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Apple Watch Ultra now comes in a fancy, shiny design — if you’re willing to pay

Nadeem Sarwar
By

Apple went all-out on the ruggedness aspect with the Apple Watch Ultra. It’s undeniably big, unabashedly bold, and loaded to the gills with features that extreme sports enthusiasts will appreciate. But one area where Apple didn’t experiment much is design versatility. For a starting price of an eye-watering $899, the only color you can see on the case is a matte titanium finish. But that doesn’t mean a little blingy touch-up is out of the question. 

Arizona-based De Billas Lux — which offers custom gold-plating services for the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy smartwatches, straps, and even iPhones —  has given its signature polishing treatment to the Apple Watch Ultra. Going a step further, the folks over at De Billas Lux paired it with a matching link band flaunting the raw look of silvery polished metal.  

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Polished version of Apple Watch Ultra.
De Billas Lux

The combination looks as premium as it gets, and exudes the same metallic aura as the stainless steel trim of the Apple Watch. The polished case is an all-metal affair and even removes the orange highlight on the action button, leaving only the circular accent for the rotating crown, which actually provides a nice contrast and breaks the monotony.

How did the polishing happen?

The jeweler showcased its latest artwork in a YouTube video and posted some pictures on the official listing page. When Digital Trends reached out to De Billas Lux regarding the work that went into achieving the polished metal look, here’s what the team offered: 

“We start by very carefully preparing the watch to be treated with an electrolytic solution in order to remove the paint and previous finish. After this, we carefully start polishing the watch with our special equipment in order to achieve the mirror finish you see.”

Polished 49mm Apple Watch Ultra - Custom Mirror Finish!

The whole package includes the Apple Watch Ultra, paired with the link bracelet seen in the pictures, an Apple smartwatch charging puck, and an optional custom box. However, all that lustrous goodness of the Apple Watch Ultra comes at a steep $1,499 — nearly double the asking price of the smartwatch itself on the retail shelf. 

Unfortunately, the jeweler won’t say if the process has an impact on the ingress protection offered by the smartwatch. However, if you’re concerned about invalidating the warranty that Apple offers with its Ultra smartwatch, it’s a safe bet to stay away from the custom-polished model.

Removing the paint on Apple Watch Ultra.
perezr10 / Macrumors Forum

In case you’re feeling adventurous but not enough to spend a ton on a polished Apple Watch Ultra, it appears that you can remove the action button’s orange accent without visiting a luxury jewelry shop and even give it a brushed metal finish.

As per images shared on the Macrumors forum, one user did just that using a Dremel. To be honest, the work here looks refined, and the result is nothing short of stunning. But again, do not go on a DIY Apple Watch Ultra polishing project on your own, lest you risk causing some expensive damage.

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