justified, but in the sportloop's case it is not for me. That is actually why I looked up this video.
I got an Apple case for $6 and an iPhone case from Apple is like $40 maybe
I would like to say on all your videos I have seen I like how you give your real opinion and go further by seeing it from different angles.
Jus wanted to say thanks and I can’t wait to see more of what make :)
lollllll your worst night mare came true they changed the size of apple watch series 4 lolll
I think people would buy genuine apple if it was priced lower.
$200+ vs. $20. No way.
Prices the bands should be:
Sports loops $15
Sports bans $15
Milanese loop $40
Modern Buckle $40
Leather loop $40
Hermes (pointless to discuss)
He said “is it worth it to support a company that just copied and didn’t do innovation” well let me ask you is it worth it to support a company that created and designed the band but charges a price 1000% higher than the cost of the band? I’ll take the knock off.
I've bought two black knock-offs now. The second one seems to have the adapter where the band loops through come off. I also found (after someone else mentioned it) the outside part of the magnet on the Apple genuine one doesn't seem to attract while the fake one does - when worn, the fake one would have metal stick to the end, but not with the Apple one.
Your attentive dog is adorable
I’m supporting the knock off company.
#Price
Hi Aaron, thanks for the great review, as always! For me personally it’s worth buying a knock off, since I want this strap only for a few formal occasions. And other than that I will mostly be using the Modern buckle from Apple, which is already expensive, so I’ll compensate for it lol. My only concern with the cheaper milanese strap is the magnet. What is your user experience: is the magnet of the knock off as strong as the original one from apple?
Yes it’s worth it 20$ if it breaks get another you can buy plenty by the time it reaches the 200 equivalence to the official band the watch will be far outdated. Plus you can buy MORE BANDS vs one expensive band
Interesting questions. I was surprised with that price difference that the knock off did not fall apart or come apart from watch itself. I feel that if can get something similar - that is sturdy and with only mild cosmetic issues - than go for it. I have not spent that much for a band - but sometimes when I try to save money and buy generics initially - I end up wasting the money and getting the real thing eventually (ex - former proud owner pebble watches).
Love your videos, really appreciate the time you take to properly test products and provide an unbiased opinion. Always answer my questions
I have a knock off Milanese loop and really like it; however, I also have a knock-off leather band and am allergic to it. Evidently the glue on the strap and I don't jive. If Apple changes the sizing on the watch straps in the next edition I may 😡. As always, Monte's facial expressions are on point!
I was more focused on the dog than the you lmao
I payed 1400 for the watch but I don’t want to get the band 😂💀for 300
Bought a Red knockoff to switch between the other bands I have for my Series 7. Worth it 😂
I think most people would probably be happy to pay $60 or $70 thinking thats fair, maybe stretch to $100 knowing that is a premium product. But $300 is laughable, it kinda reminds me of business class plane fare, you don’t get anywhere near what you pay for - but it offset the cheap seats.
I noticed the dog at the end of the video 😂😂
Imagine thinking that Apple invented the Milanese loop and that the cheaper band is "copying" it. Your idiocy knows no bounds.
a valid point with the copy cats.
the reason for me i dont like those accesoirs.
but the old price was to steep for me, so i waited until it dropped to the 99.-
Thank you
Prolly if the genuine was like $80 I would support Apple but 20 vs 300
I'm not supporting a knock off company but rather protesting Apple's offensive prices. Without knock offs, Apple could and would charge more. Sure an Apple product will be made of premium materials but also with a far larger profit margin. It's also takes some ingenuity to recreate a premium product with much more reasonable price.
Get the silver knockoff then you don't have to worry about paint.
Also I bought the cheap one now in 2021, for $8.88 AUD
I got my right now in mail, the Milanese band for $7 from wish app
I need a man to look at me the way this dog looks at you 👏🏼😍😩
Dog: why tf would you be happy paying $240 for that band. My own collar dont even cost that.
Okay from this video ive decided... im never buying an apple watch strap 😂
That's an good thing . Just when your order it just buy 2 . When it's wore down swap it and thow the other an way
Can we have purchase link for clone bracelet? Good video
$300 vs $20, they come off the same boat
The band is not really a knock off. Its a less expensive alternative. When you buy replacement car parts, do you always buy those made by an auto manufacturer? Does the watch augment the band or the band augment the watch? Which of the two is more important? It sounds like the $20 band is a better alternative for both affluent and less affluent customers. There is no moral or ethical dilemma as far as I can see. It would be a different story if Apple had invented and originally marketed Milanese watch bands. However, they didn't, they borrowed the idea from someone else who thought of it a century ago.
still wondering if your dog it's real or fake , only blinks! great video btw!
With that much different in price even though the knock off one easier to scratch or color faded, you could buy a new knock off after awhile or changing strap as stylo milo 😎🤩
Thank you copy cat company I’m buying one for 20 ❤️👍😂
Don’t agree with you. If there’s that tiny miny difference then the public would rather go for a knock off band which looks and feel almost same as the original and can probably purchase quite more of these when their colour starts fading up by saving the money on purchasing the original one and still may save some money but your logic and explanation are awesome. A very honest review.
I didn’t even notice your dog till I look through comments 😅 sorry
I bought my 3P Silver Milanese Loop for CAD $5 in Singapore! 🙂
Well on Wish you can get one for 2$
I bet your pissed that Apple is selling this for $99 now. 😅😂