Who is the Ultra for? Athletes or Wanto be Athletes?

[douglasf13]

Seiko dive watches are iconic by design and most people who have owned them over the last 55 years probably never wore them diving. Desk diver was born from that theory lol. The ultra is a dive computer though in some part and nowhere near as stylish as many of the classic dive watches of the past. The Seiko turtle dive watch is a cult classic and one of the most iconic timepieces in history

I own a Rolex Explorer, and I’ve owned a Sub, Explorer II, Seiko Turtle and many others. I do wear them hard and let them get pretty beat up without much worry, but I’ve never been a diver or scaled Everest. The Ultra is the first smartwatch design that hits me in that similar way. I think it looks cool, and I appreciate that it’s a little over-built.

That’s the funny thing about the retro world. We all clamor for items that icons from the past wore, but who is today’s Steve McQueen and what is he wearing? Who knows, maybe it’s an Ultra? 😀

 

[pup]

So this is a pretty snobby topic, huh? Draw a line under whatever it is that you do and everyone below it is automatically a 'wannabe'.

I used to have a Garmin and switched to Apple even though yeah it was woefully feature starved in comparison. But, even though I'm out every morning doing something - bike, hike, swim, or surfski, plus afternoon fitness workouts - I'm not and never have been overly focused on metrics. I don't need to know my cadence or pace at any given moment. I just want to know an overall time and some splits, and most importantly have my exercise logged. And the last one is why I switched - I want my all my fitness workouts, weight, calories, etc. logged in a single easy to use app. And while I miss some of the things that my Garmin provided, and yeah there are some things that truly frustrate me with the Apple Watch (a paddling workout without GPS???), I still think it's the better choice for me.

So, why did I order the new one? Because it does everything my current one does plus it claws back a few things that I miss from my Garmin. Plus it's more rugged, the extra battery life will be great when camping, the better GPS is warmly welcomed, things like the trackback feature are things that if I had a Garmin or similar, I'd have to have two separate watches to get, etc. All in all, I think it's a good buy.

And I'm hoping that with this watch and some of its new features, Apple will give some love to workouts other than running and cycling.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I own a Rolex Explorer, and I’ve owned a Sub, Explorer II, Seiko Turtle and many others. I do wear them hard and let them get pretty beat up without much worry, but I’ve never been a diver or scaled Everest. The Ultra is the first smartwatch design that hits me in that similar way. I think it looks cool, and I appreciate that it’s a little over-built.

That’s the funny thing about the retro world. We all clamor for items that icons from the past wore, but who is today’s Steve McQueen and what is he wearing? Who knows, maybe it’s an Ultra?

It’s also the cool thing about being a watch enthusiast and collector, we all have different tastes. Love the classic mechanical dive watches but the Ultra does nothing for me at all. I don’t see it as remotely comparable or cool to be brutally honest. It’s a smartwatch with a marmite aesthetic IMO.

 

[tomiwah]

Am I supposed to apologize that you had to find out this way? I'm confused.

I would hope you understand sarcasm, but given your posts I have my doubts. So I will spell it out - in my experience, someone who has to post that they are a “serious” anything in an attempt to sound superior probably is not what they claim to be.

 

[SpitUK]

I have had an Apple watch since they were first released and I love it. I'm not an extreme athlete but I love all the utility of this watch and most importantly I've been wanting a larger watch.

 

[faksnima]

I’m a bit lost here. I have an SS Apple Watch (for notifications and all non sport life) and an avid runner and cyclist so I use Garmin products like their watch and cycling computer.

This new ultra watch offers a few more needed options like a lap button and longer battery life but lacking so much!

Where is the ant+ support? Programmable metric screens? Etc.

Meanwhile I see this thread with all the couch potatoes putting in orders. Are you guys going on hikes, ultras, marathons, etc or is this really marketed for the want to be athlete ?

At $799, with the largest screen size, titanium, 2000 nits, better battery....honestly, I'm going to buy it and I'm a fat ass. It's a good value. I just need to see if it will look decent with any metal bands.

 

[AlixSPQR]

It’s a silly watch for wannabe adventurers, who are 99 percent of the time in the city, looking cool. So the watch will sell for sure!

