Just when you thought Huawei has crafted its most premium smartwatch of the year, they have to up the ante once more with the release of the Huawei Watch Ultimate Design. With a price point of Php 159,999, it’s safe to say that this IS the pinnacle of Huawei’s smartwatch making creation. The watch itself stops being just a tech wearable and enters Luxury Goods category with the six-figure price tag.
And true to form, Huawei has imbued the Watch Ultimate Design with the most precious of materials to ensure that you’re getting the best the brand has to offer – including actual 18 karat gold.
But is this enough to warrant the price tag, and will this high-value gamble pay off for the brand? That’s what we’re about to find out in this review.
Geek-sthetic
The Huawei Watch Ultimate Design follows the aesthetic of past Huawei Watch Ultimate smartwatches – that of the Expedition Black and the Voyage Blue Edition – but elevates it even further with choice materials. It’s as if the Watch Ultimate scrimped on the materials before (news flash, they did not), the Watch Ultimate Design still uses a Zirconium Liquid Metal alloy for the watch case and the signature Nanocrystalline ceramic bezel found on previous Watch Ultimates. This time, however, the bezels are fused with six 18 Karat Gold bars and the numbers and labels around the ceramic bezels have been plated with the same 18k Gold via PVD or Physical Vapor Deposition. This is a technique to allow thin strips of metal to bond over another substance.
The Crowns and push buttons are rendered in both 18K gold and titanium alloy for added luxury and refinement.
Suspending the entire watch body are the signature hallow lugs rendered in almost pewter black to resemble the rudders on a ship – clearly still borrowing the expedition and voyage characteristics of its predecessors.
As always, the 1.5” LTPO AMOLED Screen (466 x 466px) with pixel density of 311 PPI is covered in ultra-scratch resistant Sapphire Glass. The same glass is what protects the many sensors on the underside of the device.
To truly compliment the watch itself, Huawei added the same 3-mesh titanium strap similar to the Voyage Blue Edition, but this time rendered it in black and gold with, yup, the same 18K gold plating coated via PVD.
The stark difference with the mesh straps this time is the inclusion of a hidden chamber underneath the butterfly clasp that can adjust the strap further on the fly. There are 12 ridges underneath the clasp (adjustment precision: 1.45 mm per level2) and a total of 17.4 mm of adjustments that you can do so that you don’t have to keep on removing the metal links to adjust the size perfectly. I really wish they had this on the Voyage Blue Edition!
As with the previous Watch Ultimate Editions, the Ultimate Design also comes with a standard size black HNBR strap with 18k gold hardware for when you want to take your luxury watch out on the gym – or on the golf course, or heck even diving. Yes, there’s a long strap as well for when you want to go scuba diving with your stockbroker friends aboard your Yacht – or whatever it is rich folks do.
Aside from the physical differences, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Design also comes with its own custom watch phases rendered in black and gold to complete the entire look. The menu icons are muted in black, white, and gold colors that further heightens the luxe feel of the device. And aside from that, an animated tourbillon is rendered beautifully in two of the custom watch faces.
At first, we thought this is a useless gimmick since a tourbillon is rendered useless on a digital watch. But upon closer inspection, the tourbillon moves and keeps track of your heartrate – truly making the watch face much more personalized and unique.
Sports & Health
Because this is a Huawei Watch Ultimate, you can expect it to have all the sensors, sports tracking, and heart rate tracking from previous editions which includes the Expedition Mode that’s exclusive to this series.
And, as with previous editions, we have no complaints about the Sports and Health functionalities of the Huawei Watch Ultimate Design. It keeps accurate heartrate readings, constant SpO2 monitoring, and if you need to, it has a built-in ECG function. We’ve covered most of this during our Huawei Watch Ultimate Voyage Blue Edition review and the Ultimate Design functions exactly the same way.
Everyday Reliability
The Huawei Watch Ultimate Design is your ultimate accessory for a truly connected lifestyle. With various notifications and app integrations, you can access a host of conveniences with just a flick of the wrist. Want to check messages, go ahead, need to answer a call, you can easily do so with the built-in microphone and speaker on your watch. Heck, blast tuned on your wrist candy while swimming as the device is IP68 rated.
As with the previous Huawei Watch Ultimate Editions, the Ultimate Design has a large 530mah battery that can last up to 14 days before you need to top-up again. If you decide to turn on Always on Display, you’ll have to charge every 4 days. Even with that, the Watch Ultimate is still one of the smartwatches with the longest running battery life that can surely keep up with you and your luxurious proclivities.
Geek Lifestyle Recommendation
(L-R) Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro, Huawei Watch Ultimate Voyage Blue Edition, Huawei Watch Ultimate Design
The Huawei Watch Ultimate Design is target towards a very specific customer – one that wants the perfect mix of superb technology without compromising high luxury. This is also the type of person that probably has one too many Rolex, Paneri, and Omega in their collection and wants something a bit different. I tried wearing the heck out of the watch and every time I would go out, I’d be a bit more conscious because of the six-figure watch that’s wrapped around my wrist. So, if you’re the type that has a lot of money to spare and don’t mind roughing it out with Php 159,999 smartwatch device when you hit the gym or go on the beach, then this is the perfect smartwatch for you. Functionally it will keep up with you, and aesthetically, it’s going to complement your attire especially for more formal events. Personally, I still use my Voyage Blue Edition whenever I workout because the Gold PVD tends to get scratched much easily than just plain-ol’ Titanium so, you have to be extra careful when handling the unit. That being said, if you don’t mind a few scrapes on the gold-plated strap or the gold-plated hardware on the HNBR strap, and Php 160k for you is chump-change then by all means, get your hands on the best smartwatch in the market to date.
The Huawei Watch Ultimate Design can be purchased at select Huawei Concept stores nationwide. As of this writing, the unit isn’t available for online orders.
Huawei Watch Ultimate Voyage Blue Edition Specs:
- 49mm: 49.4 x 49.4 x 13mm
- 1.5” LTPO AMOLED color screen (466×466) with 311 PPI
- 78 g (excluding the strap)
- Case: zirconium-based liquid metal with nanocrystalline ceramic bezels (gold characters via Physical Vapor Deposition)
- Strap: Gold and Black PVD on Titanium with adjustable butterfly clasp, Black & Gold HNBR (Hydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber) standard and diving size. (3 straps in total)
- Sapphire glass protection
- 14 days total Battery, 4 days Battery with AOD
- Sensors – Accelerometer sensor/ Gyroscope sensor/ Magnetometer sensor/ Optical heart rate sensor/ Barometer sensor/ Temperature Sensor/ Depth Sensor/ Ambient Light Sensor
- Three Gold & Titanium Buttons: Assist Button, Rotating Crown, Function Button
- IP68 Rated (10 ATM up to 100M Water Resist)
- NFC/ Bluetooth (2.4 GHz, supports BT5.2 and BR + BLE)
- Wireless Charging
- Special Luxury Box, Tip Card, Wiping Cloth
- SRP Php 159,999