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I want an Apple Watch, but I have a nickel allergy. I believe the Apple Watch Sport, which has an anodized aluminum case, would be the safest choice. My main concern is the composite back. It would be extremely helpful if someone from Apple could elaborate on what exactly the composite back is made of. Is the composite back nickel free? I'm sure I won't be the only customer concerned to know this.
Apple Watch Sport-OTHER
My solution: I am also an Apple fan with an allergy to nickel. I do appreciate the previous comment that the allergy is more commonly caused by the nickel salts formed when perspiration interacts with the metal. Since I wash my hands about 100x each day, my wrists are frequently wet. The solution that works for me is to make a cushion the size of the metal watch body out of Dr. Scholl's Moleskin. Use the thin moleskin, not the thicker. I attach it to the back of the watch to keep the metal away from my skin. When it gets worn out, I simply change it. Problem solved.
Apple does not respond here as these are simply user forums. Go to the Apple - Apple Watch page and scroll to the bottom where there is a list of what is not included in manufacture. The bottom has a magnetic material to which the charger connects, but I don't know if it contains nickel.
There is no nickel. The bottom charging system is induction.
ILLYCIT wrote:
... It would be extremely helpful if someone from Apple could elaborate ...
I am sure that any question that is not easily found at or from the Watch Store page > http://store.apple.com/us/watch < can be answered by this method (from the bottom of that page)
Chat with a Specialist
Get all your Apple Watch questions
answered or get help finding the
right watch. Call 1-800-MY-APPLE
Thanks Kappy, but unfortunately your comment is not really helpful. The site information is not sufficient, and your comment is confusing and contradicting "I don't know if it contains nickel. There is no nickel."
Hi ChitlinsCC,
The site does not address my question. The chat service is not a bad suggestion but that was what I used to first answer my question. They pretty much said they know as much the public knows about the watch right now. 😟 I am hoping this thread will catch someone's attention with some real knowledge about it.
My tongue was firmly in cheek...
Few if any know anything but what has been publicly announced. It does not surprise that the Chat & phone specialists would be better informed - or at liberty to disclose. They, like us, are bound by Agreement to only say what Apple has publicly said - and we here are bound by the same Agreement to refrain from speculation.
No thread is gonna know anything more than the specialists -> Apple employees.
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I am hoping this thread will catch someone's attention with some real knowledge about it.
Anyone who does would not be responding here.
Thanks anyway. It was worth a shot.
There may be more than this way to "skin the cat"...
Legal & Media may worth some special attention
I have an allergy too, though the allergen is not common in the environment - It is a BIG DEAL... to us!
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I also have a strong nickel allergy and want to know what's what before I buy.
I'm on the phone with Apple Support as I type this and she said if I have any issues like this I can call Support back and they will work it out with either a full refund or exchange for another band. The standard return policy is 14 days but she says for something like this they could work it out with me and it would be best to call Apple direct vs trying to return it at a store after 14 days.
I've never actually had a reaction to a watch back that was labelled stainless steel. It's always the buckle which is usually some plated gold tone crap. 316L stainless steel IS implant grade steel and from what I read even though it contains ~10% nickel if it's processed properly the nickel won't leech out. There's also the European prohibition of jewelry that causes nickel allergy reactions. I assume Apple looked into this since they will be selling the watch there.
Keeping my fingers crossed because I want a nicer band than the fluoroelastomer rubber band.
Thank you ChitlinsCC and Lauri.
Your input was helpful. I believe I am just going to go ahead and order the Apple Watch Sport. Even though I'd prefer the standard Apple Watch, stainless steel has always been a crap shoot for me. Sometimes I develop a rash from extended contact and sometimes I don't. In this case, I would rather err on the side of caution.
Since I plan to pre-order on the 10th and hopefully receive it on the 24th, I will be happy to post my personal experience after a couple days of use. I usually work out about 4 days a week, and even if a metal does not react at first, I almost always get a reaction when I am wearing a metal that contains nickel, and I start to perspire.
Thanks again for your help and look out for an update in the future.
It just occurred to me that your Allergist might have some back channel info regarding this... it would logically follow that given the potential installed base and that nickel allergy is relatively common*, some inquiries to the medical community are sure to have taken place.
Lauri's comments concerning the quality as "implant grade" is a key, methinks.**
Turns out, it's not the actual nickel that is the problem... from http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Allergies/nickelallergy.htm
Allergy to nickel is a phenomenon which has assumed growing importance in recent years, largely because of the introduction of cheap fancy jewellery in which the underlying metal layer consists of nickel. *10 to 12% of the female population and 6% of the male population are estimated to be allergic to nickel. **In fact the allergy is not caused by nickel itself but by the nickel salts which are formed under the effect of perspiration in contact with the piece of jewellery piece or watch. This phenomenon is always accompanied by corrosion*** of the object.
***It surprise me greatly if the Watch corroded, as it designed to stand moderate sweating from exercise
worth a shot with your MD?
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Fingers X-ed for luck... I, for one, will wait for news with baited breath. - ÇÇÇ
It certainly makes sense that it's a result of some kind of reaction between the metal and perspiration because there has always been an initial period where I can wear an item just fine. I had assumed that maybe it was a wearing off of a thin protective coating to make the item look prettier in the store or some kind of gradual migration of nickel ions that happen because of repeated body heat. If it IS nickel salts I wonder if constant cleaning of the metal parts to remove the salts would help with the issue. I usually try the old nail polish method which isn't very effective in the long run.
I dunno about nuthin! - just a good researcher 😎
"Implant grade" just got me to thinking about the unreliability of quality claims made by manufacturers... my deceased wife had a hip implant after a car wreck and I am convinced that 'something' about the quality of material or construction contributed to an infection that, undiagnosed, got into her spinal fluid the her brain. Lawsuit pending.
I wonder what would one clean "nickel salts" WITH? Mr. Clean? Windex? CLR? More sweat?
From http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/water/nickel/nickel-and-water.htm
-- turns out Water!
Solubility of nickel and nickel compounds
Elementary nickel is water insoluble at T=20oC pressure = 1 bar. However, nickel compounds may be water soluble. Nickel chloride is most water soluble; 553 g/L at 20oC, to 880 g/L at 99.9oC. Nickel carbonate has a water solubility of 90 mg/L, whereas other nickel compounds, such as nickel oxide, nickel sulphide and nickel tetra carbonyl are water insoluble.
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Is the Apple Watch Sport nickel free?
