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Designer Apple Watch bands by Coach reportedly coming soon for around $150 [Photos]

bands-coach

Apple has previously partnered with designer brand Hermes for a set of premium Apple Watch bands, sold separately from $340 per strap. It now appears that a second high-profile fashion designer, Coach, is coming on board with its own range of Apple Watch bands.

David Boglin De Bautista reports a sales associate in a Coach boutique told him about the upcoming collection, set to debut as early as June. The sales representative sent photos of the as-yet-unreleased bands (shown above), priced at $150 each.

Coach is best known for its designer range of satchels and bags. The pictured Apple Watch bands appear to reflect its spring bag collection with similar decorations and charms, according to the website. Some colors also feature custom stitching patterns.

Whether Coach is developing these bands independently or in collaboration with Apple is not clear but some form of partnership seems likely given Coach’s high profile status in the fashion world.

The reporter saw ‘about eight watch bands’ in total made by Coach, in white, black, red and brown. A common theme appeared to be little flower charms attached to the bands. A black band with white stitching was anecdotally noted in the store but the sales associate only provided photos of a couple of colors.

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9to5Mac has previously reported that Apple was working with fashion brands to create more premium bands like the Hermes collection although the company did not unveil anything from third-parties at its March event (but it did release several new bands of its own).

Unlike Hermes, the Coach bands do not appear to come with a custom watch face. This also suggests they will only be sold as third-party accessories — not bundled as watch + band models in the Apple Store, like the Hermes offerings before recently becoming available separately as well. At $150 per band, they are cheaper than the Hermes range but still pricey. Expect knockoff clones of Coach Apple Watch bands to hit Amazon at way cheaper prices after launch.

With the report claiming these Coach bands are set to debut around June, it is possible Apple could announce these at WWDC, its annual developer conference schedule for June 13-17. There’s also a chance that the timing could simply be coincidental.

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Comments

  1. Jake Becker - 8 years ago

    Wow, that guy is so fired.

  2. chrisl84 - 8 years ago

    “With the report claiming these Coach bands are set to debut around June, it is possible Apple could announce these at WWDC”

    Just great, that’s exactly what WWDC needs time wasted on watch bands…..good god Apple get your priorities straight.

    • rogifan - 8 years ago

      One I doubt that would happen but two, if it did it would take no more than a couple minutes. If this is legit I think it’s the clearest sign Watch v 2.0 will not have a new design or not significant enough to make existing bands incompatible.

    • bpbatch - 8 years ago

      You’re so right… Apple cannot POSSIBLY announce more than one product or service at WWDC. Utterly impossible. Thanks for pointing this out, ol’ wise one.

      • chrisl84 - 8 years ago

        Ummm, not sure what point you think you are making but MY POINT is Apple has wasted enough time recently on watch bands during keynotes….this is why Apple stock price continues to fall because they focus their PR on crap that doesn’t excite……so yes, that would make me the wise one on the thread.

      • bpbatch - 8 years ago

        Ummm, you actually think that Apple’s stock price has declined because they may announce a new watch band?!?

        BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

        Apple is partnering with designers to add value to one of their signature products. Why is that such a problem for you? Quit trolling.

      • Jake Becker - 8 years ago

        I hope everything at WWDC has bands. If I can’t get the new 8K iMac with 280 front facing camera on my wrist with a triple-tour Hermes strap I’m getting out of the stock.

      • rnc - 8 years ago

        When there’s nothing to complain, this guy preempltitively complains about what Apple might do.

    • jedwards87 - 8 years ago

      WWDC is a developer conference, not a consumer product launch event.

      • chrisl84 - 8 years ago

        I quoted the article, wasn’t even my remark

  3. el3v3nty - 8 years ago

    those bands look ‘junky’. I for one am definitely not a target audience for ‘coach bands’. not paying $150 for something they make it for $2.10. didn’t spend $150 on apple leather bands and not spending on these (they’re not even fucking leather… they’re technically ‘plastic’)

    • el3v3nty - 8 years ago

      oh snap… excuse my language… cant edit until 9to5mac switches to disqus :(

    • rnc - 8 years ago

      Good for you, they aren’t plastic, they are leather. Probably you don’t know what leather is.

      • el3v3nty - 8 years ago

        um… maybe you’re living under rock since 1999. leather products are practically ‘banned’. geezus people are stupid.

        so the ‘leather’ watch bands and iPhone cases are ‘bonded leather’ or ‘PU leather’ where PU stands for polyurethane leather.

        FYI: http://bfy.tw/5aFm

      • bpbatch - 8 years ago

        Leather products are banned?

        BWAHAHAHAHAHA

        Stop buying your shoes from Payless, brother.

  4. Because watchbands move the fortunes of a tech company forward.

    If they were as enthused about computers as they were about watchbands I’d:
    Buy a new laptop that’s current and forward thinking. Oh, this is something that every other mfg is doing right now.
    Buy a desktop that wasn’t an overpriced trash can with ancient tech.

    The value proposition is fading.

    Now, I would have bought said same if they were available. That’s’ 33 watchbands high there.

    • Don Palmquist - 8 years ago

      Could’t agree more.

      We’re a full fledged Apple household waiting for upgrades worth purchasing (new Macbook Air for example). It seems like when it comes to technology, Apple is using existing housings (iPhone SE and iPad Pro 9.7) to launch new products instead of spending capital on engineering and retooling manufacturing to create products that really are new. Watch bands are a high margin, fashion product. I don’t understand why for a company so wealthy in cash, and with a slim product line as Apple, that it’s so difficult for them to offer real product value.

      One other gripe, why are plastic smart covers and backs for iPads so expensive. They are nearly double what the leather case was a couple years ago. We got an iPad Pro 9.7 and it was painful to spend nearly an extra $150 for front and back protection that probably costs $15 to manufacture, package, and ship. It felt like extortion. To me the watch bands and the cases speak to the weakness of their VP Angela who seems more concerned about padding already huge profit margins, instead of really understanding the average Apple consumer.

  5. This obsession with fashion watch bands at Apple explains why the company is losing its technology edge. Designer form over function is ONLY acceptable while the function is top notch but Apple’s desktop and laptop kit is functionally dated. I’m waiting to buy a new desktop and laptop to replace my aging 2009-era machines, but there is nothing sufficiently compelling at the right price in the product line to persuade me to spend the type of money Apple wants for performance that is not at the leading edge. Jony is a watch collector—perhaps that’s why watch bands are so important now, but the hardware engineers need to start spending a lot of that $200 billion bank roll on state-of-the-art tech outside the Apple Watch and iPhone spheres.

    • bpbatch - 8 years ago

      Apple didn’t design these bands–Coach did.

      You naysayers need some perspective. If Apple announces new cases for iPhones, so you similarly lose your lunch about Aplle “not being focused on technology” simply because they introduce new colors?

      • J.latham - 8 years ago

        It’s not that people think Apple designed THESE bands. It’s that we’ve now had now what? 3 events where we talked about useless band changes for a product that is probably making up 1% of their business? Meanwhile the iPhone SE which has 6 month old tech and 2 year old body can’t even meet demand. They need to get priorities straight.

  6. Mark Wickens - 8 years ago

    How do you anecdotally note something?

  7. jamessmooth - 8 years ago

    A sales associate said this? Seems legit :/
    also, coach? Little behind the 8 ball huh apple?

  8. Wait for it: replicas, $14.99 to $24.99 free shipping on Amazon and eBay.

  9. xoFoxtail - 8 years ago

    I do like the little charms on them, but I’m not a huge fan of the actual straps. They seem sort of plain for $150

  10. rnc - 8 years ago

    PS: this is not an ad.

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.