Apple Execs Detail Apple Watch Band Designs in New Interview

For the latest installment of its What The Tech? series, men’s fashion and streetwear brand HYPEBEAST sat down with Stan Ng, Apple’s VP of Product Marketing, and Evans Hankey, Apple’s VP of Industrial Design, to talk about Apple Watch bands and the design philosophy and engineering behind them.

“Our goal has always been to create something that is beautiful, comfortable, and functional, and both pays homage to the rich history of watchmaking but also reflects the distinct individuality of the wearer,” said Hankey.

“For us, the band is not at all about technology — each band expresses our love for materials, craft, and the process of making.”

Apple Watch bands are yet another area where users can personalize their device and express themselves through it, and the interchangeability of the band has been a cornerstone of the product for Apple since day one to enable exactly that.

The band or strap you attach to your Apple Watch is meant to be its aesthetic pièce de résistance, but it’s also meant to be so much more.

When asked about the difference between Apple Watch straps and bands and those found on conventional timepieces, Stan Ng said, “one differentiator is that the innovations we make to watch bands must support the functionality of the Apple Watch.”

Apple Watch bands are specially designed to provide the best fit possible, not only ensuring that the device is comfortable to wear but also “enabling features like all-day heart rate tracking, blood oxygen readings, and on-wrist detection that allow you to use Apple Pay or unlock your iPhone securely without authenticating every time,” said Ng.

A prime example of this is Apple’s Solo Loop band, which is available in a number of different sizes to make sure every customer gets the right fit. Apple even provides detailed instructions on sizing your wrist for the Apple Watch Solo Loop band.

The two executives also talked about Apple Watch straps developed in conjunction with brands like Hermès. “It’s a collaboration between two brands with very strong design personalities, and while the aesthetics of Hermès and Apple may be quite different, the obsession with details, craftsmanship, and storytelling are deeply shared values,” said Ng.

Apple has also worked with Nike+ to create co-branded bands for the Apple Watch. The company also makes special edition bands like the country-themed ones it made for 22 different nations, including Canada, in celebration of the Summer Olympics earlier this year.

Ng and Hankey also went into details about each individual Apple Watch strap, including the Sport Loops, the Solo Loop, the Milanese Loop, and the Leather Link.

Check out the full interview over at HYPEBEAST.

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