Modernizing Faces in watchOS 6

[Internet Enzyme]

In my mind it depends. I think it's just as fast if all you want is "It's about 10:50." If you want to know "It's 10:51:37," then no. 90% of the time I just care about the former.

I usually think seconds are extraneous but having the specificity of 10:51 or 10:52 can be useful. I do think 5 minute intervals are a pretty good point to round at which is why analog time makes sense but having more specific time more quickly readable is sometimes a boon

 

[Jack Neill]

Do you think that an analog face with ticks is as fast or faster then as a digital readout?

For me its the same.

 

[Internet Enzyme]

For me its the same.

Im terrible at reading analog—digital is instant, analog is a process. The only regret that this brings me is how I cant use some of the cooler Apple Watch faces

 

[BSG75]

Honestly, I don’t really trust third parties to create watch faces that are worthwhile. I think the store would quickly fill up with garbage that nobody really wants and never gets updated.

I totally agree. As someone who had a Pebble Watch back in the day, the majority of the third-party faces were not very good. Some were ripoffs of Apple Watch faces, other were trying to mimic Rolex, Omega, Tag, etc., and some were in very bad taste.

 

[ledzepfan1981]

I like the chronograph but I keep catching the stopwatch complication. I wish you could change that.

 

[parseckadet]

I like the chronograph but I keep catching the stopwatch complication. I wish you could change that.

I generally like the look of it, but in terms of functionality I don't like it. The big thing that kills that face for me is that the stopwatch functionality takes over the entire face when you're using it. Because of that there's no real benefit to using the chronograph face over just having the stopwatch complication on any other face. I feel the way the chronograph face should work is that the timing should start, with the big second hand sweeping and everything else, but the other complications should remain in place. That would be very useful for when you're timing something that you know is going to take awhile, say 15+ minutes or even several hours.

 

[MadGoat]

For those asking about third party faces, or the ability to make your own faces, It won't happen because of one word "Hermes".

They'd lose over $1000 per watch in potential revenue if someone gets a basic watch and puts a Hemes-like face and buys a Chinese clone Hermes band.

 

[nikkisharif]

For those asking about third party faces, or the ability to make your own faces, It won't happen because of one word "Hermes".

They'd lose over $1000 per watch in potential revenue if someone gets a basic watch and puts a Hemes-like face and buys a Chinese clone Hermes band.

I disagree. Hermès has a certain client base & those clients aren’t going to buy a cheaper watch with a knockoff Hermès face & watch band. I don’t have the Hermès Apple Watch but I have other Hermès items & buy them because I like them. There has & will always be knockoffs and cheaper versions of everything. That doesn’t stop the high end stuff from selling.

 

[minimo3]

The lack of watch faces might be due to the fact that the Apple Watch has evolved into a activity/fitness/health appliance. It’s certainly not an elegant dress watch (it’s so thick it won’t even fit under many shirt cuffs) so the faces just need to show functional data.

 

[MisterSavage]

Another thing I don't understand is that Disney owns Pixar. There are Pixar watch faces. Disney owns Star Wars. Why aren't there Star Wars one? I would pay for them! Let me give you my money Disney/Apple!

 

[hologram]

The lack of watch faces might be due to the fact that the Apple Watch has evolved into a activity/fitness/health appliance. It’s certainly not an elegant dress watch (it’s so thick it won’t even fit under many shirt cuffs) so the faces just need to show functional data.

Yeah, like Mickey Mouse.

Not everyone uses it as an activity/fitness/health appliance. I bought it mainly for fall detection, as I’m sure a lot of us have, and some of us want to use it primarily as a watch (with all kinds of extra conveniences and a larger selection of faces).

 

[xDKP]

The lack of watch faces might be due to the fact that the Apple Watch has evolved into a activity/fitness/health appliance. It’s certainly not an elegant dress watch (it’s so thick it won’t even fit under many shirt cuffs) so the faces just need to show functional data.

I wear mine with a suit every day. Looks great with a classic buckle (black or brown depending on the clothing) And haven’t got any issues with my shirts

 

[Akrapovic]

If there really is a problem with Nike/Hermes faces then the other suggestion is Apple creates weekly face packs themselves and sells them in the AppStore.

 

[Mobster1983]

The lack of watch faces might be due to the fact that the Apple Watch has evolved into a activity/fitness/health appliance. It’s certainly not an elegant dress watch (it’s so thick it won’t even fit under many shirt cuffs) so the faces just need to show functional data.

The problem I have with this statement is we should have both. There is no reason Apple cannot develop realistic watch faces that look like a real/physical watch. I love watches and different types/styles. This is my ONLY criticism of the Apple Watch. I held onto my Series 0 until a month ago for this very reason.

 

[parseckadet]

The lack of watch faces might be due to the fact that the Apple Watch has evolved into a activity/fitness/health appliance. It’s certainly not an elegant dress watch (it’s so thick it won’t even fit under many shirt cuffs) so the faces just need to show functional data.

What are you talking about? The Apple Watch series 4 is 10.7mm thick. Meanwhile, a Rolex Datejust, the closest thing there is to a definitive dress watch, is either 11.7mm or 10.4mm (depending on case size). Are you really saying that 300 micrometers is enough to move a watch into “too thick” territory? Is the bigger Rolex too big to be a dress watch then? Did you stop to consider that maybe your problem is that your shirt cuffs are too tight?

