For those few of us who still wear watches on our wrists (and now add smartwatches to that) and also pound at keyboards a lot, you’ve likely noticed that most watchbands aren’t really comfortable with your wrists resting on various things while focusing on keyboards. I really noticed it a lot when wearing a fancy watch with a metal bracelet; as a result, that thing sat in a drawer for years.
However, a few years ago, Cool Tools had an item from Form-Function-Form (FFF) that led me to seeing their Button Stud leather watchbands ($42). I’ve been using a couple of them since then and immediately loved them: Since its “catch” (the button stud) is above the wrist and the only thing under that wrist is seamless leather, it’s totally comfortable. And good looking too, I think. A bit of patina develops, so it’s all good.
And yes, they do cost more than a lot of other bands, but none are going to be more comfortable. Button studs have been around a long time; we’ve got a WWII bayonet someone brought home from back then and that knife is kept in its scabbard with the same button-stud mechanism. So, tried-and-true, and I’d bet the concept is a lot older than that. FFF has a lot of different choices, so poke around,
-- Wayne Ruffner
Button-Stud Leather Watchband ($42)