$40 for a few square inches of leather??? Much less $99 MSRP?
The hellā¦
This is genuinely one of my favourite watch bands that Iāve tried for the Apple Watch. And at this price, I think that it is a good deal for what is a very premium and nice product.
For comparison, I have an Apple Milanese loop, an elastic swimmer band (Zagg), and a few Amazon bands. I do swap between them as the occasion calls for different uses. After having used different and more expensive options (the Milanese loop, for one), I find myself leaning more towards this as my common choice or daily driver. My wife has started to use one of these as well, purchased from Woot not long ago.
For doubters, I likely wonāt convince you. And thatās fine. But I also wonāt convince those who wear $1000+ Invicta or Rolex watches that a $40 watch band is āpremiumā either. However, for that price, I find it a stellar deal for a comfortable and very nice looking band. I wouldnāt have bought it at Appleās MSRP - but I like this price, compared to what I did pay 
Just canāt swallow ALL the Apple Kool-Aid. Got a 10 pack of no name bands from Woot 8 months ago for $15. and still wearing/loving the first one I pulled out.
Thanks for your rather helpful response.
How does this band deal with sweat? Being leather?
I have particularly sweaty fore arms.
So i guess going out to run with it on is out of the question?
and does it Patina like the leather cases?
Just switched out to one of mine as the Stainless Steel Link bracelet scratches my Macbookās wrist rest. I would not recommend these for those that have perspiration-happy wrists. The leather is āfinishedā (i.e. itās not rough, untreated leather) but is probably not suited for any wet environments. This is likely better than the prior āleather loopā model, the magnets are all along the strap and as long as it is long enough it will stay put very well. (I have had a grippy jacket interior grab it and haul it off. For that jacket, I use a different strap.) I have a video review on Amazon if you search for the Apple Leather Link strap.
The leather is very good quality, and overall this is a well made item. Arguably overpriced at MSRP, but THIS price is excellent. Like any leather dress shoes, switch out daily giving the leather a ārest.ā Wipe with a clean damp cloth once in a while to keep in good condition. No leather conditioner is needed or IMHO recommended. I have not noticed any patina (discoloration or fading), but I have the midnight and Baltic blue straps. The leather gets softer with use. The Ink color is really nearly black, with purple hue when it catches the light.
For naysayers, go 'head with your cheapos. I have a few for when Iām working outside or exercising. They donāt always fit or stay put as well as Appleās straps, but with the money saved you can get an assortment. Everyone has their own tastes.
This has been $50 on Woot for the past several months but I just couldnāt bring myself to spend that much. Maybe for $40 Iāll take the leapā¦
Itās 2024 you can do any kind of research you want to see if this is a good deal or not YouTube has enough info on this kind of bands to see if they are for you.
Yes, it does patina, just like my iPhone 13 case, and my wifeās 13 mini case.
However, as was pointed out, it is probably not the best option for more than just āsomeā sweat; And certainly not meant for long and repeated exposures to water. Because the leather is sealed, it has done fine with things like splashes while washing hands, doing the dishes, or even washing the car. But I donāt know that I would try to subject it to more than that. But as one option that you can switch out for others when you expect to need more water resistance, I would still recommend it. As I said, I do have a different swimming band that I do use occasionally.
And to reiterate a shared point, many have generally agreed - This price is great! MSRP? No way. I bought mine at $50 on Woot many months back, and I donāt regret it at all. It looks and feels great for general wear (not repeated or extreme damp, but prolly okay for sweat).
I love the Apple Leather Link watch bands - not at $100 or $50 or $40 but take another penny Textoff and you have a deal $39.99. I also love the stretchy bands which you can find on the Mothership. One daughter calls me cheap; the other, wisely calls me thrifty. Their mother? She calls me whatever she wants 
I have both Apple and good third party ones. Apple does not make real (dead) leather bands anymore. They now use some manufactured leather-like material. Some like it, I donāt. Iām not easy on my stuff. The Apple leather bands have held up well to my abuse.
One of the āgoodā third party leather bands succumbed over the weekend - it got soaked while I was wearing during a a sudden rain squall - one of the links delaminated and spit out its magnet.
If one can find the genuine Apple leather link bands like this one get it if you have a few extra bucks. I looking for the bright colors such as California Poppy or yellow (or whatever Apple calls yellow)i
dang i bought one of these from woot last week for $50
theyāre great bands btw, i have them in a few different colors which I bought whenever they had them on sale on Woot. $40-$50 is a lot for a watch band, but itās very good quality and looks great. Only time Iāve ever been complimented on a watch band
A 2 year review videoā¦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1qJCGVRmHg
I already received mine and I really like it especially at this price!
Yeah, same here. Weirdly enough after hearing that it would be delivered in around 5 days, I found the package on my front porch the very next day after I ordered it. That was a pleasant surprise. I got it not only due to the price, but the fact that Apple now is not using leather on any bands and this ālink bandā design now uses a material they call āFineWovenā. I checked it out at an Apple store and didnāt like it at all. Havenāt heard any other positive comments over it from others either. So, getting one of these discontinued leather versions deeply discounted was an offer that is difficult to refuse!.
I have the Ultra 2 watch and it came with a band that looks like this but not leather. I could not get rid of it fast enough. I just hated it. Trying to pull those loops through was a nightmare. It really surprises me that anyone likes the design of this band but if it works for you, great.
The prices of these OEMs are just ridiculous though. I had purchased a five pack of silicone bands for my old Apple Watch 4 and was happy to see that those fit just fine on the Ultra 2 so I used those until I found something I liked. Ended up with a six pack of no name bands that are lookalikes of the real ones but paid under $20 for them and theyāve been great.
I watched a YouTube vid comparing 1/2 dozen knock off magnetic link leather bands- the synchro brand came in 1st_ $20-ish at Amazon
https://a.co/d/4O4lnj2
Got this in my last BoC and love it!! I have tons of the silicone and stretchy nylon ones that were cheap. Was super happy to get this in my BoC and now itās the only one I wear. if I didnāt already have it, I would probably buy it at this price.
I donāt wear this for heavy exercise, but I do find bands that donāt handle sweat well really uncomfortable. This is - easily - the most comfortable band Iāve ever tried: breathes beautifully through the ridged structure, doesnāt get sticky or clammy. It is much more comfortable than the default Sport Band, or traditional leather/metal bands Iāve used.
I would probably go with something like the Braided Solo Loop for sports/workouts - but I would strongly recommend this band for daily wear otherwise.
Wow! I ordered this last night based on your awesome reviews and it arrived today! Ok, ITāS AWESOME! I also didnāt realize itās actually an Apple product too! 
You literally talking about one of those trail bands or whatever that come with the ultra like this band is the same spoiler itās not. This leather link is as easy as it gets to wear.