Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch Band Broke? Here's How to Replace It With Leather

16 septembre 2026

A cracked or split Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch band is one of the most common complaints watch owners run into — and it usually is not something you did wrong. Here is why it happens and how to replace it with something that will not need replacing again in six months.

Vintage leather Apple Watch band, front view

WHY YOUR STOCK BAND SPLIT

Stock silicone and rubber sport bands are built for comfort and flexibility, not longevity. The same organic compounds that make them soft also break down with sweat and repeated flexing, which is why splitting at the lug connection point is such a common issue across Apple Watch Solo Loop and Sport Bands, Samsung Galaxy Watch silicone bands, and similar stock bands from other brands.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR BAND BREAKS

Check your warranty first. Some manufacturers replace a split band within the warranty period if you contact support directly, though this varies and is not guaranteed.
Decide if you want the same material again. If your silicone band already failed once, a second silicone band is likely to fail the same way eventually.
Consider a handcrafted leather replacement if you want something that ages instead of degrades.

REPLACING AN APPLE WATCH BAND WITH LEATHER

Our hand-stitched vintage leather Apple Watch band is hand-cut and hand-stitched with a soft pigskin lining, built for the standard Apple Watch attachment system, and available for 38mm, 40mm, 42mm and 44mm cases. It keeps the familiar Apple Watch fit while replacing the part that actually failed.

REPLACING A GALAXY WATCH OR OTHER SMARTWATCH BAND

Samsung Galaxy Watch and most other smartwatches with standard spring-bar lugs (rather than Apple's proprietary system) can use a traditional lug-width strap instead. Our black hand-stitched leather watch band is available in 20mm, 22mm, 24mm and 26mm widths — check your case for the correct size, or use our lug width guide to measure it.