Malcolm Owen
Apple could discontinue its use of leather watch bands for the Apple Watch Series 9, it is rumored, with Apple employees said to be receiving major discounts on Hermes bands as Apple winds down its leather stock.
Numerous rumors have surfaced throughout August about Apple switching to a woven composite fabric from its use of leather, affecting iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands. In the latter's case, the shift from leather may fully happen in September's event, and Apple has been preparing for the occasion.
In Tuesday X posts, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman offered an assumption that Apple will move away from the Apple Watch bands after commenting about the leather-free iPhone 15 case leaks. In a later update, Gurman adds that Apple has been trying to cut down its stock of leather bands.
Update on that assumption: I'm told that Apple last month started offering employees its Hermes leather accessories (and leather link bands) at up to 90% off. Clearly some inventory clearing going on. The internal deal continues but everything is out of stock. https://t.co/fBrLlTY9kC
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 5, 2023
"I'm told that Apple last month started offering employees its Hermes leather accessories (and leather link bands) at up to 90% off," Gurman writes. This is viewed by Gurman as a clearing of the last remaining inventory.
These discounts are very steep, with Gurman pointing out that a Hermes band that would normally cost around $850 is being sold to Apple employees for $85.
While discounts to Apple employees are usually a sign that a product line is being cleared out or ended completely, it seems doubtful that Apple would completely sever connections with another complementary premium brand like Hermes.
Hermes bands aren't the only things being sold in this way, with accessories including Solo Loop bands in outgoing colors and the MagSafe charging dock also discounted for staff.
The switch compels Gurman to forecast that the environment and sustainability will "be a larger than normal part of the September 12th launch."
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9 Comments
Better margins on a synthetic product.
The synthetic options would need to be not sourced from deep carbon sources otherwise they are giving away a carbon positive product for a carbon negative only.
They’re out of a lot of bands. Leather, steel and sport loops. My local Apple Store has a band wall that looks like Frys electronics.
Because of course a synthetic — read “plastic” — band is sustainable compared to leather, an organic and renewable resource?
Synthetic bands are easier and cheaper to produce and produce well, than leather or metal. So it doesn't surprise me that Apple might move away from them. I've never cared for any of their leather bands except the initial $150 that was offered at the time of the first Stainless Steel Watch. That was a well done elegant leather band which hasn't been equaled by anybody including Apple.
There are plenty of leather and metal third party options though most of them have lesser quality and lack elegant styling, commensurate with the cheaper price.
If Apple were to ever break out the sales numbers of their different categories of bands, we'd probably see that the synths outsell the others by a comfortable cash margin.
I'd like to see numbers (wishful thinking) on Hermès specifically. Given their stratospheric prices and the fact that they end up in a "mere" Apple Watch, I wouldn't think they'd offer Apple much in the way of sales.
Leather as any watch band appeals to me but most options look like they were made from a belt that had a huge ostentatious "cowboy" buckle on it. Apple's offering do nothing for me. The Leather Link is showy for my tasted. The Modern Buckle is a clean design but is only available in 41mm for the smaller Apple Watches. The pebble grain leather puts me off.