I Want an Apple Watch Pro, Not Ultra

​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. 
 
So that’s what I did last night while watching television. Thanks to the excellent noise cancellation of those new AirPod Pros I was able to hear every word of dialogue while my Dremel was howling away. 
 
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 another 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. This band would've looked horrid with my Ultra before my modifications.

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.

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. 

Let the adventurers have their Ultra, but I and all the regular people want a Pro version with the same battery life but less of the rugged look. At this point, with the polished finish, I’d be willing to put a nice band on my Ultra and wear it to an evening event if it was my only watch. But since I think my Series 7 Hermes is more comfortable to wear and nicer looking, I would probably still reach for that.