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Some of you saw how I had removed the orange from the action button on my Apple Watch Ultra and gave it a brushed finish. I was real happy with that look but I decided to go a step further and see if I could polish the watch to a mirror like finish. Why? Mainly because I have so many bands with highly polished lugs, I thought I might try to match a little better. Not that the lighter titanium clashed. I’m just a sucker for the highly polished watches like the stainless steel Hermes. Those really pop when you wear them in good lighting.

The final result was well worth it. I like this new polished finish even more than the my earlier brushed look. It really matches the polished lugs on my dressier bands better now. It’s not as polished as the stainless steel on my Series 7 but compared to the original Ultra it’s a dramatic change.

Here's a few shots of my newly polished Ultra sporting one of my favorite dress up bands. A Juuk Revo with polished stainless steel.

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Now here's my Ultra wearing my classic Apple stainless steel Link Bracelet. It's next to a 45mm stainless steel Series 7 wearing the Juuk Locarno.

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Last but not least here is my Ultra with an Hermes Single Tour. I would've never attempted an Hermes band prior to my polishing because of the highly polished lugs on the Hermes band. But I think it looks ok now.

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Huge improvement.
 
I don’t think it would affect warranty. Would scratches and polishing from shirt sleeve during everyday use void it. Cosmetic changes shouldn’t affect the hardware or integrity of the Watch. Shouldn’t doesn’t mean wouldn’t, but if you have apple care and chuck it off rooftop, shattering the screen. I bet you still get a replacement at the designated cost.

I preferred the OP’s brushed version finish but this looks great too and would appeal to many people.
 
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It looks amazing, Man. Criticism is never a bad thing when you’re an artist. Lucky for you, most of it on here is from people that just hate the Ultra period and can’t let it go.

You do you and your work is remarkable.

👊😎👍
What utter rubbish. I love my AWU and think this modification look ridiculous. If the OP had wanted a nice shiny stainless steel Apple Watch, then why did he not buy a nice shiny stainless AW? Instead, he buys a watch he doesn’t like and tries to turn it into a shiny stainless steel watch 🙄

The AWU was designed, manufactured and marketed as an ADVENTURE watch, not to look good with a suit or sit comfortably under a shirt.
 
What utter rubbish. I love my AWU and think this modification look ridiculous. If the OP had wanted a nice shiny stainless steel Apple Watch, then why did he not buy a nice shiny stainless AW? Instead, he buys a watch he doesn’t like and tries to turn it into a shiny stainless steel watch 🙄

The AWU was designed, manufactured and marketed as an ADVENTURE watch, not to look good with a suit or sit comfortably under a shirt.
Once again, criticism is always welcome. And I said “most” not “everyone” on here.

Oh. My. God. That person bought shoes with white laces in them, then turned around and threw black laces in them. They should be ashamed!

Can you believe that car was designed with 17” rims on it and they came in alloy? That crazy nut threw 19” chrome rims on it.

That’s utter rubbish!!! Why didn’t they just buy shoes with black laces or a truck with 19” rims on it instead of a car.

Thanks for stopping by.

👊😁👍
 
Can you share how you polished it?

Sure. First I rub the side I want to polish with a Cape Cod Metal Polishing cloth. They are these little wool polishing pads. But it takes too long to rub by hand so as soon as the polish is laid on the metal, I switch over to a wool polishing tip on my dremel.

Those first pictures were taken after about 30 minutes of work. I buffed it out a little more today and it’s looking more mirror like now.

I’m not sure how this would’ve turned out if I had tried to polish a brand new unmolested Ultra. But I had already given it a brushed finish so it had quite a bit of abrasive work applied prior.



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What utter rubbish. I love my AWU and think this modification look ridiculous. If the OP had wanted a nice shiny stainless steel Apple Watch, then why did he not buy a nice shiny stainless AW? Instead, he buys a watch he doesn’t like and tries to turn it into a shiny stainless steel watch 🙄

The AWU was designed, manufactured and marketed as an ADVENTURE watch, not to look good with a suit or sit comfortably under a shirt.

Ha! I understand where you’re coming from. But Apple doesn’t make the watch that I want. I want an “Apple Watch Pro”. I don’t want an Ultra. So I’m trying to “make” what I want.

