Beyoncé Knowles Is Wearing a Gold Apple Watch Band That You Can't Buy

TheVerge.com:

Nowhere on Apple's website will you find a solid gold link bracelet for the Apple Watch. Jony Ive never mentions it at any point in this video describing the gold watch's creation. But in a set of photos posted to her website, Beyoncé just proved it exists. And she's not the first person to do so. On two occasions now, high-profile early owners of Cupertino's first smartwatch have been photographed wearing a gold band that's probably worth more than any single possession you own.

First it was Karl Lagerfeld; last week, the German fashion designer and creative director at Chanel was seen wearing an Apple Watch Edition with a gold link bracelet. Aside from color, the band appears identical to the link bracelets Apple is currently offering in silver and space black, lending credence to the idea that these are coming from Apple directly.

But Apple's store doesn't sell a gold link bracelet — even if you're buying the Edition, which starts at $10,000. In fact, across all its current configurations, the Apple Watch Edition can't be ordered with any metal bracelet in the box at all. The "classic" and "modern" leather bands that Apple sells feature clasps and buckles that, like the Edition itself, are crafted from 18-karat gold.

The most expensive Apple Watch Edition tops out at $17,000, but it's hard to grasp how much it would cost if you replaced its red modern buckle band with a link bracelet made entirely from gold. On materials alone, the band would be worth more than the Watch Edition's casing. The Verge's Chris Ziegler has one theory; this ultra-luxurious Edition model is quietly being made available to the wealthiest of Apple's customers, but it's intentionally hidden from public view and Apple's promotional materials, perhaps to shield a price tag that could run into the tens and tens of thousands of dollars.. Think of it as a secret menu — like ordering a quesarito from Chipotle.