Freshfiber Offers Stylish 3D Printed Bands for the Apple Watch

September 24, 2018 by Clare Scott 3D Design 3D Printing

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Amsterdam-based company Freshfiber was an early promoter of 3D printing, selling fully 3D printed products in its stores back in 2009 when most people still hadn’t even heard of the technology. At that time, smartphones were only starting to become ubiquitous, but Freshfiber saw an opportunity and took it, offering 3D printed phone cases that it described as sculptural works of art. As soon as Apple announced the development of its smart Apple Watch, Freshfiber was ready to meet a new demand – 3D printed watch bands.

Now Freshfiber is introducing a new collection of bands for the Apple Watch. There are three designs: the Pulse, the Obsidian and the Aurora. Here is how Freshfiber describes each design:

The Pulse Watch Band has a waveform made up of fifty-one differently shaped panels contracting and expanding in a vertical array. Their fluent motion creates an undulating landscape of fluid lines, pulsing with a gentle rhythm. Its geometry unites in an intriguing form, creating a confident presence on the wrist.
The name Obsidian derives from a type of igneous rock which is formed by the rapid cooling of viscous lava. An all round landscape of interlinking fractiles tessellate to form a surface of obsidian facets. The landscape gradually evolves from delicate shards on the sides to larger facets in the center. This results in an intriguing gradient pattern, delivering a luxurious, sophisticated style to the Apple Watch.
A formation of sweeping lines covering the wristband, inspired by the rhythmic light swirls of Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. The balanced composition of positive elements and negative space creates a delicate linework around the wrist, purely composed by the flow of movement. The Aurora Watch Band embraces the striking curvatures from nature, translated into an abstract, sculptural design with a contemporary look.

Freshfiber describes the structure of each of the bands as “a flat strip of material helix coiled into a flattened spiral,” each made from semi-rigid nylon material and wrapped into a helical spring. The bands are both flexible and sturdy and will return to their original shape if stretched or twisted. They come in a total of five sizes, compatible with 38mm/40mm and 42mm/44mm Apple Watch Series 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Each band has a printed clasp that is easily interchangeable so that the bands can be quickly swapped out if desired. The closure is hidden and integrated with the Freshfiber logo, and it has a novel press-and-release function that enables the watch to fit snugly around the wrist. Both ends of the watch band merge seamlessly together, without the closure disrupting the decorative elements. The bands are lightweight and have a pleasant feel on the wrist, according to Freshfiber.

In addition to the different designs, the watch bands are available in five different colors: black, gray, brown, red and blue, so if you’ve got some money to spare, you can get a whole collection of different bands, to match each outfit or situation. Each model costs €37.15. The designs were created by Matthijs Kok, Creative Director of Freshfiber.

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[Images: Freshfiber]