The Apple Watch Ultra is just starting to get into customers’ hands, and unlike previous Apple Watches, it has four exposed screw heads on the bottom of the device. I love looking at my tech, no matter what I’m doing adding a heating pad to the M2 MacBook Air for performance, or just to see what’s inside that makes the tech work. The moment I saw the screws on the bottom of the Apple Watch Ultra, I knew I wanted to look inside. But I may not have…
There are four P5 pentagonal screws on the bottom of the Apple Watch. These are the same type of screws that attach to the bottom of the MacBook, although they are not as common as Phillips or screwdrivers, and pentagonal screws are not uncommon. The first complication arose after I removed these four screws – a very small ring around each screw. No doubt these are part of the extreme water resistance rating of the high-end Apple Watch. As I turned back on the first four screws, it turned out to be nearly impossible to tighten without sliding the partially straight ring out of place.
However, I go on to say that at this point I am well aware that some of the water resistance of the watch may be compromised. With these screws, the only way is to use a file spudger and delicate stuffing to separate the watch’s ceramic back from the titanium case. It was airtight and when he removed the thin insulation it was broken. Additionally, there are two thin ribbon cables that connect the back of the watch and all its health sensors to the watch’s battery, display, processor, and case. I had to be careful when separating the two so as not to damage the cable.
Removing the rear panel doesn’t reveal much of the interior. There was a black Big Apple logo assembly, but the two buttons used to release the Apple Watch strap came out, and three of the four springs in the abyss of my carpet were gone.
After removing the watch back panel, the watch has no momentary errors, but for understandable reasons, my phone won’t connect. There are three other screws – this time three wings – and the small metal plate that holds this black part in place, but when I took them off and started lifting them, it was clear that was quite a bit of work. There appear to be several ribbon cables attached to the other side of it, and looking from the back of the watch, there doesn’t seem to be a good way to separate them. Accessing these may involve removing the screen by softening the adhesive and then using openings to separate it. This is how you can access the internals on previous Apple Watches, but Seek View on the Ultra doesn’t seem to have a good way to open it, which I’m sure I can do without breaking the screen. The Apple Watch Ultra’s display is sapphire, which, while more scratch-resistant, may be more prone to cracking. This may be part of the reason why Apple stretched the chassis of the watch up to the sides of the screen plane.
At that point, I did my best to put everything back together. Reconnecting the two ribbon cables attached to the bottom of the device proved difficult. The button used to remove the strap is now missing some small springs that collide with the trim of the watch. The small rubber ring around the screw sticks out a bit. With the O-ring in place and the adhesive seal broken, the watch is nowhere near as water resistant as factory standards. At this point, I would definitely not consider diving.
There is no doubt that in the days to come we will see people tearing the watch more thoroughly as I fix it. They will definitely venture further afield than I have done with the Apple Watch Ultra. I’m sure someone more skilled than me can disassemble and reassemble the watch better without doing much damage to the water resistance, but unfortunately. I definitely recommend waiting for their guide to satisfy your curiosity rather than taking your own watch apart or you risk leaving Apple’s most durable smartwatch to date with a non-waterproof (or worse, damaged) version of).
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