Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra adopts Hermès' style, creating a super-luxe smartwatch
When smartwatches go Ultra, they tend to crib their design chops from the horological heavyweights. Apple's Watch Ultra borrowed its chunky aesthetic from the Panerai Luminor that's beloved by every action hero of note from Arnie to The Rock. As for the first Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra? It's turned to Hermès' H08 for (unofficial) inspiration and, in all fairness it's an excellent choice.
So if you've ever fancied a version of GQ's “next great watch” that can monitor your heart rate, take pictures on your Galaxy phone and record your blood pressure, Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch Ultra might be worth a look. So long as you're not minded to get the official Hermès-branded Apple Watch.
Still, there's plenty to recommend about the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and I've gotten hands-on with the thing at its ritzy Samsung Unpacked launch event in Paris. Here's everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra….
Borrowing from luxury
It’s not just the Hermès H08 that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra has nabbed a few ideas from. That squircle shape is one you’ll find in some of the most storied watches around, from Patek Phillippe's inimitable Nautilus to the Bell & Ross BR 05. It's a step away from Samsung’s norm when it comes to smartwatches, but we're into it. "Talent imitates, genius steals" and all that.
Made from titanium for the most part, the Galaxy Watch Ultra comes in one case size option of 47mm, which means it's an absolute beast of a watch. Case in point, the new Samsung Galaxy Watch7 starts out at a relatively slender 40mm. There are three branded colour options – Titanium Silver, Titanium Grey and Titanium White – just in case you weren't aware the Ultra wasn't made from the famously lightweight but sturdy material. It's the same one you'll find in both the Apple Watch Ultra and Rolex's near-unobtainable Yacht-Master 42.
A Sapphire Crystal protects the watch's 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 480 x 480 pixel resolution, while a range of sensors for heart rate, skin temperature and the like allow for a sense of utility that adds much to the Watch Ultra’s luxe design. Naturally, the grey Samsung Watch Ultra model is the most striking in the flesh and is also the one that comes with that Hermès-inspired orange strap. The white model has a white strap while the silver model has a black strap, making it the most subtle of the three.
Something old, something new
Of course, it's not mechanical Swiss watches that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is gunning for here – it's Apple and its Watch Ultra. The two “Ultra” smartwatches might not share much in the way of design, but they're similarly specced in terms of features.
Like the Apple Watch Ultra, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra allows you to race against yourself to beat your best run time on a familiar route, has functional threshold power for cycling and it will work up to an altitude of 9,000 metres – enough to climb Everest should you be so inclined. The usuals such as heart rate monitoring, exercise tracking, sleep tracking and slightly more advanced metrics like being able to take an ECG on your wrist and check your SpO2 levels are also on board and accounted for.
As you'd expect given their perpetual game of one-upmanship, there are a couple of extras that Samsung’s new top-tier smartwatch boasts over its Apple-made rival. These include the ability to track multi-course workouts in one go, from swimming and cycling to running for the triathletes out there, blood pressure monitoring and a Sleep Score. Although the Apple Watch Ultra features sleep tracking, there are no judges rating your forty winks in the morning.
In addition to Sleep Score, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra will also offer an Energy Score. Not too dissimilar from Garmin’s Body Battery that takes into account various factors to assess how much energy your body has, the Galaxy Watch Ultra (alongside the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Ring) will offer a score indicating how well-rested you are. Party too hard and your smartwatch is going to turn into your perennially disappointed mother.
Hands-free photos
Health and fitness features aside, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra puts a couple of other tricks up your sleeve, literally. It runs on WearOS 5, has a 3nm processor for more seamless integration and there’s a dual-frequency GPS system for better accuracy. That’s not what we’re referring to though.
For those invested in the Samsung Galaxy system, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has Double Pinch Gestures allowing you to control both your Galaxy Watch and Galaxy smartphone. Apple has something called Double Tap on its latest smartwatches but it can’t take a picture on your iPhone or control music. Samsung’s Double Pinch feature allows you to stop a timer, answer a call, take a picture or play and pause music on your Galaxy phone.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra will also offer suggested replies for messages based on your conversation thanks to a little bit of help from Galaxy AI so when it comes to replying from your wrist on the move, it could actually be very handy.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra will be cost £599 (R14,210.07) and it is available to pre-order now, with availability starting on 24 July.
Via GQ UK