Andrew O'Hara
Nomad has just released a new titanium metal link strap for Apple Watch and AppleInsider has had it wrapped around our wrist for some time now.
Apple's metal link band for Apple Watch is great, but the massive price tag puts it far out of reach for most people. Nomad is giving users a more affordable option, that is still high on style as well as quality.
A stylish watch band
We've covered our fair share of Apple Watch bands, but few metal ones. Leather, nylon, silicone are all in high supply, but metal link bands are largely left to Apple.
Nomad has designed their new titanium band to fill that void in the market.
It comes in both black and silver, and has a very slight taper along the band. Nomad kept branding minimalistic by only including a small, subtle logo on the side of the clasp. This isn't just promotion or adornment, but functional as well, because it offers a waypoint for orientation when putting the band onto your Apple Watch.
The clasp used is quite thin which goes a long way to ensuring a comfortable fit. It stays very flat and doesn't dig into your wrist while wearing day-to-day. It opens easily by squeezing two buttons on either side of the clasp.
Nomad titanium Apple Watch bandIf you've tried on any of Nomad's existing silicone or leather bands you're already familiar with the lugs they are known for. They are boxier lugs that contour to the face of the Apple Watch and give the watch a slightly larger look. The style is so popular a number of other manufacturers have knocked these off for their own bands over the past couple years.
Fitting the band
Apple invested a lot into creating easily removable links that operate by depressing a small button on the back of the link. When resizing the band, you can quickly remove the necessary links then snap the whole thing together.
One of the largest differences between Nomad's offering and Apple's own metal link band is the way it is resized. For a task that you will likely do merely once during the life of the band, it is tough for any company to invest that much time and effort into such a mechanism.
That equates to removing links from Nomad's strap the old-fashioned way. Each link has a pair of pins holding them in place. When you want to resize the band, you force a pin out, remove the necessary links from each side, then reinsert a pin to connect it back together.
Nomad titanium Apple Watch band removing linksYou can take this to a jeweler or watch seller to have this done, but you can easily do it for yourself since Nomad is including a tool to do with each band. Just loosen the tool, place the link into the tool with the arrow facing away from the tool's pin, then slowly tighten the screw. This will force the pin to extrude from the opposing side, and extracted by hand.
It isn't a difficult process to undertake, but it is far more in-depth than Apple's solution. And, it is a one-time process.
My wrist seems to fall between having four or five links removed with one being ever so slightly too big, and the other ever so slightly too small. This is one of the downsides to bands that have discrete fit options whether it is Nomad's metal link strap or Apple's Sports Band.
Attaching the watch band
We mentioned Nomad has custom-designed the band from the ground up including the lugs and individual links. The tolerances on the band are quite tight, which has an unfortunate impact.
There is very little lateral movement of the band, so if you remove more than a couple links, you can't put the band onto the Apple Watch one end at a time.
Instead, both lugs must be inserted into the Apple Watch simultaneously. But, it sounds more awkward than it is.
Nomad titanium Apple Watch bandAll of us at AppleInsider change our bands a lot, between professional obligations, and personal ones. When I'm not trying something new, I opt for leather or metal bands during the day, then I switch to a nylon or sports band for hitting the gym.
Originally I kept trying to force the Nomad band into place one end at a time, but when I tried to put in the second side it would bend the clasp. Once I started putting the band on correctly, it became a non-issue.
The differentiating factor
Creating a metal link band is tough. Even years after the Apple Watch release, options are limited to normal watch bands that just have Apple Watch lugs tacked onto them, dirt cheap bands that have black paint come off within hours, or the couple metal ones that are available which are usually lightweight aluminum.
Making a black model band is even harder than making the silver. It is difficult and expensive to make stainless steel black as Apple does. This results in companies using too-light anodized aluminum, or cheaply painting steel which looks good at first before it comes off, or releasing only in silver.
Nomad going for titanium is a great choice because it is strong, but still lightweight. It isn't as light and cheap feeling as aluminum but not as hefty as steel.