 

[Fried_Gold]

I own a Rolex Explorer, and I’ve owned a Sub, Explorer II, Seiko Turtle and many others. I do wear them hard and let them get pretty beat up without much worry, but I’ve never been a diver or scaled Everest. The Ultra is the first smartwatch design that hits me in that similar way. I think it looks cool, and I appreciate that it’s a little over-built.

That’s the funny thing about the retro world. We all clamor for items that icons from the past wore, but who is today’s Steve McQueen and what is he wearing? Who knows, maybe it’s an Ultra? 😀

Let's be honest, pro divers/Everest climbers etc are not using traditional watches for those purposes anymore. Most people buying them are enthusiast WIS collectors and people who like that their Rolex Explorer has that association.

I am in that category, but I rarely wear my watches anymore since owning Apple Watches.

 

[RPhoto]

It’s for people who want to buy it for whatever reason they choose 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[beanbaguk]

It's a consumer-grade wannabe athlete watch.

It could have been great but Apple totally missed the mark.

• No external Bluetooth compatibility
• No ANT+ support
• The diving support is for recreational PADI holiday divers. It's not a serious tool.
• 36 hours battery life? That's peanuts compared to Garmins near 2 weeks!

Unless Apple embraces BT external devices and includes ANT+, it's nothing more than a watch for wannabes.

 

[beanbaguk]

Let’s not forget the ultra can be used as a dive computer. This is a tool watch. I don’t know if it will replace my Rolex explorer 2 but it comes damn close.

A dive computer for PADI amateurs, but no self-respecting diver would use an Apple Watch as a primary tool.

 

[MaxSto]

It's a consumer-grade wannabe athlete watch.

It could have been great but Apple totally missed the mark.

• No external Bluetooth compatibility
• No ANT+ support
• The diving support is for recreational PADI holiday divers. It's not a serious tool.
• 36 hours battery life? That's peanuts compared to Garmins near 2 weeks!

Unless Apple embraces BT external devices and includes ANT+, it's nothing more than a watch for wannabes.

Download Workoutoutdoors and you have your external bluetooth support.

 

[alongdingdong]

I am still debating, i want my AW to be standalone, my AW4 is clearly not.

Even with LTE most features are lackluster because Apple relies too much on 3th party apps and given they work with restrictions from apple they are not as standalone as i wish.

The features added on the sofware side, seems to be the majority the same as all other AW releases, with a few but significant additions such as the scuba diving and breadcrumbs bits.

But for cycling, running, hiking and swimming nothing really changed at all.
No GPS maps/trails for hikers, nothing special for cyclists and regular swimming.

And guess what are the most popular sports out there? its not scuba diving
Robustness is also a none issue, my AW4 gone through lots of skateboarding, aggressive inline, bmx riding, dirt jumping, running, hiking, swimming and roadcycling, and i work in IT often under desks pulling cables etc.

My AW4 is still flawless externally, and have dinged it against stuff plenty of times.
Another thing, the SOS feature is great, but if you are a serious hiker you will use a handheld GPS unit with a external attena and access to more GPS/satellite ranges.

Fall detection and the SOS feature is great on the new AW, but marketed to be part of your adventurous hiking like sports, but the device software is quite limited for said things, making it more off a expensive regular AW with some really neat features but still a far cry from a device for the serious athletes as it tries to sell itself for.

A polarstar/Garmin watch specifically created for your type of sport will probably still be better in terms of battery life, features specially for your excersize.

 

[ascender]

Couch potatoes and wannabes... Got to love this forum.

 

[MhaelK]

It's a consumer-grade wannabe athlete watch.

It could have been great but Apple totally missed the mark.

• No external Bluetooth compatibility
• No ANT+ support
• The diving support is for recreational PADI holiday divers. It's not a serious tool.
• 36 hours battery life? That's peanuts compared to Garmins near 2 weeks!

Unless Apple embraces BT external devices and includes ANT+, it's nothing more than a watch for wannabes.

This, I think AWU will appeal to the couch-or recational athlete - thinking it is what "real" atheletes use, and who more than anything just wants to feel and look the part of a real ultra athlete "an SUV for urban living" (but a large part of garmin users also falls into this very profitable category).

