Background: This is my first Apple Watch. I bought a 42 series 2 in space gray aluminum. Unlike my former android and fitbit watch/trackers, I find myself amazed at how many different types of bands are made for the AW. I wore the standard black sports band for about a month while I was waiting to get this in. While I don't have a lot of experience with AW, I have worn plenty of different makes over the years.
I first found Pad and Quill through iMore when they were doing a contest for loot from the site. I was just getting ready to place my order for the Apple Watch and went to order a Lowry band. On the site I saw the ad for the 60 year old cuff and watch the video. The dilemma was to order it with the Polished Nickle and have it ship in a week or wait until the end of November for it to ship. As I thought the black hardware would go better with my purchase, I chose to wait.
Ordering and Shipping
Limited Special Edition 60 Year Leather Cuff for Apple Watch
So the first thing you will notice is the price. Retail of 249.00 is kind of steep as bands go. There is usually a 10.00 or even 10% off coupon floating around that you can use. Its not a huge savings and probably more than most people want to spend. I should also mention that the they will be having a site wide Black Friday sale on November 25th. As this will be my normal daily driver and I will only change it our when I'm going to be in the water or during my daily workouts, I went with the impulse buy.
Originally it wasn't supposed to ship until next week but it actually shipped last week and I have been using it for about a week now. The Cuff comes in a very nice wooden case. I am currently using it to store additional bands.
Sliding the box open the straps can be seen for the first time. The leather feels soft and you can tell that there is real craftsmanship in this item. Folks have told me how good P&Q is.. the initial look and feel doesn't disappoint. Also note that this is the starting color for this batch of 60 year old leather - there is no other options. It will actually wear and age within about a year and depending on climate to be a really unique color which is darker than what is shown.
Comfort and Usability
I saw some complaints on the standard Lowry cuff about issues with charging (and I would guess reading vitals). I have experienced no such issues. The cuff feels a little stiffer than expected when you first put it on. I have worn Leather Bracers and armor in the past and I am not saying in any way that it is that sitff, but right along the stiching on the corners the band does tend to dig in a single spot. I assume like most leather products this will break in shortly - a week isn't a lot of time. That said - the cuff looks and feels great. Charging and vitals are done without having to remove the cuff through a generous hole on the bottom.
I haven't had an issue with the watch not knowing I was wearing it. In addition it still sticks right onto my charger and doesn't interfere with charging.
How does it look
P&Q claims that this is mixing old world with modern style and it looks pretty sweet. I had a black tie event this weekend and actually wore it with my tux. It is nice to get notifications on my arm and not interrupt a social conversation by having to pull out my phone. Granted it's no Tag but I did get a few questions about how I liked the watch. This is what it looks like on arm:
Overall Summary
I really like the look and feel of the P&Q 60 Year Luxury Leather Lowry Cuff. I think it was a very good purchase even though it was a little on the expensive side. It is a durable and well crafted show piece that I love to put on every morning. I am really glad I waited for the Black Hardware. It is a small change that I think goes really well with a black or gray bezel. If you are in the market for a band in this price range - I can recommend it as it checked all my boxes.
I first found Pad and Quill through iMore when they were doing a contest for loot from the site. I was just getting ready to place my order for the Apple Watch and went to order a Lowry band. On the site I saw the ad for the 60 year old cuff and watch the video. The dilemma was to order it with the Polished Nickle and have it ship in a week or wait until the end of November for it to ship. As I thought the black hardware would go better with my purchase, I chose to wait.
Ordering and Shipping
Limited Special Edition 60 Year Leather Cuff for Apple Watch
So the first thing you will notice is the price. Retail of 249.00 is kind of steep as bands go. There is usually a 10.00 or even 10% off coupon floating around that you can use. Its not a huge savings and probably more than most people want to spend. I should also mention that the they will be having a site wide Black Friday sale on November 25th. As this will be my normal daily driver and I will only change it our when I'm going to be in the water or during my daily workouts, I went with the impulse buy.
Originally it wasn't supposed to ship until next week but it actually shipped last week and I have been using it for about a week now. The Cuff comes in a very nice wooden case. I am currently using it to store additional bands.
Sliding the box open the straps can be seen for the first time. The leather feels soft and you can tell that there is real craftsmanship in this item. Folks have told me how good P&Q is.. the initial look and feel doesn't disappoint. Also note that this is the starting color for this batch of 60 year old leather - there is no other options. It will actually wear and age within about a year and depending on climate to be a really unique color which is darker than what is shown.
Comfort and Usability
I saw some complaints on the standard Lowry cuff about issues with charging (and I would guess reading vitals). I have experienced no such issues. The cuff feels a little stiffer than expected when you first put it on. I have worn Leather Bracers and armor in the past and I am not saying in any way that it is that sitff, but right along the stiching on the corners the band does tend to dig in a single spot. I assume like most leather products this will break in shortly - a week isn't a lot of time. That said - the cuff looks and feels great. Charging and vitals are done without having to remove the cuff through a generous hole on the bottom.
I haven't had an issue with the watch not knowing I was wearing it. In addition it still sticks right onto my charger and doesn't interfere with charging.
How does it look
P&Q claims that this is mixing old world with modern style and it looks pretty sweet. I had a black tie event this weekend and actually wore it with my tux. It is nice to get notifications on my arm and not interrupt a social conversation by having to pull out my phone. Granted it's no Tag but I did get a few questions about how I liked the watch. This is what it looks like on arm:
Overall Summary
I really like the look and feel of the P&Q 60 Year Luxury Leather Lowry Cuff. I think it was a very good purchase even though it was a little on the expensive side. It is a durable and well crafted show piece that I love to put on every morning. I am really glad I waited for the Black Hardware. It is a small change that I think goes really well with a black or gray bezel. If you are in the market for a band in this price range - I can recommend it as it checked all my boxes.
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