Apple Watch has become more than a health and fitness tracker. Over the past decade, it has also evolved into a canvas for design, where watch faces balance style with utility. From simple typography-driven faces to intricate animations, Apple has steadily grown its catalog to reflect different moods and preferences. Yet among all the modern options, one design direction remains untouched: the playful side of Apple’s own history.
Back in 1995, Apple gave customers who upgraded to Macintosh System 7.5 a choice between a piece of software and a souvenir wristwatch. The watch, featuring the rainbow Apple logo, a bright blue bezel, and a worm-shaped second hand, captured the company’s quirky spirit in a way no current Apple Watch face does. Nearly three decades later, that design feels like the perfect candidate for a digital revival.
The Apple logo watch was part of Apple’s “It’s 7.5 Time” promotion, which encouraged Mac users to upgrade their systems for $134.99. While the alternative option, Conflict Catcher 3, was a practical utility program, it never achieved the same cultural presence as the watch. Collectors quickly embraced the wristwatch, and it remains a small but memorable piece of Apple’s design legacy.
Today, fans have started to imagine what this nostalgic watch could look like on Apple Watch. The anonymous X account System Settings has shared mockups of a recreated face, highlighting the colorful bezel, while designer Minu Vi has published their own interpretation on Dribbble. Both capture the spirit of the 1995 design while adapting it to Apple’s modern smartwatch interface.
The Apple logo watch is not the only example of the company’s quirky side. During the 80s and 90s, Apple produced a range of unusual promotional items that have since become collectibles. Employees received rainbow-colored Apple logo sneakers, branded windbreakers, and mugs, as well as a limited run of “Apple Collection” merchandise that resembled streetwear more than corporate swag. Some of these items reflected the same sense of playfulness seen in the 1995 watch, where Apple’s rainbow logo became a design centerpiece rather than just a corporate symbol.
Apple also leaned into creative giveaways to build loyalty. System software bundles occasionally included unusual add-ons, such as posters, pins, and reference guides, styled with bright colors. For many longtime users, these small extras created a sense of community around the brand, something far removed from the minimal, polished identity Apple projects today.
Apple does not currently support third-party watch faces, and the company tightly controls the design ecosystem. That makes it unlikely for unofficial versions to reach users directly. It is also why Apple should consider creating its own special edition Apple Watch face inspired by the 1995 Apple logo watch. It would celebrate a unique chapter in Apple’s history, connect with long-time fans, and give today’s collectors a digital version of a piece of Apple memorabilia.
The 1995 ad asked customers to “take your pick” between a quirky watch and a piece of software. In hindsight, the watch proved to be the enduring choice. Reviving it as a digital watch face would connect Apple’s past and present, offering nostalgia in a form that makes sense for the Apple Watch today.
(via 9to5Mac)
