Apple has added four new watch faces with watchOS 26, giving users even more ways to customize the look and function of their Apple Watch. These faces range from a modern take on classic timekeeping to playful, animated designs and utility-focused options for outdoor navigation. With this update, Apple continues to balance style and functionality, offering watch faces that appeal to both traditional watch enthusiasts and those who want something dynamic and fun on their wrist.
The new additions are not just cosmetic changes but represent Apple’s ongoing effort to push the boundaries of what a smartwatch can display. Some are designed to work across most Apple Watch models, while others take advantage of hardware-specific features like the Ultra’s focus on exploration or Hermès’ luxury collaborations. This makes the watchOS 26 lineup feel more diverse and tailored than before.
Apple has confirmed that watchOS 26 will be available to the public on September 15, 2025, alongside iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. The update will be free for all compatible Apple Watch models, and users can install it through the Watch app on their iPhone once it becomes available.
The four new watch faces in watchOS 26
- Exactograph: This face reimagines the traditional regulator watch, which historically separated the display of hours, minutes, and seconds onto different sub-dials for greater precision. Apple’s Exactograph modernizes that approach with a digital twist, offering clean separation of time units while maintaining a refined aesthetic. It appeals to those who appreciate horological heritage but want a modern execution on the Apple Watch.
- Flow: Flow introduces Liquid Glass numerals that refract a colorful, fluid orb, which moves and shifts as you move your wrist. The result is an ever-changing visual experience that feels alive. It represents Apple’s design language that often mixes digital art with interaction, creating a watch face that looks different almost every time you glance at it.
- Waypoint: Available only on Apple Watch Ultra models, Waypoint is built for exploration. Acting as a live compass, it helps wearers stay oriented by showing their direction in relation to saved locations in Maps or other points of interest. This is particularly useful for hiking, traveling, or outdoor adventures, and it reflects the Ultra’s positioning as Apple’s rugged, expedition-focused watch.
- Hermès Faubourg Party: Exclusive to Apple Watch Hermès, this face brings playful, animated shorts to the device. A series of whimsical characters appear throughout the day, reacting to the time and to your movement. It ties into Hermès’ tradition of creativity and fashion while making the Apple Watch feel more like an accessory that adapts to its wearer’s lifestyle and mood.
Beyond new faces, watchOS 26 also introduces updates to Apple’s Liquid Glass design language. This design approach uses translucent, refractive elements that shift depending on movement, light, and color. Flow is the clearest example, but Apple has extended Liquid Glass styling to other parts of the interface as well, including system animations and UI components. These changes make Apple Watch feel more fluid and dynamic, with subtle depth effects that react to the wearer’s motion.
Together, the new faces and Liquid Glass updates highlight how Apple is evolving personalization on the Apple Watch. Exactograph appeals to traditionalists who want precision and structure, Flow brings art and interaction, Waypoint caters to adventurers, and Hermès Faubourg Party leans into luxury and whimsy. With watchOS 26 arriving mid-September, users won’t have to wait long to refresh their Apple Watch with these additions.
