Apple Watch First Impressions From Watch Experts, Fashion Sites

Following yesterday's media event where Apple introduced the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus, and its much-anticipated wearable device, members of the media were invited to go hands-on with the devices.

Yesterday, we published hands-on impressions of the Apple Watch from various tech-related sites, but this year's event also had top fashion editors and bloggers in attendance, who also published their initial thoughts on the Watch. We've gathered up some of their perspectives below, giving an overall picture of how the device was received in the fashion world.

Fashion magazine and blog InStyle said the Apple Watch was "well worth the wait," and published a list of "5 Reasons Why Fashionistas Will Swoon Over Apple Watch." The piece pointed towards the device's multitude of styles, its customization options, and its ability to send emojis, drawings, and heartbeats.

applewatchcoloroptions

Most Apple Watch faces are extremely customizable. Meaning, you can change colors, choose design elements, and add functionality. You can have a traditional analog or a modern digitized face--plus you can choose the screen image.

Well-known fashion magazine Vogue was also impressed with the Apple Watch, highlighting its design and the "extra magic" of the Digital Crown control. The magazine said the Apple Watch is "a watch that looks like a watch" and that its "visual appeal is almost retrofitted to the traditional language of the analog Swiss-made timepiece."

British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman also told Reuters in an interview that the Watch is "immaculate in terms of how fashion meets function," and said "The issue is really about how much people want to wear something so clear, essentially an amazing gadget."

Roseanne Morrison, fashion director for The Doneger Group, told Reuters that the Apple Watch was unimpressive. "It's not pretty. It's very future techno as opposed to feminine sexy." Meanwhile, fashion-oriented site Cool Hunting disagreed, calling it "lovely and clever," and saying it "marries fashion and technology, wellness and data, and beautifully integrates the humanity of touch."

applewatchemojis

The tactile touches of the watch extend beyond the device itself--the Leather Loop strap option, for example, has magnets in each of its ribs so that the act of securing the strap feels like a luxurious zipper and consequently has an extremely secure closure. And the link bracelet has a butterfly closure that seamlessly folds into itself unlike anything we've seen on a watch band before.

Beyond fashion, leading wristwatch site Hodinkee had an opportunity to go hands-on with the Apple Watch, giving an in-depth look at the device from a design perspective, and the resulting overview is well worth a read. The site believes the Watch could pose a threat to existing brands, as "Apple got more details right on their watch than the vast majority of Swiss and Asian brands do with similarly priced watches."

The overall level of design in the Apple Watch simply blows away anything -- digital or analog -- in the watch space at $350. There is nothing that comes close to the fluidity, attention to detail, or simple build quality found on the Apple Watch in this price bracket.

Hodinkee also focuses on an aspect of the Apple Watch that many sites overlooked -- the bands -- which it says Apple "NAILED."

1410363030771

Apple Watch with Milanese band, courtesy of Hodinkee

...the attention to detail on the straps and bracelets themselves is downright incredible, and when I mentioned above that nothing comes close in this price range, it is very visible when talking about straps.

According to the site, the closure of the Sports watch strap is impressive, and the leather of the leather strap is "super soft, super high quality."The metal link bracelet is "sizable with just your own hands," the "loop" style bracelet is "just fantastic" and the Milanese bracelet is said to be comfortable. "I promise you not a single other tech company in the world would've spent the time to make this admittedly outdated looking option," reads the overview.

Hodinkee also points out a few flaws with the device, including the fact that it doesn't fit under a shirt cuff because of its bulk, and that it is "not as cool as a mechanical watch, to real people."

Introduced yesterday, Apple's Watch is available in two separate sizes with an array of different bands and casing options. Pricing on the device will start at $349, and it will be available to the public in early 2015.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

'New' iPhone SE Product Listing Appears on French Website

Wednesday February 12, 2025 6:49 am PST by
As the wait continues for Apple's long-rumored, fourth-generation iPhone SE, French electronics retailer Boulanger has prematurely published a product listing for a "new" model of the iPhone SE. The placeholder page says the device is "coming soon," but it offers no further information, and the price shown is obviously not real. The listing was spotted by a reader of the French technology...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
M4 Mac mini Apple Video

Apple's Refurbished Mac Mini Pricing Has a Problem

Thursday February 13, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple this week began selling refurbished Mac mini models with the M4 chip for the first time, but this has led to a pricing conundrum. In the United States, Apple is offering a refurbished Mac mini with the base M4 chip, 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and Gigabit Ethernet for $509, down from $599 new. This is the standard 15% discount that Apple offers on refurbished Macs. The issue is...
M4 mini Glowing Blue

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished M4 Macs

Wednesday February 12, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today added MacBook Pro and Mac mini models with M4 series chips to its certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland for the first time since the computers were introduced in October 2024. Some refurbished MacBook Pro models with M4 chips are also available in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and select other European countries. ...
Apple Ad on X

Apple Resumes Advertising on X

Wednesday February 12, 2025 2:18 pm PST by
Apple this month started advertising on X for the first time in more than a year. The company had stopped advertising on the social media platform in November 2023 following controversial remarks made by its owner Elon Musk. For example, the @Apple account is running an ad promoting Safari's privacy features. The ad was spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The @AppleTV account has a...
iPhone 16 Apple Store

iPhone 17 in New Sizes This Year: What to Know

Thursday February 13, 2025 2:45 am PST by
Last year, Apple tweaked iPhone 16 Pro screen sizes to make them bigger than 2023's iPhone 15 Pro models, and this year we are also expecting a change in the size of the displays in the iPhone 17 lineup. Here's what we know. Standard iPhone 17 Apple could introduce a new display size for the standard iPhone 17 model in 2025. The iPhone 17 could measure in at 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches,...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...

Top Rated Comments

Milese3 Avatar
136 months ago
It's sexy.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DarkCole Avatar
136 months ago
I actually like the design, it'll only get better in later iterations though.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
milo Avatar
136 months ago
Forget what Fashion experts say

Yeah, instead we really should be listening to what Hustler1337 has to say. Thanks, anonymous internet forum poster!
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MartinAppleGuy Avatar
136 months ago
Super cheap for what it is in my opinion.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newdeal Avatar
136 months ago
It. Is. Waterproof.

no its water resistant. As in you can wash your hands with it on but you aren't going surfing with it
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tbrand7 Avatar
136 months ago
Looks like Jony Ive isn't such a bad designer after all.... I think the pictures they showed were very misleading. Its really only fair to judge it after you've played with it in person.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)