For real intensive use as a sport-specific watch it is very likely gonna be too limited in its data metric collection and analysis, and for the minimalist athelte its gonna be to bulky and technical. For both cases a more specific tool and a regular AW for daily use would probaly make more sense. Although the new AW ultra brings lots of improvements and needed features to make it useable as a sports watch - like buttons and more battery, which both would be a major selling points in a normal size AW to use as a daily smart+sports watch for most people.

However, Im sure it is gonna be a major hit for Apple, as the target market is there and marketing it like a ultra/ proffesional tool is the way to reach that target audience.

 

[tmoerel]

A dive computer for PADI amateurs, but no self-respecting diver would use an Apple Watch as a primary tool.

So PADI divers are not self respecting? As a tech diving instructor I still respect anyone who dives. The arrogance in the diving world seems to have no limits. We all had to go though basic training and we all had to learn!!

 

[MhaelK]

I am still debating, i want my AW to be standalone, my AW4 is clearly not.

Even with LTE most features are lackluster because Apple relies too much on 3th party apps and given they work with restrictions from apple they are not as standalone as i wish.

The features added on the sofware side, seems to be the majority the same as all other AW releases, with a few but significant additions such as the scuba diving and breadcrumbs bits.

But for cycling, running, hiking and swimming nothing really changed at all.
No GPS maps/trails for hikers, nothing special for cyclists and regular swimming.

And guess what are the most popular sports out there? its not scuba diving
Robustness is also a none issue, my AW4 gone through lots of skateboarding, aggressive inline, bmx riding, dirt jumping, running, hiking, swimming and roadcycling, and i work in IT often under desks pulling cables etc.

My AW4 is still flawless externally, and have dinged it against stuff plenty of times.
Another thing, the SOS feature is great, but if you are a serious hiker you will use a handheld GPS unit with a external attena and access to more GPS/satellite ranges.

Fall detection and the SOS feature is great on the new AW, but marketed to be part of your adventurous hiking like sports, but the device software is quite limited for said things, making it more off a expensive regular AW with some really neat features but still a far cry from a device for the serious athletes as it tries to sell itself for.

A polarstar/Garmin watch specifically created for your type of sport will probably still be better in terms of battery life, features specially for your excersize.

Neither diving, ultra-running, mountainclimbing or even out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-hiking/exploring are the most popular sports - but they are all dream-activities most people fancy themselves doing - everybody sees themselves as a bit of an ultra-athlete/explorer if they just had the time between going to work and sitting on the couch. And therefore these things are the focus of the marketing material, even if the watch is most like never gonna be use for such things.

 

[alongdingdong]

Neither diving, ultra-running, mountainclimbing or even out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-hiking/exploring are the most popular sports - but they are all dream-activities most people fancy themselves doing - everybody sees themselves as a bit of an ultra-athlete/explorer if they just had the time between going to work and sitting on the couch. And therefore these things are the focus of the marketing material, even if the watch is most like never gonna be use for such things.

I think one big miss currently is the lack of a native training software, to do HITT training via your AW, with a digital coach to push you to start running/cycling/swimming more/better instead just calculating burned calies.

It should motivate you much more and tailored then anything, i really feel this is lacking on these watches.

 

[beanbaguk]

Download Workoutoutdoors and you have your external bluetooth support.

I'll take a look, thanks 👍

 

[canyonblue737]

I’m a bit lost here. I have an SS Apple Watch (for notifications and all non sport life) and an avid runner and cyclist so I use Garmin products like their watch and cycling computer.

This new ultra watch offers a few more needed options like a lap button and longer battery life but lacking so much!

Where is the ant+ support? Programmable metric screens? Etc.

Meanwhile I see this thread with all the couch potatoes putting in orders. Are you guys going on hikes, ultras, marathons, etc or is this really marketed for the want to be athlete ?

1) I agree the Ultra leaves out many things that seem fundamental to a multiple sport watch. The biggest is if not ANT+ at least BLE support of cadence and power meter bike sensors. I have to imagine perhaps this will be in WatchOS 10 next year, they certainly really boosted the sophistication of what is tracked for running this year.

