Apple Drops $149 Price Tag of Milanese and Leather Loop Apple Watch Bands to $99

Alongside the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 5 yesterday, Apple has now updated the price on some of its high-end leather and metallic bands.

new band prices
Specifically, the original $149 price tag of Leather Loop and Milanese Loop Apple Watch bands has now dropped to $99. This means that they're only $50 more expensive than Apple's cheapest Sport Bands and Sport Loops, which cost $49.

Leather Loop is now available in Meyer Lemon, Black, and Saddle Brown; it only fits 44mm Apple Watch cases. Milanese Loop is available in Silver, Gold, and Space Black; it can fit both 40mm and 44mm cases.

Apple has not dropped the price of the Modern Buckle any further, although at $149 it is still $100 cheaper than it initially was at launch. Hermès bands are as much as $539, and the Silver Link Bracelet is $349, while the Space Black Link Bracelet is $449.

More information about the new Apple Watch Series 5 can be found in our full launch post on the new wearable.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...

Top Rated Comments

matt_and_187_like_this Avatar
81 months ago
Actually, if you go into the apple studio and design your series 5, you can upgrade to the Milanese loop for just $50 more.
My faith in humanity has been lost in this forum.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justiny Avatar
81 months ago
MacRumors news forum members complain of Apple’s prices, insist TC is evil and demand his exit from the company.

Apple cuts prices.

MacRumors news forum members continue to complain of Apple’s prices, insist TC is evil and demand his exit from the company.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zxxv Avatar
81 months ago
Apple tweaked it so that the clasp DOES come out completely. The original Milanese clasp can’t fully come out (which I prefer). Not sure why they changed it.
So it would lay flat on the AirPower charging mat...

...oh But haha
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PickUrPoison Avatar
81 months ago
My faith in humanity has been lost in this forum.
If a $50 Apple watch band triggers you, the $539 Hermès band would probably cause a complete collapse. :eek: Medic!!

:D
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
User 6502 Avatar
81 months ago
If a $50 Apple watch band triggers you, the $539 Hermès band would probably cause a complete collapse. :eek: Medic!!

:D
I suspect the lost faith is due to the fact that replacing the default $49 band with a $99 band of course costs ‘just’ $50, so there isn’t any discount or reason to be surprised. It’s just basic maths.
[doublepost=1568213215][/doublepost]
Something amazing is happening at Apple, price cuts on the iPhone 11 (vs XR), price cuts on two amazing watch bands, and very affordable pricing on Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade. I need to use this to my advantage. ;)
all it’s happening is that sales are down and they need to lower prices. About time.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justiny Avatar
81 months ago
I found the Milanese loop on Amazon for $15 to be adequate... is the quality on Apple's that much higher?
I have some genuine bands and a ton of Amazon and eBay knock offs. In my experience, the knock offs are always adequate in the beginning but do not age well. They just don’t have the same quality of the genuine ones. Of course, YMMV.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)