The Apple Watch Ultra has been interesting in how it simultaneously attracts and repels me.On the positive side, I like the larger battery. That’s pretty much it since I’m not a mountain climber or scuba diver. On the negative side, I hate the crown guard, the screen lip, and the speaker design.

It occurred to me that most of my gripes could be taken care of if Apple ever decided to make a “Pro” version that was targeted to people who want a bigger battery and a more premium design. I’d do the following for an Apple Watch Pro.

  • Remove the crown guard – I’m sure it’s great when you’re halfway up Mount Everest but for those of us who spend most of the day at a desk, not so much. From a practical standpoint, it gets in the way of pushing and turning the crown. It’s purpose is to prevent accidental crown pushes. But it does that by making it more difficult to press at all times. And in regards to aesthetics , it makes the watch look unbalanced and contributes to an overall ugly vibe.
  • Replace the speaker holes with the elegant Series 7 slot – I never realized why Apple used long speaker slots on every previous Apple Watch design until the Ultra came out. It’s because Apple was trying to hide the intrusion of those openings and let the finish be more visible from every angle. With the Ultra, function trumps form and Apple put in those holes.
  • Give us a polished stainless steel finish – My previous high polished stainless steel Apple Watches have really turned me into a stainless steel fan. The watches look gorgeous and really pop on your wrist. Many of the high end watch bands have polished lugs which don’t quite match the finish on the Ultra. Apple Podcasters try to say that you can dress up the Ultra by using a nice dress band. But no, that doesn’t work if the finish is mismatched. Now is anyone going to notice? I’m sure not. But neither is anyone going to notice if my socks don’t match. It doesn’t mean that I won’t refuse to leave the house with a black sock on the right and blue on the left.
  • Don’t paint the action button orange – Ok, I know this is purely personal preference but I hate that orange. And this is another reason why it’s hard to dress up the Ultra. The orange button clashes with a nice band. Especially if you try to use certain colors. In my view, the Ultra as delivered from Apple can’t be dressed up very well. It’s like putting on a blazer while still wearing sweat pants.

My perfect Apple Watch Pro would be a polished stainless steel Ultra design without the crown guard and speaker holes and no garish orange button. I think the couch potatoes of the world and light exercisers would be delighted to have the new watch design along with its huge battery but in a form that’s easier to dress up and not as uncomfortable.


I’m tempted to add removing the screen lip to my list but then it wouldn’t be the same design any longer. Plus, I fear breaking the screen if I accidentally drop my watch. So I guess it’s better to just get used to swiping over the slip.


It’s been over a week now with my Ultra and I’ve settled into relegating it to “workout watch”. The reason is that my Series 7 is just so much more comfortable to use. So when I get up in the morning, I reach for my Series 7, not my Ultra. And since I’m not working out with my Series 7, the battery life is much improved.


The Series 7 is all around more comfortable to use. The bulbous curved edges of the screen make swiping back and forth a joy. Plus, there is no crown guard getting in the way. Pressing and turning the crown on my Series 7 is easier and more precise than on an Ultra.


And this last point may just be imagined. But I feel that the Ultra “flops” around more on my wrist and is more sensitive to movement. I get the feeling that it’s like a car with a high center of gravity. You know how if you take a curve real fast in a tall mini-van vs a low sports car the van is going to lean more? When I turn my wrist, the Ultra seems to flop around more because of the higher center of gravity. But like I said, that might just be all in my head.


What’s not in my head though, is the fact that it impedes my shirt sleeve on that arm. Another benefit the earlier Apple Watches get from their curved screens is that in addition to being lower profile, the curve facilitates movement of your shirt over the screen. That helpful curve is now gone in the Ultra.


But all my pondering of how I wished Apple made a high polished Apple Watch Pro got me thinking. Maybe I could simply polish the Ultra I have? How would the Titanium look if I got out some metal polish and a Dremel and polished it? I have nothing to lose by trying. I could always go back to the brushed metal look if it turns out bad.
 
What utter rubbish. I love my AWU and think this modification look ridiculous. If the OP had wanted a nice shiny stainless steel Apple Watch, then why did he not buy a nice shiny stainless AW? Instead, he buys a watch he doesn’t like and tries to turn it into a shiny stainless steel watch 🙄

The AWU was designed, manufactured and marketed as an ADVENTURE watch, not to look good with a suit or sit comfortably under a shirt.

