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Apple Watch Bands
Apple Watch bands are a line of watch band straps that are designed by Apple for their line of smartwatches called Apple Watch. The bands are used to help secure the Apple Watch to the wrist of the user when it is being worn and are offered in a variety of styles and colours that are customizable by the user.

Unveiling & Release
The Apple Watch band was initially released alongside the Apple Watch on April 24, 2015. After this initial release, each iteration of Apple Watch bands were released with the corresponding Apple Watch for that year, with the second, third and fourth generation of the watch bands being announced at Apple's annual keynote event in September.

The original Apple Watch bands were initially unveiled at Milan's Salone Del Mobile Design, where Apple's Chief Design Officer Jony Ive revealed exclusive sport band colours to those in attendance. A photo of the bands in different colours was originally posted by Italian art enthusiast and philanthropist Umberta Gnutti Beretta to her personal Instagram page. The colours show the sport band in two shades of blue, a custom (PRODUCT) RED band, and a range of skin tone colours going from darker brown to lighter tans and peaches.

On September 9, 2014, at Apple's special event keynote for that year, Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the Apple Watch and Apple Watch bands for the first time. This announcement was accompanied by a video which showed off the design and the different bands and styles that would be available to consumers upon release.

Effect on Wearable Tech
The end goal of the Apple Watch band was to assist the Apple Watch in enhancing the use of the iPhone, with some additional new features. Alan Dye, in charge of Apple's human interface group, stated "The sense was that technology was eventually going to move onto the body, and the most natural place for this to begin was the wrist. This introduction to the concept of wearable technology by Apple with the Apple Watch & bands launched the concept of wearables in the world of fashion, making wearable design fashionable by merging aesthetic, experience and fashion.

Wearable technology in the world of fashion has also created the concept referred to as "fashionology." This is based off the concept that wearable technologies like smartwatches have become a new form of fashion accessory for their users. The idea is that fashion-related factors play an important role in understanding the consumers reaction to smartwatches and wearable tech.

In an attempt to implement the concept of fashionology into their smartwatches, Apple created their watch bands to be a staple of the watch itself, adjustable and interchangeable so that the user could express themselves accordingly, and have the band contribute to their sense of style and fashion. Apple showed this when their marketing of the Apple Watch and bands focused on the fashion aspect of the device in a 12-page spread of Vogue magazine, which placed most of the attention on the different band styles offered and minimal information regarding the techonological aspects of the device. Apple took this one step further by offering an 18-karat gold version of the Apple Watch, with a special band that was only avaiable through the purchase of this watch model.

Apple further marketed the Apple Watch & bands as a fashionable device through their partnership with French high fashion manufacturer Hermès The Apple Watch & Hermès partnership created an Apple Watch with exclusive faces and watch bands, making is stand out from other Apple Watches or bands that the company produces. This partnership continues to this day, with Apple offering their refreshed Hermès bands every few months, in seasonal colours and styles. This collaboration by Apple & Hermès helps to increase the products aesthetic value and style, which is essential for making it a fashionable device. Since wearable technology is only used by a small part of the consumer market, designing successful fashionable wearables requires a collaborative effort between professionals working in both the technology and fashion fields.

Bands and Styles
Apple Watch bands come in a variety of different styles, sizes and colours. Initially, the bands came in 38mm and 42mm sizing, to accommodate the different size Apple Watches. However, the release of the Apple Watch Series 4 in 2018 introduced new sizes for the bands, now sized 40mm and 44mm.

Apple Watch bands currently are available in 4 varieties. They offer the Sport Loop, which is made of a nylon and velcro material, the Sport Band, which is made of a silicon rubbery material, stainless steel, which is a modern design offered as a link bracelet or a Milanese loop, and leather, in which Apple has two options: either an Apple branded leather loop which comes in differing styles depending on the size of the watch, or a Hermès leather option with styles that are easily recognizable. In addition to these, Apple also offers their Sport Loop and Band in distinct colours and styles as part of a partnership with Nike.

Seasonal Refresh
At the beginning of each season, Apple introduces a refresh of the Apple Watch bands, so that there are new colours that better fit the time of year for customers to choose from. Most recently, Apple refreshed their watch bands for Spring 2019 on March 20th, introducing new colours for every style of band that they offer. As of January 12, 2019, Apple has offered over 250 different watch bands since they were first announced in April of 2015, all differing in colour and style.

Controversies
Although the Apple Watch and bands received mostly positive reviews, there have been some controversies as well. Some owners of the Sport version of the watch reported issues regarding fading of text on the back of the watch and band.

In addition to this, a handful of users reported suffering from burn-like rashes due to wearing the Apple Watch regularly, which appear to be a result of the band. Apple never gave a comment regarding these accusations, however a page on its support site warns about small numbers of people possibly suffering from allergic reactions due to the materials used in the watch bands. Apple notifies users that they should ensure they are wearing their Apple Watch band appropriately, as an overly tight band can cause skin irritation, while a band that is too loose can cause rubbing.

This warning by Apple to users to ensure that they are wearing their watch bands appropriately has been a response they have used quite often, as Apple also said the same thing to a woman who reported "painful wrist burns" due to her Apple Watch overheating from being in the sun, in which Apple responded that she was probably wearing her watch "too tightly."