I wear mine with a suit every day. Looks great with a classic buckle (black or brown depending on the clothing) And haven’t got any issues with my shirts

While I don’t wear suits often, I have worn my Apple Watch with a suit many times over the years with out any issues either. And I knew that would be the case because I also frequently wear a Tag Heuer Link (the Jason Bourne watch), which is 12mm thick.

 

[xDKP]

What are you talking about? The Apple Watch series 4 is 10.7mm thick. Meanwhile, a Rolex Datejust, the closest thing there is to a definitive dress watch, is either 11.7mm or 10.4mm (depending on case size). Are you really saying that 300 micrometers is enough to move a watch into “too thick” territory? Is the bigger Rolex too big to be a dress watch then? Did you stop to consider that maybe your problem is that your shirt cuffs are too tight?


While I don’t wear suits often, I have worn my Apple Watch with a suit many times over the years with out any issues either. And I knew that would be the case because I also frequently wear a Tag Heuer Link (the Jason Bourne watch), which is 12mm thick.

My point exactly! It’s actually a very slim watch - and design is always a matter of taste, but dress the steel version up with a leather buckle or steel bracelet and it’s pretty damn good looking to me

 

[Internet Enzyme]

Since I am impatient, I installed the watchOS 6 developer beta on my device (along with macOS Catalina, iPadOS, and iOS 13 on all my other stuff). The Solar Dial face is interesting, and to my surprise, has a Digital Time complication option!

 

[xDKP]

Since I suppose I am an impatient mad man, I installed the watchOS 6 developer beta on my device (along with macOS Catalina, iPadOS, and iOS 13 on all my other stuff). The Solar Dial face is interesting, and to my surprise, has a Digital Time complication option!
View attachment 841284

Looks amazing - could you share some pictures of the California as well? Very limited what colours and variations Apple have shown

 

[MisterSavage]

Since I suppose I am an impatient mad man, I installed the watchOS 6 developer beta on my device (along with macOS Catalina, iPadOS, and iOS 13 on all my other stuff). The Solar Dial face is interesting, and to my surprise, has a Digital Time complication option!
View attachment 841284

Wow, I actually like this one. Thanks for taking the plunge and sharing.

 

[Internet Enzyme]

Looks amazing - could you share some pictures of the California as well? Very limited what colours and variations Apple have shown

California has four pages of customization options!

The first page lets you choose the kind of indices it has: Pills, Roman, California, Numerals, Arabic, and Hindi. The second page lets you choose between a Fullscreen and Circular look, which then impacts which complications are available to you on the fourth page. The third page lets you choose between four colors: White, Off White, Black, and Blue.

The fourth page lets you choose the complication slots. If you opted for a Full Screen look on page two, there are two complication slots: a text one that provides Date, Digital Time (!), Monogram, Stopwatch, and Timer as options—and a second, more standard Circular complication that was introduced with Infograph Modular.

If you select the Circular layout on page two instead of Full Screen, you get four Corner complications and one Bezel complication, very similar to Infograph's layout, just without the four Circular complications in the middle.

This is a ridiculous amount of customizability for one face—there are so many configurations that it's hard to document its scope and parse through text, so here are a few screen shots.

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B135Uzl7VYboK

Now that you've pushed me to check this face out, it's actually becoming one of my favorites.

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

I see many on this thread advocating simple watch faces with few complications.

I’m the complete opposite in that I believe most of the choices currently available offer this, including creating your own picture face.

My attitude is that it’s a Smartwatch, so I’d like as much info as possible on display.

I currently use Modular with the Mellow Yellow colour scheme, but I’ll probably switch to Infograph Modular for even more complications in WatchOS 6.

Reason being, is that I understand this face will now be available in single colours and it’ll allow me additional complications from what I have at the moment.

 

[TwiceNightly]

California has four pages of customization options!

The first page lets you choose the kind of indices it has: Pills, Roman, California, Numerals, Arabic, and Hindi. The second page lets you choose between a Fullscreen and Circular look, which then impacts which complications are available to you on the fourth page. The third page lets you choose between four colors: White, Off White, Black, and Blue.

The fourth page lets you choose the complication slots. If you opted for a Full Screen look on page two, there are two complication slots: a text one that provides Date, Digital Time (!), Monogram, Stopwatch, and Timer as options—and a second, more standard Circular complication that was introduced with Infograph Modular.

If you select the Circular layout on page two instead of Full Screen, you get four Corner complications and one Bezel complication, very similar to Infograph's layout, just without the four Circular complications in the middle.

This is a ridiculous amount of customizability for one face—there are so many configurations that it's hard to document its scope and parse through text, so here are a few screen shots.

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B135Uzl7VYboK

Now that you've pushed me to check this face out, it's actually becoming one of my favorites.

Nice! If you have digital time at the top can you have date at the bottom?

 

[Internet Enzyme]

Nice! If you have digital time at the top can you have date at the bottom?

Yup.

 

[Akrapovic]

Seems like they are finally giving decent face options.

What faces are available on the S3? I'm waiting until the S5 is out to upgrade, and may just move to the S4, assuming it drops in price.

 

[Internet Enzyme]

Seems like they are finally giving decent face options.

What faces are available on the S3? I'm waiting until the S5 is out to upgrade, and may just move to the S4, assuming it drops in price.

Well, clearly the fullscreen option is not going to be available on S3 and earlier. And the corner complications presumably aren’t available either. Im not even sure if California is available on earlier watches. I speculate that California on older watches takes on a standard analog face complication configuration.