Yikes, no fun allowed. It's interesting to see what the Ultra would look like if it were designed a bit differently.

Out of the presumably hundreds of thousands or millions of these things out there, one person did something whimsical and creative with theirs that none of us would have had the skill or equipment or notion to do, and shared it with us, and all you can do is call it "utter rubbish".

OP is contributing a lot more to the forum than you are, so you're in no position to be such a negative Nancy.

Apple was created in the first place by people who hacked things and built things themselves. The company never would have been built in the first place if people in their garage didn't hack and build things instead of mindlessly consuming existing products.
 
And this last point may just be imagined. But I feel that the Ultra “flops” around more on my wrist and is more sensitive to movement. I get the feeling that it’s like a car with a high center of gravity. You know how if you take a curve real fast in a tall mini-van vs a low sports car the van is going to lean more? When I turn my wrist, the Ultra seems to flop around more because of the higher center of gravity.
Are you sure the band is tight enough? Which band are you using? Does this happen even with the band that came with the ultra?
 
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Are you sure the band is tight enough? Which band are you using? Does this happen even with the band that came with the ultra?
Yeah, the band tightness is definitely part of the issue. The watch is bigger, so if I use the same hole there is more slack. But even when it’s nice and tight, I feel like I can feel the watch on my wrist more when I’m out running and swinging my arms. I think it’s an unavoidable result of the watch sitting higher up off the wrist.
 
It looks amazing, Man. Criticism is never a bad thing when you’re an artist. Lucky for you, most of it on here is from people that just hate the Ultra period and can’t let it go.

You do you and your work is remarkable.

👊😎👍
I was thinking the exact same thing! Who are they to throw hate at him for doing what he wants with his product he spent his own money on. This place can be damn toxic at times.
 
I like it a lot better without the orange as well... but have no desire to change the finish of it... I kinda like the texture of the titanium finish form the factory. What I'd like to know, if anyone has an answer, is what chemical will remove the orange without having to remove it mechanically. MEK?, Acetone? any household chems or products that will do it without damaging anything but the orange paint/coating? Looking at buying the ultra next year (January or Feb). Just want a clear way before making the purchase. If I can't get rid of the orange without mechanical means, I'd move to the Apple watch 8, begrudgingly... I need the toughness of the ultra for my work... A lot of rough activities in my job. It'd be great if I could dip a Q-tip in some nail polish remover and rub the orange away...
 
I like it a lot better without the orange as well... but have no desire to change the finish of it... I kinda like the texture of the titanium finish form the factory. What I'd like to know, if anyone has an answer, is what chemical will remove the orange without having to remove it mechanically. MEK?, Acetone? any household chems or products that will do it without damaging anything but the orange paint/coating? Looking at buying the ultra next year (January or Feb). Just want a clear way before making the purchase. If I can't get rid of the orange without mechanical means, I'd move to the Apple watch 8, begrudgingly... I need the toughness of the ultra for my work... A lot of rough activities in my job. It'd be great if I could dip a Q-tip in some nail polish remover and rub the orange away...
If the orange color is created by colored anodizing (which is common for titanium), then it is an intrinsic part of the oxide layer, and cannot be removed by a solvent. You would probably need something aggressive like hydrofluoric acid to remove the oxide layer, however this will also etch the titanium and is quite dangerous.
However, I don't know how the orange coloring is achieved.
 
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If the orange color is created by colored anodizing (which is common for titanium), then it is an intrinsic part of the oxide layer, and cannot be removed by a solvent. You would probably need something aggressive like hydrofluoric acid to remove the oxide layer, however this will also etch the titanium and is quite dangerous.
However, I don't know how the orange coloring is achieved.
Kinda thought the orange was typical of a process for Titanium... I've seen a few similar things about it in aviation. I kinda was hoping someone could shed some light on this part. I guess I could just paint over the orange if I had to. But I'll hold out for a few and see what else comes of this question.
 
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whoa that looks amazing OP!!This is exactly what I want, but unfortunately I am not handy at all and would probably end up with a watch split in two pieces somehow lol.... If you're ever planning on coming to NY-NJ area hit me up I'll treat you to a nice dinner and pay you if you can do this to my watch.
 
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