Most of the bands I’ve tried on my Apple Watch have been leather or sportier rubber styles. I’ve stayed away from the metal bands because they either looked too fussy, clunky, or masculine. The Monowear Silver Ceramic Strap is a lovely change of pace; it’s a feminine metal and ceramic combo that elevates the 38 or 42mm watch’s appearance.
Available in either polished silver (stainless steel) and white ceramic for $149.99 or rose gold (also stainless steel) and white ceramic for $169.99, the Monowear ceramic apple watch band works with the 38mm or 42mm sizes of the Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Edition, which is awesome, because so many of the prettier Apple Watch replacement bands I’ve seen are for the 38mm watch only. I happen to think that because of its colors, the silver band looks best with the stainless steel Apple
I happen to think that because of its colors, the silver band looks best with the stainless steel Apple Watch while the rose gold band will look best with the rose gold Apple Watch Sport, but that is purely a personal preference.
The band is composed of stainless steel links with a white ceramic center. This ceramic isn’t the same material that’s used in mugs or plates; as explained by this eBay buying guide:
This more durable product is made through scientific techniques of firing and glazing other synthetic materials, such as aluminum, silicium carbide, yttrium, and zirconium. Powdered raw materials are placed inside a cast and heated to extreme temperatures. Skilled technicians then sand, shape, and polish the high-density material for beautiful and long-lasting results. High-tech ceramic is extremely durable, lightweight, and non-reactive. This material has been used in various industries like aeronautics and engineering.
This Monowear band has a deployment clasp, which makes the band look like it is a long continuous series of links, without spoiling the band’s lines with an ugly clasp. The clasp is curved to follow the inside of your wrist, so the band is ultimately very comfortable when worn.
I received a band for the 42mm Apple Watch. As it comes out of the box, the stainless and ceramic band is quite long, which means that once the 42mm Apple Watch is installed it will fit a wrist of up to 7.5″ or 8″. My wrist is a little smaller than 6″, so it was obvious right away that I would need to do a bit of surgery — on the band, not my wrist! 😉
Sure, I could have taken the band with my watch attached to any jeweler for adjustment, but with a single high-tech tool found in just about everyone’s desk drawer (a small paperclip), I was able to remove two links on each side to get a perfect fit. The good news is that ALL of the links are removable, so even if you have the most petite wrist you can still get a perfect, custom fit.
And as you can see here, the Monowear Silver Ceramic watch strap now fits perfectly, and it looks amazing.
Here’s a shot of the underside. To unclasp the band, you simply press the button in the center.
I’ve been wearing the Monowear Silver and Ceramic band for about a month now; while it’s easily my most favorite band, there is one caveat that needs to be mentioned for those of us who use a watch stand for charging — like other metal watch bands, it doesn’t always play well stands. I’ve found that it works just fine with more openly designed watch stands such as the ones made by Griffin or TwelveSouth, but when using a wider stand such as the Just Mobile TimeStand or either size of Nomad’s Pods, it’s best to disconnect one side of the band from the watch for charging. The good news is that the band system on Apple Watch is very easy to disengage.
I can’t help it; I like wearing things that stand out and receive compliments, and from day one that’s been the case with this band. Monowear has created a watch band that looks feminine without being frilly, that’s durable without being too thick or masculine. The only thing that might make this band better would be if it came in even more colors; I’d love to own one with black ceramic links, or another bolder color like red, purple, or green.
The Monowear Silver and Ceramic Apple Watch Band retails for $149.99, and the Rose Gold and Ceramic Apple Watch Band retails for $169.99; both are available directly from the manufacturer and from other retailers.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Elegant and lovely to wear; Not as masculine, blocky, or heavy as other metal Apple Watch replacement bands; Finally, a feminine metal band for the 42mm Apple Watch!
What Needs Improvement: Nothing — this band is extremely well made, easy to size adjust, and it looks lovely!