This post was updated on October 14, 2022, by Sanuj Bhatia to include new Watch Faces introduced with watchOS 9.
There is no doubt that the Apple Watch is one of the best smartwatches on the market. The Apple Watch Series 7, especially now that it's down to ~$300 on Amazon, offers a lot. The larger display with small bezels and other improvements to the user experience makes this wearable a very appealing option, especially if you're already a part of the Apple ecosystem.
Now, if you're reading this article, we presume you want to learn a little more about what your Apple Watch is capable of, and its watch faces are a big part of this experience. Hence, to help you get an idea of what to expect, here are some of the best options to consider running on your smartwatch. It's worth noting that the below-mentioned watch faces are also compatible with the new Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra.
Note: Before we get further into this article, you must know that 'Complications' are elements on a watch face that pull information from an application. Make sure to keep this term in mind.
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Apple Watch Series 7
The Apple Watch Series 7 is still one of the best smartwatches available on the market, as it delivers excellent fitness tracking sensors, an always-on display, water resistance, and other cool features.
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Apple Watch Series 8
Apple Watch Series 8 is still an excellent option for those looking for a new smartwatch in 2023, as it comes with a more affordable price tag and tons of sensors to keep track of your fitness levels and notifications. It promises an all-day battery life and a body temperature sensor to improve metric accuracy.
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Apple Watch SE 2
The affordable Apple Watch SE (2nd Generation) looks the same as its predecessor; it features improved fitness tracking and is powered by the latest and most powerful Apple S8 chip. It's available in three colors and supports the same bands as the last generation.
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This article is part of our Apple Watch Guides, which includes details on the best cases, the best bands, and the best alternate charging solutions to consider purchasing! You can learn more by clicking on the underlined text in this excerpt.
Infograph
The Infograph Watch Face is for users looking to have quick access to core applications and useful glanceable information, which will help avoid opening an application on their phone.
You can have a total of eight complications with this face, one in each corner of the screen and four in the middle. Before you get confused, the element that shows the date is not customizable.
On my watch, the top left corner shows the amount of charge remaining; the top right shows the temperature; the bottom left allows me to access the workouts application, while the bottom right shows my activity stats.
In the center, I have quick access to Maps, Mindfulness (Apple's application to help you relax with breathing exercises), and the time for Bucharest (to keep track of when my boss wakes up!). The fourth complication is tucked into the time dial and reads "No Events Today"; this changes to reflect my calendar entries for the day.
Infograph Modular
The Infograph Modular is the option to consider if you prefer having a more digital watch-like experience. It features a total of six complications, four that act as quick access, one in the middle provides more data and is most convenient to use for Calendar or Weather (like in the image). And a fixed Date Complication that can be deactivated but not replaced (shown above time).
The Modular Watch Face served as the inspiration for Infograph Modular and is a less information-dense version of the watch face.
My Infograph Module setup provides quick access to a 15 minutes timer, Workouts, Activity, and an additional timezone. The middle complication is used to receive more information about the local weather.
Modular Duo
Next on this list is an Apple Watch Series 7-exclusive watch face, the Modular Duo, which provides access to two large complications, and one smaller unit for quick access and simple information.
There is also the Contour Watch Face, which showcases time with a focus on the hour that is currently passing.
In the image above, my configuration shows calendar events and reminders. Tapping on either will open up their respective applications showing you more data than relevant to the day. There is also a quick access button for activity.
Numerals Duo
The Numerals Duo is a simple watch face that's perfect to have on if you're looking to keep track of time and would love large numerals to be on screen. You can add no complications to this watch face, but there are customizable styles for it that allow you to change the symbols and whether the numerals showing are filled with color or remain as outlines.
Meridian
The Meridian, introduced with WatchOS 6, is the watch face to apply if you enjoy using an analog watch but still want access to more functionality. It features four complications in the middle, and you can customize each one.
The dial can be of two colors, Black or White, while its elements can take up a vast number of colors. The watch face in the image uses the Multicolor option.
Siri
The Siri watch face for Apple Watch is one of those that's great if someone has been using their iPhone for a while and have provided Siri access to their calendar and any application that requests it. It picks up on your usage habits and provides information curated according to the time of day.
When you interact with it, you will gain access to three sections, All-Day notifications, Up Next, and Tomorrow.
Portraits
Portraits is a watch face made available to every Apple Watch model that supports WatchOS 8. But the Series 7 arguably makes the best use of it due to the increased screen size. You can choose up to 24 portrait images, and a new one will appear each time you raise your wrist. The images undergo a crop to focus and showcase the person (or pet).
You can set two complications and showcase the time in three different styles.
Metropolitan
Metropolitan is one of the new Apple Watch faces introduced with watchOS 9. This watch face features a minimal design with a circular dial in the middle with tick marks at regular intervals. You can choose from a dark background, a light background, and whether the watch should display no numbers, some numbers, or all 12 hours.
You can add up to four complications around the corners. Unfortunately, there's no option for a center complication. Thanks to its versatile design, the watch face can be worn casually, semi-formally, and in formal settings.
Astronomy
The Astronomy watch face received a huge update with watchOS 9 and is now one of my favorite Apple Watch faces. Both the Earth and the moon look incredible and more realistic than ever before. It also matches iOS 16's Lock Screen clock style, wherein the timestamp shows slightly behind Earth/moon to showcase the depth effect. You can also track the alignment of the planets or the next full moon by rotating the Digital Crown.
Simple
And finally, there is the Simple watch face. This watch face is for all the minimalists out there. You can either go completely minimal with just the watch hands if you like or add the hour markers to your watch face. Yes, the watch face offers complications, but I recommend turning them all off, leaving just the date complication on for the simplest Apple Watch look.
Bonus: Nike Hybrid
This one is for all the sports and Nike fans out there. Apple may not make Nike Edition Apple Watches anymore, but all Nike-exclusive watch faces have been added to all models with watchOS 9. Our favorite is the Nike Hybrid watch face that shows the time in the center with the Nike logo next to it.
This watch face supports four complications in the corner, and you can even add a middle complication (which I think makes it rather clumsy). In addition to this Hybrid watch face, you can also choose between Analogue, Compact, Digital, and Bounce styles.
The Apple Watch Series 7 has several more interesting watch faces, but these are some of the best and should help you understand what to expect from your smartwatch.
If you already own an Apple Watch, how has your experience been so far? And which face do you like the most? Let us know in the comments below.