2) It’s absurd in the extreme to imply someone needs to meet some standard to buy this Watch. People wear all kinds of this things to be aspirational or for style. I have an Omega Speedmaster Pro, the moon watch, but I’m not planning on you know, going to the moon. People wearing “athleisure” from tights to T-shirt’s to more is a huge trend but not all of them are on the way to the gym, more like Starbucks. If someone likes the look of the Ultra, the battery life, etc. who are we to judge?

 

[ukms]

This, I think AWU will appeal to the couch-or recational athlete - thinking it is what "real" atheletes use, and who more than anything just wants to feel and look the part of a real ultra athlete "an SUV for urban living" (but a large part of garmin users also falls into this very profitable category).

For real intensive use as a sport-specific watch it is very likely gonna be too limited in its data metric collection and analysis, and for the minimalist athelte its gonna be to bulky and technical. For both cases a more specific tool and a regular AW for daily use would probaly make more sense. Although the new AW ultra brings lots of improvements and needed features to make it useable as a sports watch - like buttons and more battery, which both would be a major selling points in a normal size AW to use as a daily smart+sports watch for most people.

However, Im sure it is gonna be a major hit for Apple, as the target market is there and marketing it like a ultra/ proffesional tool is the way to reach that target audience.

Out of interest what catagory of 'athlete' do you put yourself in to be able to judge, categorize and demean others ?

 

[tomiwah]

Out of interest what catagory of 'athlete' do you put yourself in to be able to judge, categorize and demean others ?

Thank you! The gate-keeping in this thread is disappointing, if not surprising.

 

[alongdingdong]

I do think the wording of OP is not great.
But the AW Ultra lacks certain features Athletes see back on garmin/polarstar devices.

I think it is safe to say most people buying the Ultra are not of the caliber athletes, the regular AW is a great device to get active, but even there it lacks some serious features such as a digital coach and actual exercises to follow to improve the exercises you record via the watch.

The watch is advertised towards the athletes or at least the very active users going beyond the normal AW in terms of usage requirements.

So it is not unfound that based on that people assume you are a very active sporting type if you buy/own one of these.

Look at the promotion material from apple, you dont see out of shape people doing a grocery walk, they using it in extreme environments being ripped.

I would not call this gatekeeping, but rather you make the choice to buy the device designed and marketed to people`s lifestyle whom are very active in all kinds of harsh environments, as a person who is a far cry from that.

I actually encourage to do so, perhaps it will motivate them to become healthy and fit plus more money goes into this product, means more R&D for the Ultra 2 etc.

It is only human nature to want to be a part of something you envy, really like. Just like expensive sporting clothes/shoes and equipment, cyclist for example buying pro level peleton bikes worth 10k usd or more, they dont need it or use it to it`s full potential but want to have it because they can.

Just buy what you like, my personal beef is for certain of the sports it lacks features it is advertised towards discussed in my earlier post, not gate keeping, i think some here look at it from a very frequent sport participants point of view that it lacks stuff you would expect to be included for something marketed towards athletes and extreme weather/condition usage.

But it seems to be boils down to a very sturdy regular AW which is a device designed for all users and ages, i think that is the disconnect here.

Poor and perhaps ever so slightly misleading marketing from apple that this device somehow is made for Athletes as in pro`s that do extreme triatlons etc, which from everything i can see does not seem to be the case.

Keep it simple stupid. (no one is stupid here just the saying)

AW Ultra is a watch for everyone but with a much stronger housing and more battery life and some other quality of life features.

In the same price segment a Garmin Epix 2/ Fenix 7 is more suitable for people that train intensively and require additional metrics to keep track of their training.

 

[acemics4]

Out of interest what catagory of 'athlete' do you put yourself in to be able to judge, categorize and demean others ?

I would like to know this as well. It seems that the level of arrogance on this thread is through the roof. People love to have their opinions on the Internet forums. I'm 50+yo, very active and into recreational outdoor activities and work with my hands and would like a durable watch that meshes with the apple ecosystem, has a big screen for my old eyes and a decent battery. I am not a diver, marathoner, triathlete. If this watch fits your needs and you want to get it, then do so. If it doesn't, then don't. Pretty simple.

 

[kitenski]

No GPS maps/trails for hikers, nothing special for cyclists and regular swimming.

Spend $5.99 on Workoutdoors, its superb, I use it for hiking and running new routes, topo maps, routing, intervals and loads more