My red and gold Edition review

I recently purchased an Edition in red and gold. Given that this was an expensive item, I wanted to review it thoroughly in case it helps anyone else make this purchase decision.

Shipping

My Edition came in time for me to bring it to WWDC, but it cut it a little close. It would have been nice to see a more specific delivery date, or for the package to have been delivered closer to when I ordered it. But I know Apple is big on pre-hyping stuff and I heard there were supply constraints with this model.

I saw a couple other people wearing this and other Edition models throughout the week, so I’m glad it worked out for us all to receive this product in time to show it off.

Packaging

The packaging was VERY disappointing compared to most Apple products. I can’t believe it. I had also ordered an Apple Watch Sport on launch day, and that product came with an incredible unboxing experience.

This Edition was just packed in a basic foam bubble pack, leaving much to be desired. They really dropped the ball here. The one upside is that I felt no guilt or concern about immediately recycling the packaging, and I definitely didn’t feel the need to Periscope opening it this time.

Gold quality

I had heard rumors about some special thing where the gold is mixed with ceramic to make it more durable. That doesn’t seem to have helped in this case. The gold part puckers and pulls over some parts but not others, making it look inconsistent and cheaper than an Edition-level product should look, in my opinion. It also stretches more over the uppert part of the bezel than the lower part. This may just be how any version would work on my body, but it’s a bummer.

I bought this item to showcase my poor financial judgment and be part of an elite club, but also to look *good*, you know? The gold should look better than the steel or sport options and I’m not sure it was worth the extra money.

Red quality

The red is slightly different than in photos; a little more blue and a little less orange. I’m mostly okay with this, but it made it hard to match other accesories like a lipstick ahead of time. (I’m obsessive and like matching things.) An exact Pantone value would have been awesome, but I know Apple didn’t do that for their Sport bands either so I’m not that surprised, I’d just appreciate that much more attention to detail in the future. It’s not like I’m going to file a radar or anything though.

However, my main disappointment comes with the way the red part wears over time. When I first put it on, it seemed too long and too short. That continues to be the case, with the largest women’s size possible. I’m disappointed that it wouldn’t fit my female colleagues, but I’m even more disappointed that a) it got even shorter after I attempted to clean it, and b) it got a bit tougher instead of getting softer the way most leather products do over time. It definitely felt like the overall size and shape were designed by men for men without much thought to female wearers.

Overall purchase decision

Despite these shortcomings, I’m happy with my red and gold Edition. I got lots of compliments, knowing nods, and “Nice Edition” head nods during the week of WWDC. Marco and Casey from ATP even commented on it. Athough shelling out for an Edition was an extravagance, I think it was worth it. I would probably purchase a red and gold Edition again if a new model were offered, especially if there were improvments in the design or ordering process.

Oh, and I saw a few people complaining on Twitter about how stupid you’d have to be to spend money on an Edition, but I’m pretty sure they’re just jealous.

 

(And hey, when I’m not trolling you with gag reviews, I’m helping people figure out online dating and modern love in general. If this intrigues you, maybe you should subscribe to my blog, podcast, or newsletter!)

(And oh yeah, go donate to the App Camp for Girls Indiegogo Campaign! I will add some sort of unofficial hand-drawn-or-written personal thank-you perk if you donate more than $100 based on this blog post call to action right here. Honor system. Make me proud, nerds.)