Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition Review: A New Benchmark for Luxury Smartwatches

In the evolving landscape of wearables, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition emerges not merely as a smartwatch but as a statement piece, blending cutting-edge technology with the timeless allure of luxury. This isn’t just another gadget; it’s a meticulously crafted timepiece designed to adorn the wrists of those who demand both supreme functionality and uncompromising elegance. With real 18-carat gold accents and a robust feature set, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition seeks to redefine what a premium smartwatch can be. This review delves into its exquisite design, advanced capabilities, battery endurance, and smart functionalities to help you determine if this opulent wearable truly lives up to its ultimate designation.

Exquisite Design and Unparalleled Craftsmanship

The Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition immediately distinguishes itself through its choice of materials and sophisticated aesthetic. This smartwatch isn’t content with mere imitation; it features genuine 18-carat gold meticulously integrated into its design. You’ll find these luxurious gold accents wrapping around the ceramic bezel, adorning the rotatable crown, and highlighting the function buttons, lending an undeniable sense of prestige and exclusivity.

The primary construction of the watch body is a zirconium-based liquid metal, a material renowned for its exceptional durability and corrosion resistance, particularly in harsh environments like saltwater. This is complemented by a nanocrystalline ceramic frame and a sapphire crystal glass covering the display, ensuring both a premium feel and superior scratch resistance. The watch measures 48.5mm in diameter and weighs approximately 76-78g without the strap, giving it a substantial, high-quality feel on the wrist. Completing the luxurious ensemble is a titanium strap, featuring a refined butterfly clasp mechanism that further solidifies its position in the luxury timepiece market. Every element of the design speaks to Huawei’s ambition to craft a smartwatch that rivals traditional high-end watches in aesthetics and build quality.
Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition showcasing its luxurious 18-carat gold accents and premium materials.

Brilliant Display and Smooth Interface

At the heart of the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition lies a magnificent 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED color screen. This display boasts a crisp resolution of 466×466 pixels, translating to a sharp 311 pixels per inch (PPI), which delivers incredibly detailed visuals. With a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, the screen offers exceptional outdoor visibility, ensuring that information remains clear and vibrant even under direct sunlight.

The animations on the Watch Ultimate Gold Edition are remarkably smooth and fluid, contributing significantly to a premium user experience. Running on Huawei’s HarmonyOS, the interface is designed to be intuitive and responsive. For this special edition, the user interface features a gold-themed aesthetic, with icons and elements harmonizing with the watch’s physical gold accents, creating a cohesive and elegant visual appeal. Navigating through menus, notifications, and apps is a seamless experience, enhanced by the responsive touch display and the tactile feedback from the rotating crown.

Comprehensive Health and Fitness Monitoring

Beyond its luxurious exterior, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition is a powerhouse of health and fitness tracking capabilities. It’s equipped with an array of advanced sensors to provide a holistic view of your well-being. These include an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, barometer, temperature sensor, depth sensor, and an ambient light sensor.

The core of its health monitoring is Huawei’s TruSeen 5.0+ optical heart rate sensor, which continuously tracks your heart rate with high accuracy. It also features an ECG sensor for detailed heart health analysis, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring, and stress level tracking. The TruSleep 3.0 technology provides comprehensive sleep analysis, offering detailed insights into sleep stages and personalized recommendations for improvement. The watch can even assess arterial stiffness, offering a more complete picture of cardiovascular health.

For fitness enthusiasts, the Watch Ultimate Gold Edition offers over 100 workout modes, catering to a wide range of activities from running and cycling to swimming and more specialized sports. It includes automatic workout detection, personalized training plans, and a virtual coach to guide you. Adventure seekers will particularly appreciate the dedicated Expedition Mode for outdoor exploration and an EN 13319 certified Dive Mode, making it suitable for depths up to 100 meters (10 ATM). This dive computer can detect crucial metrics, positioning it as a serious tool for aquatic activities.
Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition being used during an outdoor activity, displaying health and fitness data.

Battery Life That Endures

One of the standout features of the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition is its remarkable battery life. Powered by a 530mAh battery, it can last up to 14 days under typical usage conditions. For more active users with heavy usage, including frequent workouts and notifications, the battery still delivers an impressive 8 days of power. Even with the Always-On Display (AOD) enabled, which typically drains battery faster, the watch maintains a solid 4 days of autonomy.