For those opting for the black version, the black coloring should hold up well over time. In our testing, we did have a very small amount of silver show through on the corner of the underside of the band where our wrist makes contact with our keyboard.
When we reached out to Nomad, they said I likely had a defective unit and that shouldn't happen. We also type over here at AppleInsider more than most so it could also be a workplace hazard. We'll be talking more about this in the future.
A cheaper alternative
Apple's link band is amazing, but it is far too expensive to be practical. Nomad's band looks great, is well built, and has a unique design that sets it apart.
Nomad titanium Apple Watch bandIf you've been yearning for Apple's band, Nomad's is certainly worth a try. The links may not be as easy to replace, but it that is a small downside for the significant savings you get by going with Nomad.
When rating this band, it all depends on the context by with you measure it. Compared to nearly every other Apple Watch band on the market, it knocks it out of the park in looks and quality. Compared directly to Apple's however, it falls short with its rigid architecture for putting it on and the tedious method of removing links.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Where to buy
Nomad's new titanium Apple Watch band is available now in black or silver for the 42/44mm models. You can pick it up directly from Nomad's site for $179.95.
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Charles Martin
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17 Comments
I bought Apple’s black bracelet when I bought the Watch series 2 when it first came out. So I’ve had the bracelet for several years. As those who have been here for a while know, because I’ve posted on this several times in Watch discussions, this bracelet is just about perfect.
apple uses a high grade of 316L alloy they’ve modified themselves in their own alloy R&D department. They then coat it with a DLC (diamond like Carbon). Even though I have shops, which include a fair amount of grinding both with fixed grinders and handheld angle grinders, using very hard substances which get in the air, and on horizontal surfaces, I’ve never gotten one tiny scratch, or even a rubbed area. It looks brand new. It works as well as the day I bought it. Its also extremely comfortable.
is it expensive? Well, yes, depending. Depending on which direction you’re looking at pricing. HODINKEE, which is the premiere watch site, has stated that high end watch makers would have a hard time making the bracelet for $3,000. That was when this black one cost $550. now, the price is, I believe $350. Apple has sold a lot of these.
when I bought my series 3, I kept this. When I bought my series 4, I kept this. When I buy the next one, whether it will be the 5, or a later model, I will keep it. Long term, it really isn’t that expensive.
i doubt that this Nomad will hold up nearly as well as the Apple. The fact that there was already some silver showing, despite that they called it a factory defect, is worrying. That means that the black can, and therefor will, wear off. That’s it’s made from titanium is nice, but it doesn’t mean much as far as quality goes. I’d like to have one of these in my hands to examine, though I’m likely not willing to buy one just for that purpose. $180 compared to $350 isn’t really that much of a leap. Yes, it’s about double, but it still isn’t that much. Apple’s bracelet has proven to be a top notch performer, and highly reliable. Let’s come back in a year, and see how this one did.
I agree with Melgross. My Series 0 was purchased in the black stainless with the black bracelet and that was my only band. When I recently upgraded to my Series 4 the bracelet went on immediately. It does not show any wear.
Thank you for the information on the Apple band. The Nomad band looks nice from the video. It may be a decent value for the money, depending on how well the black coating adheres to the Ti.
No matter how good the tolerances are, worn coatings make the band look older than bracelet stretch.
It's really nice to know the Apple bracelet holds up so well. At $550 it wasn't a consideration, but at $350, it might be. I bought the Apple Classic Buckle at $150 because the alternatives just didn't seem to fit the look of the Watch, and lack the detail of Apple's band. Yes, the alternatives can be nice looking and much cheaper, but not as nice, to my eye, as the Classic Buckle.
While I'm still at Series 2, I really like the new shape of the Series 4. The one thing I'm not crazy about with the Nomad bracelet is the squarish look the new lugs impart. It could grow on me, but it would be slow growth. But overall, it's a very nice looking band. I think it might look better on an S2.
@melgross Thanks got the info. I was thinking of getting one of these, now I’ll probably get the black for my watch 3 and the stainless when I get a watch 4