The 18K Gold Huawei Watch Ultimate Design is here. Is it Worth It?

During the HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 Philippine launch, the brand surprised media guests and KOL’s (Key Opinion Leaders) alike when they showcased and launched the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Design for the Philippine market. This is HUAWEI’s most expensive and most lavish smartwatch ever made building upon the opulence of the already souped-up HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate.

It’s a massive watch at 49.4mm x 49.4 mm diameter

This is one of those rare moments when the brand’s most crème de la crème products would be made available locally as the Philippines usually gets a pass when it comes to getting limited-edition pairs. Even though the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Design was already on display upon entering the event venue at Blackbird Makati, we thought that the brand would just have one piece for display purposes (similar to how concept cars are just showcased).  Hence, we were thoroughly thrilled when the brand announced the availability and local SRP of the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Design which is at Php 159,999 (roughly 20,000 Pesos less than the global SRP of 2999 Euros or Php 180,266.64).

[L-R] HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Voyage Blue,  HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Design, HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Expedition Black

The HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Design is a marvel to look at and feels even better to touch. The cool almost pewter-like matte black mesh strap of the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Design contrasts well with the vibrant 18-karat gold center. Similar to the Voyage Blue Edition, the Ultimate Design also has a butterfly clasp but this time the bands can be quickly adjustable by tucking them in inside a small compartment behind the clasp. This is something unique to this version of the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate.

Aside from that, the entire case of the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Design is also slightly bigger than that of its predecessors. Instead of just having (an already large) 48mm watch case, the Ultimate Design stands at 49mm (49.4mm x 49.4mm to be exact). And because of this slight addition to its width, the Ultimate Design is also 2 grams heavier than the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate at 78g excluding the strap.

Adorning the black nanocrystalline bezel are six 18-Karat Gold inlays, with Gold character engravings similar to that of the Voyage Blue Edition illuminating the rudder-like sailboat design of the watch case even further. According to the brand, the 6-gold inlay segment surrounding the black nanocrystalline bezel helps create luster comparable to that of gemstones — forming a gold inlaid jade bezel look.

Finishing everything off are golden buttons and the golden 3D windable watch crown.

Just the creation of the 18K Gold alloy used in the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Design took incredible craftsmanship to achieve. HUAWEI mixes the right ratio of metal elements to ensure that the 18K Gold Bars have the ductility of gold (retaining 75% of gold content) but has the hardness and elasticity of strong metallic alloys — a signature that HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate wears proudly.

Still having all the key features and function of a HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate, the Ultimate Design can withstand 10ATM and be true waterproof up to 100m in depth. As this is a diving watch, the Ultimate Design will also come with a golden black HNBR strap (and we’re assuming, it will come with a longer ankle strap as well). And because of the nature of the watch series, the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate should be able withstand the rough outdoors as well.

To reflect the luxuriously chic vibe of the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Design, the main menu interface is rendered in gold-and-black monotone design — and while it may look cool on paper, the lack of color also means more time to thoroughly check if the app you’re about to launch is really the one you’re looking for.

There’s also that pristine HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Design watch face with longitude and latitude lines as well as an animated tourbillon spinning and moving not to counterbalance any internal mechanism (and improve time keeping accuracy) but tracks your heart rate. This gives personalization at its finest as the tourbillon moves and spins to your heart beat.

Luxury Redefined (Again)

HUAWEI has always been bridging the gap of luxury fashion and technology with their design ethos and while we thought the ultimate expression of that has been achieve through the WATCH Ultimate (Expedition Black and Blue Voyage Edition), the brand upped the ante once more with the Ultimate Design Edition.

By creating a true luxury product, HUAWEI hopes to break into a new category often not open to a lot of smartphone brands — that of the extremely wealthy (and more discerning watch collectors). Here’s hoping that they’ll succeed.

In a way, this gamble may usher in more China-based smartphone brands to cater to the ultra rich crowd, truly redefining what luxury is — and where you can get it.

The HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Design is now available for pre-orders at HUAWEI Experience Centers in SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, and SM North Edsa.