Gorgeous leather bands for the Apple Watch that are worth checking out
Although some other wearables might be more feature-rich and functional—with the Samsung Gear S2 being the prime example—the Apple Watch is a pretty viable gadget as it's unique in one rather important way - it is closely-tied with the iOS ecosystem, not to mention that the "Apple" in its name warrants it a solid popularity.
There are already numerous watch bands for the Apple Watch, official and not. These employ various designs and materials, and one of our favorite types of watch bands—leather ones—are quite popular. There's hardly anything more classic than a leather-strap watch Take a look at some of the noteworthy ones.
Apple's own leather loops
Order one on Apple's website ($149)
Okay, you probably know that Apple has official leather loops for the Apple Watch, but we still felt compelled to include them in this list because they are among the better ones you can get for the wearable (duh!). Available in four colors—stone, midnight blue, brown, and black—this one is made of Venezia leather, which is apparently handcrafted in an Italian tannery with long traditions in the craft. You can have it two sizes: medium (150-185mm) and large (180-210mm) ones. Have in mind that one of these will cost you $149.
Clessant
Get them from Clessant's store (~ $107)
This French accessory maker is selling a flurry of leather straps for the Apple Watch, and my, oh, my, these look like they are pretty solid ones! You can get either of Clessant's offerings, which we've rounded up in the gallery right below, in the USA, as they ship internationally. They cost a bit more than your regular leather strap for the Apple Watch, but hey, hopefully the steepish price tag of EUR 99 (~ $107) corresponds to superior French quality! Each of Clessant's straps is available for either the 38mm or 42mm Apple Watch versions, as well as differently-colored metal adapters.
Pad & Quill's Classic Leather Band
Get it on Pad & Quill's store ($99.95 - $129.95)
Pad & Quill, the Minneapolis-based gadget case maker, has a couple of rather nice leather straps for the Apple Watch that deserve our attention. We are not surprised to find that Italian leather has been used here aplenty, which is definitely a good thing to see. There are three leather straps we will show you—the Lowry Leather Cuff, the Lowry Leather Band, and the Classic Leather Band—all of which look like they are really high-quality ones. While we can't attest their quality, Pad & Quill will hardly disappoint.
Black Forest Atelier Handmade Vintage strap
Get it on Black Forest's store ($99.99)
Black Forest Atelier has a really wide range of straps for the Apple Watch, and the majority of these are leather ones. While all of the manufacturer's offerings look quite dapper, we honestly fell in love with a certain strap. It's the Handmade Vintage Leather Strap for the Apple Watch and is truly a sight to behold — the color of the strap matches with the black stitching in a rather exquisite way. If you throw in a black Apple Watch you warrant yourself a stylish look that will most certainly get you lots of compliments. The Handmade Vintage strap is available in for both the 38 and 42mm versions of the Apple Watch, and also comes in small or large size. Oh, and you can choose between two differently-colored adapters - space grey and silver. The strap will set you back $99.99 - check it out here.
Nomad Strap
Get it on Nomad's store ($150)
Nomad is an accessory maker that you might (or might not) know for its portable Lightning cable and leather wallet that doubles as a portable powerbank. Apart from such ingenious accessories, the accessory maker decided to test its mettle in making Apple Watch accessories. It has a single strap for the wearable in its arsenal, and fortunately for us, it's a leather one. Dubbed Strap, Nomad's watch band employs Italian, unadulterated leather (similar to Apple's in-house one) that will age and proudly display any natural damage you might subject it to. This is how real leather does! The Nomad Strap comes with a stainless steel, Pre-V shaped buckle, which is available in two colors -black and silver. The strap itself is available in a single color only, and that'd be natural leather. It's only available for the larger and manlier 42mm Apple Watch versions out there and will set you back $150.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: