>but only if all your straps have the same mechanism. You might choose to replace all your bands if you want to use only captive spring bar mechanisms, but you

>but only if all your straps have the same mechanism. You might choose to replace all your bands if you want to use only captive spring bar mechanisms, but you must replace them if you buy an Apple watch. A captive spring bar with a lever solves the problem entirely, and in a way strictly superior to Apple's approach. It is smaller and cheaper than the Apple solution. It will work with any watch from any manufacturer. It will allow you to keep your old bands if you choose. If you can think of any advantage Apple's system has, I am all ears. >you can build a massive ecosystem around a predictable, controlled, singular, homogeneous product line Spring bars are also entirely predictable, controlled, singular, and homogeneous. You can buy a band in any standard width and be confident it would fit any watch. We had a far larger ecosystem before the fruit companies got involved. This gives the lie to Apple's supposed genius. "Tight integration" is completely unnecessary when there are standards. They just want a monopoly. >Even myself, I prefer the Nato straps on my regular watches as they are easier to swap than conventional straps. Completely incompatible with the Apple watch, of course.