This exceptional endurance means you spend less time worrying about charging and more time enjoying the watch’s features. When it does need a recharge, the device supports wireless charging, capable of reaching 100% in approximately 60 minutes, ensuring minimal downtime. This long-lasting battery is a significant advantage, particularly for multi-day expeditions or simply for those who prefer not to charge their smartwatch every night.

Smart Features: A Mixed Experience

While the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition excels in design, health, and battery life, its “smart” capabilities offer a somewhat mixed experience compared to some competitors. On the positive side, the watch supports Bluetooth calling with a built-in microphone and a surprisingly loud, clear speaker, allowing you to take calls directly from your wrist. It also handles notifications effectively, keeping you informed without needing to reach for your phone, and offers a good selection of customizable watch faces.

However, there are notable limitations. The third-party app ecosystem, relying on Huawei’s AppGallery, is less extensive than those found on Wear OS or watchOS devices. A significant drawback for many modern smartwatch users is the absence of NFC payment functionality, meaning you cannot use the watch for contactless transactions. Furthermore, the Watch Ultimate Gold Edition lacks eSIM or LTE connectivity, requiring it to be tethered to your smartphone for features like streaming music, real-time mapping, or making calls when away from your phone. When it comes to message replies, users are limited to canned responses or emoticons, without the option for a full keyboard. While it uses Huawei’s Petal Maps for navigation, this might be a point of friction for users accustomed to Google Maps.

Pricing and Value: A Luxury Investment

The Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition is positioned at the very high end of the smartwatch market, with a price tag ranging approximately from $3,000 to $3,400 USD. This premium pricing clearly indicates Huawei’s intention to compete not just with other smartwatches but with traditional luxury timepieces. The inclusion of genuine 18-carat gold and advanced materials contributes significantly to this cost, appealing to a niche market of affluent consumers who desire a statement accessory that also offers advanced technology.

While the feature set, particularly in health and outdoor tracking, is comprehensive, the value proposition hinges heavily on the wearer’s appreciation for luxury materials and design. Compared to high-performance smartwatches like the Apple Watch Ultra, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition targets a different buyer—one who prioritizes prestige and craftsmanship alongside smart functionalities. It’s an investment in a wearable that merges haute horlogerie aesthetics with modern tech.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Exquisite Design: Features real 18-carat gold accents, zirconium-based liquid metal, and nanocrystalline ceramic.
• Stunning Display: Vibrant 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED with high brightness and smooth animations.
• Exceptional Battery Life: Up to 14 days, reducing frequent charging needs.
• Comprehensive Health Tracking: Advanced sensors for ECG, SpO2, heart rate, sleep, stress, and more.
• Robust Outdoor Features: Dedicated Expedition Mode and certified 100m Dive Mode.
• Premium Build Quality: Sapphire crystal glass and durable materials for lasting elegance.
• Clear Call Quality: Loud speaker and effective microphone for on-wrist calls.

Cons:

• Very High Price: A significant investment, placing it in a luxury niche.
• No NFC Payments: Lacks a fundamental “smart” feature present in many cheaper wearables.
• No LTE/eSIM: Requires phone tethering for many connected functionalities.
• Limited Third-Party Apps: Smaller app ecosystem compared to competitors.
• Basic Message Replies: Only canned responses or emoticons available.
• Hefty Size and Weight: May feel large and heavy for some users.

Ultimately, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition is a masterclass in luxurious design and robust health monitoring, packaged with impressive battery endurance. It’s a statement for those who value craftsmanship and exclusivity above all else. However, it requires a willingness to overlook some common smartwatch conveniences, particularly NFC payments and standalone cellular connectivity, for the sake of its opulent appeal and advanced tracking capabilities. Is this the ultimate smartwatch for you? It depends on where your priorities lie: pure luxury, comprehensive tracking, or seamless smart integration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition made of real gold?

Yes, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition incorporates genuine 18-carat gold elements on its bezel, crown, and buttons, contributing to its luxurious appeal and premium price point.

Can I make payments with the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition?

No, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition does not support NFC payment functionality. This means you cannot use the watch for contactless transactions.

How long does the battery last on the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition?

The Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition boasts impressive battery life, offering up to 14 days of typical use, 8 days with heavy usage, and approximately 4 days with the Always-On Display enabled.

Is the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition water resistant?

Yes, the watch is highly water resistant, rated for 10 ATM (Atmospheres) or up to 100 meters. It is also EN 13319 certified for diving, including a dedicated dive computer mode.

What operating system does the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition use?

The Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition runs on HarmonyOS, Huawei’s proprietary operating system, providing a smooth and responsive user interface with a gold-themed aesthetic specific to this edition.