Apple announced the new Apple Watch Series 5 last week, and one of the headline news is that the high-end (read atas version) Apple Watch Edition is back. There will be three distinct models in this lineup. White ceramic makes a comeback and it will be joined for the first time by two new titanium models. The model here is the natural brushed titanium version. There's also a space black titanium model with diamond-like coating.
Remove the protective out cover and you'll see the actual box containing the watch. Like the protective cover, it's white and plainly adorned with only an Apple Watch on it. The Apple Watch on the box will likely match the watch inside. So on our box, we have the image of a Apple Watch Edition with the brushed titanium case.
On the side of the box are labels that indicate its contents. In our case, we have the Apple Watch Edition Series 5 in titanium and in the larger 44mm size. The Apple Watch Series 5 also comes in a smaller 42mm case. Case dimensions are unchanged from last year's Apple Watch Series 4 models.
Opening the inner box finally reveals the contents. Inside, you'll find the actual watch head protected by a velvet sleeve. To the right, is a package containing instructions and the strap. Worth noting is that regardless of which Apple Watch Edition model you pick or how you configure in the Apple Watch Studio, all Apple Watch Edition watches will come with an extra sport band in the box. Underneath the package are the charging accessories.
The charging accessories appear to be the same as previous Apple Watches. It's a 5W USB power adaptor and the charging cable with the magnetic dock is one metre long. Annoyingly, the Apple Watch Series 5 still relies on the same inductive charging as previous Apple Watches. If you are an existing owner, this means your old charging accessories will still work. For new owners, you'll probably want to get an additional charging cable so that you aren't stuck to one charger.
The watch head is protected by a soft velvet-like fabric sleeve. It's colour-matched to your watch. Be sure to keep the protective sleeve away because it comes in handy when you want to travel with your Apple Watch.
As usual, the sport band comes in two lengths. You can order them in either S and M or M and L sizes. The sport band is made from "high-performance" fluoroelastomer and it's incredibly supple and comfortable on the skin. It's one of the best rubber watch bands you can get for any watch, period.
Here's the Apple Watch Edition Series 5 in titanium mounted on the sport band. Unless you look closely, you might not even tell that it's the titanium model. The tell-tale sign is the brushed finishing. The stainless steel models have mirror polished cases. Titanium has the benefit of being stronger and yet lighter than stainless steel. The glass that protects the display is sapphire crystal glass.
Here's the Apple Watch Edition Series 5 in titanium next to a Apple Watch Series 4 in stainless steel. Notice the dramatic difference in the case finish. Apple says the titanium models have a custom-engineered surface treatment that is designed to be stain and fingerprint resistant. The finish is even applied across the case. The case looks to have been expertly machined too, which is no mean feat as titanium is much harder to work with than stainless steel.
The placement of the Digital Crown and button is the same. The red ring on the Digital Crown also indicates that this is a cellular capable model. All Apple Watch Series 5 models that aren't aluminium are cellular capable. Aluminium models can come in GPS-only and GPS + Cellular configurations.
The caseback is a mixture of sapphire glass and ceramic. It also features optical and electrical heart sensors. The former takes your regular heart rate readings while the latter is used to generate an electrocardiogram (ECG). Speaking of which, the ECG function will be available at launch since it has been cleared by the HSA (Health Sciences Authority).