Apple is bringing more personalization to the wrist with four new watch faces in watchOS 26, featuring a brand-new Liquid Glass design language and a couple of exclusives for Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Hermès. The update takes it a step further with its “Photos” face, continuing this broader change in the look and feel of the whole platform.
The new lineup comprises Exactograph, Flow, Waypoint (Ultra only), and Hermès Faubourg Party (Hermès only). Two of these faces comes standard for all supported models but the remaining two play to hardware- and brand-specific experiences.
What’s new: a closer look at each face
Exactograph is Apple’s modern riff on so-called regulator dials used in traditional watchmaking studios, where hours, minutes and seconds are detached from one another to emphasize accuracy. It’s clean and highly readable, and best of all, it’s purpose-oriented—perfect for anyone who’s more concerned about time than fancy flourishes. Anticipate some variation for color highlights and complications, but don’t hope for the disciplined arrangement to be altered.
Flow embraces the new Liquid Glass look completely. Its refraction numerals curve around a fluid orb of color that subtly flexes with the wearer’s wrist while adding a layered look without the need for an actual layer. It feels like a follow up to Apple’s Motion and Kaleidoscope experiments, but with crisper typography and more predictable legibility at arm’s length.
Waypoint, created for the Apple Watch Ultra, works just like a live compass guiding you back to favorite places in Maps or nearby landmarks. And it is a useful face for for hikers, sailors, kayakers and anyone who makes use of the Ultra’s dual‑frequency GPS and beefy compass sensor. And by linking the face more directly to data about where the wearer is navigating, Apple makes the watch face a situational tool rather than a set image.
Hermès Faubourg Party is a whimsical and animated expression available only on Apple Watch Hermès. Brief character animations change with movement and time of day, and are part of the fashion house’s ongoing history of whimsical, art-forward dials that also maintain the idea that Apple can be synonymous with glanceable time.
Availability and device support
Flow and Exactograph can be used on all Apple Watch models that are compatible with watchOS 26. Compatible with Apple Watch Series 6 and all Apple Watch Ultra generations and Apple Watch SE (2nd generation). Waypoint is only supported on Apple Watch Ultra and Hermès Faubourg Party is only available on Apple Watch Hermès.
Apple updated the Photos face with the Liquid Glass treatment as well, so any photo albums or portraits will have a shinier, refractive look (as reflected off of a Liquid Glass iPhone case)—subtle, but noticeable in bright ambient light, and on Always‑On displays.
Why watch faces matter
Watch faces are the window to everything on Apple Watch, from activity tracking to notifications. Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines stress “glanceability”, and faces are where that either sticks or doesn’t. Rich complications surface data without taps, so the choice of face is as much a practical decision as an aesthetic one.
For years, industry analysts have claimed that personalize is what actually motivates smartwatch satisfaction and retention. Above1 Note: Above are the findings of the latest model-level quarterly estimates which is based on the sell-in (shipments) estimated by Counterpoint Research Counterpoint Research has been ranking Apple #1 in smartwatch revenue share and top in smartwatch market share and this is mainly due to their ecosystem depth and product options available. The more faces — especially ones connected to actual utility like Waypoint — the more that advantage gets cemented.
The rise of Liquid Glass
Apple teased Liquid Glass as a signature visual theme at its developer conference — and watchOS 26 is where it comes to life. Flow’s refracting numerals, the rejigged Photos face and the rest of the facelift are the most obvious examples, but the wider intent’s obvious: depth, motion, and light play that feels premium without getting in the way of readable displays or a device that lasts all day.
This face lineup is equally well suited for such watchOS 26 featurettes as an AI‑fueled Workout Buddy and Live Translation that beg to be led by glanceable cues. “It does feel like Apple is threading a needle of sorts — making Watch feel more alive and personal while still ensuring interactions are quick and context-aware.
How to test the new faces
On your Apple Watch, firmly press the current face, swipe to the far right and tap the plus (+) button, then scroll to choose one of the new faces: Exactograph, Flow, Waypoint (if you’re on Ultra) or Hermès Faubourg Party (if you’re on Hermès model) You can customize the colors and complications as you like for your routine, and make it your default. You can also add and edit faces in the Watch app on iPhone, in the Face Gallery tab.
If a face isn’t showing up, it might be limited to specific hardware or editions. Once installed, these faces work just like any other — acting as the home for your complications and the first thing that you see when you look at your watch or raise your wrist.
And with four new faces and more vibrant design language, watchOS 26 lets Apple Watch owners express themselves more and even use Waypoint, which offers purposeful utility right on their dial.
