I replaced an Apple Watch Series 5 with this Ultra model, and have found it to be an excellent watch so far. I know Apple designed it for active people, a group I'm not a member of (walking for a half hour a day is my idea of active). Fortunately, the orange "action button" and orange circle on the crown button are the only treatments that say "active person's watch".I was able to replace the trail loop band, which has its own orange coloring on the fastener side, with a third party stainless steel band that has dramatically dressed the watch up. The orange buttons are actually as tastefully done as orange can be, but I do wish there had been a silver button option for those of us who like the option of durability _and_ understatement.I've grown to prefer Big ... MoreI replaced an Apple Watch Series 5 with this Ultra model, and have found it to be an excellent watch so far. I know Apple designed it for active people, a group I'm not a member of (walking for a half hour a day is my idea of active). Fortunately, the orange "action button" and orange circle on the crown button are the only treatments that say "active person's watch".I was able to replace the trail loop band, which has its own orange coloring on the fastener side, with a third party stainless steel band that has dramatically dressed the watch up. The orange buttons are actually as tastefully done as orange can be, but I do wish there had been a silver button option for those of us who like the option of durability _and_ understatement.I've grown to prefer Big Watches over the years, especially since my eyesight isn't what it used to be. The Ultra has a big enough screen area that I can see smaller details better than before. The screen is also much brighter outside than my Series 5 was, so I can use it in direct sunlight. I also set up the cellular feature, so now I can leave the house and still have data access and can make and receive calls. The speaker in the watch sounds much better than older models, so I can carry on a conversation in the car very easily.The battery life is clearly much better than other Apple Watches, which means I won't have to worry about the battery going dead during a long flight or after a day of very active notifications and text messages.I think Apple did a great job making the Ultra an attractive and highly functional timepiece, and I'm looking forward to the titanium and sapphire crystal's durability for the long haul. I just hope the company will support it for many years to come so I can justify its high price. I have another, more traditional titanium watch that's lasted nearly 15 years, and it's still going strong. If this one can last half that long, I'll be satisfied.All in all, I think this is one of the best and highest quality pieces of tech that I've seen come out of Apple, and I go back to Apple II days. Kudos to the designers and engineers who created it - it's truly a wonderful product and a great achievement.

*NOT AN AVERAGE USER*I wear this watch daily as well as for mountaineering, winter alpinism, rock climbing, ski touring, and trail running.I have probably used every single feature that the watch offers and I can definitely say that when it comes to functionality, this watch is pretty much perfect.The problem for me is durability, which appears to be due to a design decision.To preface: I am absolutely okay with the clasp of the band becoming scratched. It’s $99. I don’t really care, and I figure I can get a clean band for daily wear and another for everything else I do. If that’s not something you’re comfortable with, I would recommend getting a solo braid loop (the 44 mm size is compatible).My major complaint is with the polished bevels on the body of ... More*NOT AN AVERAGE USER*I wear this watch daily as well as for mountaineering, winter alpinism, rock climbing, ski touring, and trail running.I have probably used every single feature that the watch offers and I can definitely say that when it comes to functionality, this watch is pretty much perfect.The problem for me is durability, which appears to be due to a design decision.To preface: I am absolutely okay with the clasp of the band becoming scratched. It’s $99. I don’t really care, and I figure I can get a clean band for daily wear and another for everything else I do. If that’s not something you’re comfortable with, I would recommend getting a solo braid loop (the 44 mm size is compatible).My major complaint is with the polished bevels on the body of the watch. They show scratches incredibly easily (see one example from my first day of wear in the pictures attached). Any time I have brushed a bevel against wood, metal, rocks, or even a plastic desk (which was what caused the pictured scratch), I have ended up with super visible cosmetic blemishes.I believe that this issue occurs because the bevels of the watch (the sharp edges) have been polished and shined. The rest of the watch is matte, which decreases visibility, but the scratches to the bevel reflect light and can be seen at any angle.I recognize that this may only be a significant issue due to my activities, but I did buy the watch because it was advertised for alpinism. There was even a panoramic of a ridge line inside the box!YMMV, but I do think that for alpinists and climbers, this is probably a 4-star product. With a couple design improvements, it would definitely be a 5.Final, long shot note to Apple: Please add a climbing activity to the fitness app! I want to use my alpine watch to track alpine workouts!

If you like rugged watches and you like the Apple Watch, the Ultra is definitely for you. This watch has a great many features and is the ruggedized version of the Apple Watch. Don’t get me wrong, a G-Shock would be what I would wear if I was going to be tough on the watch, but for hiking, interconnectivity with Apple, iPhones, iPads, etc., you can’t go wrong with this watch. The bright always on display is fantastic, being waterproof and rugged is a terrific addition. Wearing it for hiking, scuba diving, or camping is terrific. I still won’t give up my G shocks and other tough watches, because I do like them, but I rarely wear them, unless I’m doing something where I would be concerned about damaging my Apple Ultra. I own other watches, like Seikos, Citizens, ... MoreIf you like rugged watches and you like the Apple Watch, the Ultra is definitely for you. This watch has a great many features and is the ruggedized version of the Apple Watch. Don’t get me wrong, a G-Shock would be what I would wear if I was going to be tough on the watch, but for hiking, interconnectivity with Apple, iPhones, iPads, etc., you can’t go wrong with this watch. The bright always on display is fantastic, being waterproof and rugged is a terrific addition. Wearing it for hiking, scuba diving, or camping is terrific. I still won’t give up my G shocks and other tough watches, because I do like them, but I rarely wear them, unless I’m doing something where I would be concerned about damaging my Apple Ultra. I own other watches, like Seikos, Citizens, Luminoxs, Timexs, and Casio G-Shock‘s.  Though these other brands are all nice and high quality watches, you can easily get tired of some of the functionality, the way the watches work, as well as the way they look. But an Apple Watch can change its face in so many different ways, and you can add and remove different fields of data to suit your needs. The ability to make phone calls with it and also send text messages is great. I wouldn’t trade it for any other watch. That said, when scuba diving, I would still wear a dive computer, but I wouldn’t hesitate to take my Apple Watch also. I like the bands for the dive watch, the others are nice too but because they’re cloth they can get sweaty and that means there may be an odor attached to them if you actually use them the way they’re intended. Other than that, it’s fantastic. Give it a try! I liked it so well, I bought three of them as gifts since the purchase of this watch!