Classic and Modern Buckle Band Parts Let Third-Party Bands Connect to Apple Watch

There are few third-party band options available for the Apple Watch at the current point in time given that it just launched a week and a half ago, but those of you who purchased a stainless steel Apple Watch with a Classic Buckle or Modern Buckle band can use the components from those bands to connect standard watch bands to your Apple Watch devices.

In a newly published video, Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy walks through the process of using the parts in the Classic Buckle band to connect a 22mm third-party watch band to the Apple Watch.


As it turns out, there are two small pentalobe screws holding the pin component of the Classic Buckle together, so with a pentalobe screwdriver, the portion of the band that connects to the Apple Watch can be disassembled, slid into a standard pin-based watch band, and reassembled.

applewatchclassicbuckle
The Modern Buckle and the Classic Buckle are the only two bands that have a pin-based connector built-in, so those of you who want to use different watch bands with your Apple Watch devices will need to either purchase one of the models that comes with a Classic Buckle band or purchase a Classic Buckle band separately for $149 (estimated to ship out in May). The Modern Buckle has the same connector, but Modern Buckle Apple Watches have not yet shipped out and those bands are listed as "Currently Unavailable" in the online Apple Store.

Along with a compatible Apple Watch band, a tiny pentalobe screwdriver is also required to swap out the band, but those are available at little cost. With a Classic Buckle and the screwdriver, making a swap is as uncomplicated as simply removing two screws, pulling apart the connector, sticking the pieces into another watch band, and putting it back together again.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

Top Rated Comments

Jeremy1026 Avatar
125 months ago
Worth the extra $50 to get a watch with the Classic Buckle over the sport strap for almost unlimited band options.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aamoren3 Avatar
125 months ago
This pretty much extinguishes any of those Apple Watch adapter kick starters (thank goodness). :rolleyes:
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mariusignorello Avatar
125 months ago
*Apple now melts all the parts together to prevent modifications*
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jwbrobst Avatar
125 months ago
If only he would have gone a step further and bought a strap that didn't look awful...

----------

Now that I think about it, this is excellent for the leather straps specifically. Based on my experience with Apple's dyed leather iPhone cases, I'd say there is a high chance of color fading or basic wear and tear of the straps and even if you'd prefer to use Apple's straps, this will come in handy if you don't plan on spending a couple hundred dollars for a strap once you're not proud of wearing the original.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannys1 Avatar
125 months ago
Pretty cool, however i'm yet to see anyone put a 3rd party band on that looks better than any Apple have designed.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
125 months ago
This pretty much extinguishes any of those Apple Watch adapter kick starters (thank goodness). :rolleyes:

I highly doubt it. For $10-20 (or whatever) you can get an adapter, which is a lot cheaper than buying an official band to just take apart. Other people might want different colors for the connector bits.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)