The unsung hero of the Apple Watch is its hidden buttons

In the wide world of wristwatches, there’s no easier way to dress or customize your timepiece than by swapping out straps and bands. there are all kinds of straps out thereFrom nylon nato And leather straps To hotly debated Metal link bracelet. Most watch straps are universal across similarly sized traditional watches, which is an open ecosystem for anyone to explore.

But none are as simple and convenient as the proprietary little band release button on the bottom of each Apple Watch.

While I often prefer a universal solution over a proprietary connector, here’s the thing — Apple’s band release button fiddles with the hell out of little spring bars and jeweler’s tools. Instead, you simply press one near-invisible button, slide your band out, slide another in, and get a lovely audible click as it locks into place. No fuss, no mess; Just a simple swap for a different visual vibe to match your style and wardrobe.

But how does one get that precise click, that almost foolproof snap? Hint: It’s not a magnet. My colleague Sean Hollister and I talked to two ex-Apple engineers who worked on building the original parts. We quickly learned that it’s kind of the unsung hero of the Apple Watch — despite launching a $1 billion accessory ecosystem and remaining unchanged since its debut eight years ago.

Mystery: there are actually Three The buttons in the Apple Watch, two of which mesh so precisely that Apple had to rethink its entire approach to manufacturing. Our sources say, “The tolerance out there is kind of insane.” “It’s too hard to machine. You can’t get the tools in there; the angles are all weird. So the company ended up buying Swiss CNC machines, worth up to $2 million each — just for its swappable band systems. “He didn’t tick anything else on the clock, that’s all.”

Internally, Apple calls the assembly the X206, and it’s what makes changing bands on the Apple Watch seamless.

When you start to slide the strap into the slot on your watch, the edge of the watch hits the button number 1: Spring-loaded tooth. The tooth is rounded just enough that instead of getting stuck on the watch, it pushes into a cavity within the band. There, it presses two small springs to create button number 2: A flat-faced oval with a polished finish that is retained by the miniature hook of button No. 1. As you slide the band onto your watch, the two buttons are momentarily stuck against each other – until button number 2 is lined up with the locking groove precisely cut into the base of your watch Go

Then, with that satisfying click, the force of the springs pressed down by Button No. 1 pushes Button No. 2 into that groove, snapping it into place.

Want to change straps? press the band release button (button number 3) pushes button number 2 out of the groove, compressing button number 2 back into button number 1 once again to allow your strap to slip off. It’s as if Apple took the traditional spring bars of traditional watches, shortened them, folded them on their sides, and embedded them in the watch band.

Technically, as soon as you release the band release button, Apple’s little springs have enough force to push button number 2 back into the groove. But the groove is so precisely cut that as soon as you start sliding your strap off the watch, you’re out of danger of that.

How precise are we talking about? Well, for a little perspective, a human hair is about 70 microns thick, and a regular CNC can cut down to about plus or minus 50 microns. As for the fancy-schmancy Swiss CNC to cut out the Apple Watch band slot? The accuracy is plus or minus five microns, say the ex-Apple engineers. Even with that precision, “the number of finished watch housings and bands that they have thrown away because they don’t meet these precision tolerances is an extraordinary quantity. It is no small number. ”

Former engineers say that Apple has bought hundreds of millions of dollars worth of CNC machines. “At that time, the biggest buyer of these machines was Rolex. And then Apple bought more than anyone had ever bought, including Rolex, up to that point. But you don’t become a watchmaker overnight just by buying CNC machines from under Rolex’s nose. “Sleeping bags on the floor 24/7, the number of people living in a factory running and operating these machines is not zero. People’s whole lives are about perfecting that one slot.”

then there’s gathering to consider because there are really Four Springs inside each watch band. The other two keep all the pieces of the mechanism in place so that they do not fall out of the cavity.

“If you find a pin you can take it out and take it apart (but) you won’t be able to put it back together. It’s just miniature, and it really took a whole lot of automation for Apple to assemble these.” The process had to be designed. It’s a completely automated assembly, where these tiny little springs are inserted, slipped through the tooth, two horizontal springs are put on the clip to keep that tiny clip engaged in the tooth. to provide pressure for,” he says.

This may seem like an excessive amount of effort and investment for some watch straps, but it seems to have paid off. “Apple created a whole new business category. This whole ecosystem of swappable bands; it’s a billion-dollar business for them.

That almost didn’t happen. He says that Jony Ive originally wanted a single strap attached to the magnets.

something might have changed his mind, but still While introducing the first Apple Watch as “a refinement and precision born of functionality”, neither he nor Apple ever actually explained the lengths it took to make Apple Watch bands what they are. “People don’t appreciate the kind of artistry we’ve done here,” says an ex-engineer.

But Apple does a clever job of presenting owners with a band release button and interchangeable straps when they first open the box. If you’ve bought an Apple Watch after the first few Series models, you know that the watch and band don’t come prepackaged. It’s partly logistics: the sheer number of SKUs required for all sizes, variations, and bands of the Apple Watch. But you also learn by doing, and a renowned former editor of the world’s most influential watch publication thinks Apple could do with a little piece of educating the public.

“Most watch users don’t know how to change a strap and I bet pre-Apple Watch, many didn’t know it was an option. I think Apple has taken swappable bands beyond the watch enthusiast crowd.” popularized,” said Stephen Palvirant, founder and former managing editor of communications firm Rime & Reason hodinkitells ledge,

Even among a crowd of enthusiasts, changing the straps of traditional watches can be a pain. Some traditional straps may have spring bar pins that you can easily pop off with a fingernail, but many require the use of small tools – with varying degrees of difficulty (and the risk of scratching your watch). with.

As much as I personally love traditional watches, I have to admit that Apple’s method is easier, more approachable, and just downright better. And while many of Apple’s own bands are pricey, there’s also a huge ecosystem of third-party options available (and not just knockoffs on Amazon). there are boutique manufacturers – even — Creating your own unique palettes. Looking to accessorize your Apple Watch with a stretchy nylon strap that features funky patterns? No problem, A leather band reminiscent of a studded punk bracelet? Don’t ask me why I know, but believe me when I say , You may pay too little or too much as high as you want – The world is your wife.

The Apple Watch’s larger ecosystem of bands, straps, and bracelets — from within Apple and beyond — are only as good as they are because of Apple’s overengineering of that handy little band release button. There are tons of ways to match your style or personal flair and dress up or dress up that little round-off computer on your wrist, and you don’t have to be image-obsessed or fashion-forward to appreciate it. . Whether you wear an Apple Watch all the time, occasionally, or even if you’re a nerdy guy who pairs it with a regular watch, a little taste of personal expression is just the push of a button away.