My 9 favorite watch faces for the Apple Watch Series 10

The best Apple Watch faces

Apple introduced two new watch faces via watchOS 11 as well as a few improvements to an existing favorite. Meanwhile, display updates and other upgrades to the line make even older watch faces more functional than ever. Below are the best Apple Watch Series 10 faces to make the most of the newest generation.

Added to the Apple Watch face gallery via watchOS 11, Flux offers a unique feature thanks to the updated refresh rates of Apple Watch Series 10 displays. For the first time, users can track seconds. Anchored by a large digital readout of the current hour and minute, the watch face floods with color with each passing second. The effect is modern and clean, and results in an attractively simple design.

• Customizable: Color, numerals, style (outline or filled)
• Complications: 0

My favorite new watch face introduced alongside the Apple Watch Series 10 is Flux. The design capitalizes on the device’s updated display with a metallic look that reacts to users’ wrist movements. The beautiful, fan-like textural graphic gives the impression of catching and reflecting light. I like the watch face in full-screen mode, but you can also confine the design to a circular shape to accommodate complications.

• Customizable: Dial (Full screen or circle), color, complications (with circle dial only)
• Complications: 0 (full-screen dial), 4 (circle dial)

Not everyone loves a photo-based watch face, but if you fall into the camp with a cute dog or sweet kids you want to display, Apple also delivered some updates to this popular pick. First, the face will now help you select your best options, based on aesthetics, composition, and even facial expressions, using machine learning. Once you confirm the photos you want, Apple’s Photo algorithm will then determine the best possible composition to display. In other words, your wrist-based photo album has never looked better.

• Customizable: Time size, time font, numerals, style, style color, time color
• Complications: 2

Apple’s iconic activity rings are the stars of this watch face, with a circular analog clock surrounding the stand, exercise, and move ring, each of which fills up throughout the day. Thanks to watchOS 11, users can now customize their activity ring goals and even pause the feature, making the famous rings more useful than ever. If you tend to obsess over your streaks, this is the perfect face for keeping an eye on your progress. You can also add up to three complications. My only complaint is that the ring colors clash with many watch bands.

• Customizable: Style (rings or subdials), color, complications
• Complications: 3

A graphically organized, data-centric option, Modular boasts room for up to six complications, making it the perfect choice for anyone who wants a truly hard-working watch face. I like to prioritize hourly weather details in the largest spot to make the most of the linear arrangement and then throw a few shortcuts and data points in the remaining slots. Unfortunately, Modular Ultra (with even more fields and customization options) is still exclusive to the company’s Ultra line, despite the Apple Watch Series 10 having a larger usable display space.

• Customizable: Time size, time font, numerals, style, style color, time color
• Complications: 6

For anyone who wants to fit the absolute max onto their watch face, Infograph remains the leader regarding complications and subdials with room for up to eight. It’s a great pick for accessing tools and information quickly without digging around your device. On the other hand, it’s also very easy to turn Infograph into an overwhelming look, so customize wisely. Given the business of this face, I highly recommend calming down the design with a color that complements your watch band. Notably, if you choose black or white from the color list, you will end up with a rainbow of complication colors rather than a uniform look.

• Customizable: Color, complications
• Complications: 8

Meant to look like overlapping light beams for a rave on the wrist, Pride Radiance is one of the most fun designs offering nothing more and nothing less than a clock. There are no complications and no details beyond a simple readout of the current time. The watch face is inspired by the rainbow flag, and though there are five color options, I think the original look shown above does the design the most justice.

• Customizable: Color
• Complications: 0

Another simple but elegant watch face, Contour is an old favorite first brought to wrists when Apple introduced the Series 7 and its display size bump. Now three generations later, the Apple Watch Series 10 introduces even larger case sizes and increased display space that further benefits from this clever design. Pushing the clock face to the furthest reaches of the screen, Contour emphasizes the device’s scale and provides a unique analog look. The face also allows for two complications, though I like to keep the face stark and only use one to display the day/date.

• Customizable: Style, dial color, color, complications
• Complications: 2

The X Large watch isn’t my favorite pick in terms of aesthetics. In fact, it’s quite unattractive. However, if your goal is an oversized clock that is easy to read or foolproof access to one specific complication, there isn’t a better pick. I rarely equip this watch face outside of scenarios where I just want to keep a steady eye on the clock. It also strikes me as a great option for older users who may have a hard time seeing smaller text.

• Customizable: Background, numerals, color, complication
• Complications: 1