Here’s the deal, based on what I’ve been reading (and my own experience, because hello, I’m rocking a suspiciously cheap “Hermes” double tour as I type this): some knockoffs are straight-up garbage. Like, plastic-y, uncomfortable, fall-apart-after-a-week garbage. But others? They’re surprisingly decent.
I mean, that “crested store” thing people are talking about? Might be worth a look. AliExpress is a total gamble, though. It’s like playing the lottery, except instead of winning millions, you might win a band that looks like it was chewed on by a badger. But hey, sometimes you score!
And look, let’s not pretend we’re above a little bit of designer inspiration, right? Those “designer inspired” bands people are mentioning? Total rip-offs, sure, but if you can get a Louis Vuitton-esque band for a fraction of the price, who am I to judge? Just don’t try passing it off as the real deal, okay? That’s just tacky. (Unless you wanna, then, like, go for it lol)
The biggest thing to watch out for is quality. Like, make sure the connectors are solid. You don’t want your expensive Apple Watch plummeting to its doom because your cheap band failed. That would be a bad day. Also, materials! Some of those cheap bands can irritate your skin, and nobody wants a wrist rash. Eww.
Okay, here’s my totally unprofessional, biased opinion: Apple bands *are* the best. The quality is undeniable. But are they 5x, 10x better than a good knockoff? Nah. Not in my book. I’d rather have, like, ten different styles of “fake” bands to match my outfits than one genuine one. That is, as long as the fake ones aren’t total crap. I mean, come on, variety is the spice of life!
So, my advice? Do your research. Read reviews (but take them with a grain of salt, because some are fake). Don’t expect perfection. And be prepared to be disappointed sometimes. But also, be prepared to be pleasantly surprised. You might just find some hidden gems. Also, if the description says “Genuine Alpine Band” and it’s like 20 bucks, its probably not the real deal, just sayin.
And hey, if you do end up with a dud, at least you didn’t break the bank, right? Just toss it and move on. It’s a watch band, not a marriage. No need to get all dramatic about it.
