The Apple Watch Ultra 2 now comes in a new black titanium finish — apparently the only change to the popular sports-focused smartwatch at the “It’s Glowtime” event. Dubbed “satin black,” the new finish joins the existing Ultra 2 with a natural titanium finish.
In addition, Apple showed a fancy Milanese Loop watch band to complement the satin black watch, plus a new Hermès model.
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Now in satin black titanium
Photo: Apple
Apple said the new Apple Watch Ultra 2’s finish is the created by a custom blasting process that makes the surface “extremely scratch-resistant and durable.” The watch’s case is made with 95% recycled grade-five titanium, the same material used by the aerospace industry, according to Apple. It’s complemented by a matching dark zirconia back crystal.
The update includes a matching black titanium band. The titanium Milanese Loop was inspired by stainless steel mesh historically used by divers. It’s designed for scuba diving and is made from titanium that is woven, flattened and polished to create a smooth surface that easily wraps around the wearer’s wrist. It features a parachute-style buckle that closes with an audible click and has two release buttons. The new band joins the existing Trail Loop, Alpine loop and Ocean Band.
Hermès Apple Watch Ultra 2
Photo: Apple
Apple also extended its partnership with French fashion house Hermès, with an exclusive band and watch face. The new Hermès Apple Watch band is made of high-density 3D knit material with a titanium buckle.
Designed for water sports, the new, exclusive Hermès maritime watch face features high-visibility numerals. The Ultra’s Action Button launches a sailing-inspired countdown.
The new Apple Watch Ultras join the redesigned Apple Watch Series 10, also announced at Monday’s It’s Glowtime event.
Photo: Apple
The new versions of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 start at $799 and are available for preorder today, with launch on September 20.
Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac.
Leander is a longtime technology reporter and the author of six acclaimed books about Apple, including two New York Times bestsellers: Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products and Inside Steve’s Brain, a biography of Steve Jobs.
He’s also written a top-selling biography of Apple CEO Tim Cook and authored Cult of Mac and Cult of iPod, which both won prestigious design awards. Most recently, he was co-author of Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition.
Leander has been reporting about Apple and technology for nearly 30 years.
Before founding Cult of Mac as an independent publication, Leander was news editor at Wired.com, where he was responsible for the day-to-day running of the Wired.com website. He headed up a team of six section editors, a dozen reporters and a large pool of freelancers. Together the team produced a daily digest of stories about the impact of science and technology, and won several awards, including several Webby Awards, 2X Knight-Batten Awards for Innovation in Journalism and the 2010 MIN (Magazine Industry Newsletter) award for best blog, among others.
Before being promoted to news editor, Leander was Wired.com’s senior reporter, primarily covering Apple. During that time, Leander published a ton of scoops, including the first in-depth report about the development of the iPod. Leander attended almost every keynote speech and special product launch presented by Steve Jobs, including the historic launches of the iPhone and iPad. He also reported from almost every Macworld Expo in the late ’90s and early ‘2000s, including, sadly, the last shows in Boston, San Francisco and Tokyo. His reporting for Wired.com formed the basis of the first Cult of Mac book, and subsequently this website.
Before joining Wired, Leander was a senior reporter at the legendary MacWeek, the storied and long-running weekly that documented Apple and its community in the 1980s and ’90s.
Leander has written for Wired magazine (including the Issue 16.04 cover story about Steve Jobs’ leadership at Apple, entitled Evil/Genius), Scientific American, The Guardian, The Observer, The San Francisco Chronicle and many other publications.
Leander has a postgrad diploma in artificial intelligence from the University of Aberdeen, and a BSc (Hons) in experimental psychology from the University of Sussex.
He has a diploma in journalism from the UK’s National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Leander lives in San Francisco, California, and is married with four children. He’s an avid biker and has ridden in many long-distance bike events, including California’s legendary Death Ride.
You can find out more about Leander on LinkedIn and Facebook. You can follow him on X at @lkahney or Instagram.
