Apple Watch Ultra 4 is rated water resistant to 100 meters under ISO 22810:2010 and certified to EN13319 for recreational scuba diving to 40 meters, with a depth gauge Apple rates as accurate to plus or minus 1 meter. Those figures come from Apple’s tech specs for the $799 watch, which reaches stores on Friday, September 18, and they are unchanged from Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Apple Watch Series 12, by contrast, is rated to 50 meters and its depth gauge reads to 6 meters, which covers swimming and surface snorkeling but not scuba. If diving is the reason you are choosing between the two, this is the part of the spec sheet that decides it. The broader picture is in our Apple Watch Ultra 4 announcement coverage.
Key facts: Ultra 4 water and dive ratings
| Item | Apple’s figure |
|---|---|
| Water resistance | 100 m under ISO 22810:2010 |
| Activities Apple lists | Swimming, snorkeling, scuba, high-speed water sports |
| Dive certification | EN13319, recreational scuba to 40 m |
| Depth gauge accuracy | Plus or minus 1 m |
| Dust | IP6X under IEC 60529 |
| Durability testing | MIL-STD 810H |
| Water sensors | Depth gauge and water temperature sensor |
| Price and date | From $799, in stores September 18 |
What 100 meters and EN13319 each cover
The two numbers describe different things. The 100 meter figure is the water resistance rating for the case under ISO 22810:2010, the standard Apple cites for all of its watches, and it is the rating that lets Apple list scuba and high-speed water sports for Ultra 4 where Series 12 only gets a 50 meter rating.
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EN13319 is the European standard for diving depth gauges, and Apple’s certification under it is specific to recreational scuba to 40 meters. That is the depth to which Apple stands behind the watch as a depth-and-time instrument, not the depth the case can survive. The plus or minus 1 meter figure is the accuracy Apple states for the depth gauge itself.
In practical terms, a snorkeler never approaches either limit, and a recreational diver holding to standard training depths stays inside the 40 meter certification. Apple’s tech specs do not describe what happens beyond 40 meters, and we would not test it.
Ultra 4 vs Series 12 vs Ultra 3 in the water
| Spec | Apple Watch Ultra 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 | Apple Watch Ultra 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | 100 m | 50 m (swimproof) | 100 m |
| Dive certification | EN13319 to 40 m | Not listed | EN13319 to 40 m |
| Depth gauge | To 40 m, plus or minus 1 m | To 6 m | To 40 m |
| Water temperature sensor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dust rating | IP6X | IP6X | IP6X |
| Peak brightness | 3000 nits | 2000 nits | 3000 nits |
| Battery, normal use | Up to 50 hours | Up to 24 hours | Up to 42 hours |
| Price | From $799 | From $399 | Launched at $799 |
The water column of that table has not moved between Ultra 3 and Ultra 4. What Apple changed for this generation is around it: the S11 chip, the Health Sensing System, 50 hours of battery instead of 42, and a 15-minute charge that Apple rates for 18 hours of use rather than 12. Apple’s own comparison is in our recap of everything announced at the event.
The sensors and the display underwater
Apple’s tech specs list a depth gauge and a water temperature sensor on Ultra 4 alongside the usual compass, always-on altimeter, high-g accelerometer and high dynamic range gyroscope. The display is a flat sapphire crystal over a 422 by 514 pixel Always-On Retina panel at 326 ppi, with 3000 nits peak brightness and a 1 nit minimum.
The case is 49 mm Grade 5 titanium at 49 by 44 by 12 mm, weighing 63.0 g in Natural and 63.1 g in Black. Apple lists an operating temperature of 0 to 35 degrees C (32 to 95 degrees F) and an on-wrist range of minus 20 to 55 degrees C (minus 4 to 130 degrees F).
Back on the surface, Ultra 4 keeps Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite, with two years of service included. Apple’s tech specs do not claim any satellite function underwater.
Ocean Band and the Hermès wetsuit extension
The dive-oriented strap is the Ocean Band, which Apple’s press release says now uses a new silicone material and comes in translucent gray, translucent kelp and translucent black. Ultra 4 fits wrists from 130 to 210 mm with the bands Apple offers.
Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 4 pairs the natural titanium case with a new Grand H titanium band that has a wetsuit extension mechanism, and adds a Fathom and Wonder watch face with four ocean-depth options. Apple has not published prices for the Ocean Band or the Hermès edition.
What Apple has not said
- Whether Ultra 4 ships with a dive planning or decompression app. Apple’s tech specs and press release describe the depth gauge and the EN13319 certification, not dive-computer software.
- Ocean Band and Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 4 prices.
- How often the depth gauge samples, or any maximum dive time.
- Whether the depth gauge or water temperature readings appear automatically during a snorkel session, or only within a workout.
- Any guidance on how the 100 meter rating changes with age or wear.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 is on pre-order now at $799, or $24.99 a month over 24 months on Apple’s upgrade lease, and reaches stores on Friday, September 18. It runs watchOS 27, which arrives alongside iOS 27 on September 14 and needs an iPhone 11 or later.
