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How I used it
I bought my Apple Watch Ultra used in November 2025, through Facebook Marketplace in Canada, for about CAD 500 (roughly US$355 at the time). It's the titanium GPS + Cellular model. It came with a metal link bracelet, and that's still the band I wear. AppleCare is still active on it.
I didn't think a new Ultra was worth its price for what it did. A used one that was fully up to date felt like a deal. That second part changed on September 14, when Apple shipped watchOS 27 and my watch didn't get it.
I've worn it every day since I bought it, all day. It only comes off to charge. My days are calls and laptops on US business hours, with a 14-inch MacBook Pro on the desk and an iPhone 17 Pro Max in my pocket. Before the Ultra I wore an Apple Watch SE (1st generation).
What it gets right
It looks great. That’s honestly the main reason I wear it. The titanium case with the metal band is the best-looking watch I’ve owned, and after 10 months I still like looking at it.
Apple Pay is what I use it for most. I also use the stopwatch a lot, and I check the heart rate sensor often. Notifications help when I want them. On calls with no Focus mode on, they distract me, but that’s my setup. The watch is doing its job.
It makes my Mac faster to use. The watch unlocks my MacBook and approves iCloud prompts on the Mac. My Magic Keyboard has Touch ID now, and I still end up unlocking with the watch because it’s that quick. If you run your MacBook closed on a monitor with a keyboard that has no Touch ID, this saves you from typing your password all day. To be fair, every Apple Watch does this, so count it as a reason to own an Apple Watch at all. The Ultra doesn’t do it any better.
Nothing broke when watchOS 27 came out. My watch still runs watchOS 26.6, and every feature I use daily works the same as it did last month.
What could be better
- Sleep tracking. It gets my nights wrong in both directions. Some nights it logs me awake when I was clearly asleep. Other times it logs sleep when I was clearly awake. My old SE tracked sleep way better. I don’t know if it’s my unit or the watch, but it’s the thing that bothers me most.
- Battery. Apple rates it at up to 36 hours. I charge it at least once during the day, while I shower, and again for a bit before bed while I watch a show. Battery health shows 88%, so part of this may be age. I can’t tell you how much.
- No watchOS 27. Apple says Siri AI and the new tap gesture need the processing power of the Series 9, Ultra 2 and newer. The Ultra 1 stays on watchOS 26 and keeps getting security updates, though Apple hasn’t said for how long. It launched at $799 in September 2022, so it got four years of full updates.
- Wearing it in bed. It’s a big watch, and some nights it gets in the way. You get used to it.
- The siren. Hold the orange Action button and it plays an emergency siren Apple rates at 86 decibels. When I tested it, it was fine. I expected it to be louder.
How it compares
My old Apple Watch SE. The SE tracked my sleep way better. The Ultra wins on looks, and that’s why it’s on my wrist.
Apple Watch Ultra 2. This is the one I’d buy today. It has the S9 chip, it runs watchOS 27, and Apple sells refurbished units for $509. It costs more than a used Ultra 1, and it keeps you on current software.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Ultra 4. The Ultra 4 launched September 18 at $799. The Ultra 3 is on sale at Amazon for $699, down from $799. Both run watchOS 27.
Apple Watch SE 3. It’s $249 new and runs watchOS 27. That’s less than some used Ultra 1 listings. I haven’t worn one, so I can’t tell you how it feels on the wrist or how well it tracks sleep.
Should you buy it?
If you’re shopping new: you can’t. Apple stopped selling the first Ultra when the Ultra 2 arrived in 2023.
If you’re shopping used: it depends on your profile. I’m a tech guy. I care about software, I run betas, and I want the new features. For someone like me, the Ultra 1 is a no today and the Ultra 2 is a yes. If you don’t care about watchOS updates and you want the Ultra look, Apple Pay, a stopwatch and heart rate on your wrist, it’s a bargain. Prices are falling because of watchOS 27.
If you already own one: I’m still wearing mine every day. Nothing I use stopped working. There’s no rush to replace it unless the new watchOS 27 features matter to you.
Specs
- Case
- 49 mm titanium
- Chip
- S8 SiP
- Display
- Up to 2,000 nits, flat sapphire crystal
- Battery (rated)
- Up to 36 hours, up to 60 hours in Low Power Mode
- Connectivity
- GPS + Cellular, dual-frequency GPS
- Water
- WR100, dive-rated to 40 m
- Siren
- 86 dB
- Launch price
- $799 (September 2022)
- Latest software
- watchOS 26 (not supported by watchOS 27)
Final verdict
The first Apple Watch Ultra is still a great-looking watch that handles my day: payments, timing, heart rate, and unlocking my Mac. After 10 months my complaints are sleep tracking and a battery that needs two top-ups a day.
watchOS 27 is what changes the answer. When I bought mine, it was fully up to date, and a used Ultra felt like a smart way in. Today the same money buys a watch Apple has already stopped updating.
So the deciding question is simple. Do you care about new software? If yes, get an Ultra 2, but know that a refurbished one runs about $509, close to double a typical used Ultra 1. If you want current software for less, the $249 SE 3 runs watchOS 27. If no, a used Ultra 1 is cheap and still does the basics well.