The Apple Watch Series 12 launched alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone Duo at Apple’s September 9, 2026 event. It keeps the same case shapes and display sizes as recent generations, with the real upgrades going into a new chip, a rebuilt health sensor system, and a longer feature list in watchOS 27.
Apple Watch Series 12 Specs at a Glance
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
Chip |
Apple S11 System in Package |
|
Case sizes |
42mm and 46mm in aluminum and titanium, 43mm and 47mm in the new ceramic option |
|
Display |
OLED Always-On Retina, up to 2,000 nits, 1.77 inch (42mm) or 1.96 inch (46mm) |
|
Storage |
64GB |
|
Connectivity |
5G RedCap on cellular models |
|
Durability |
Ceramic Shield 2 on aluminum models, rated 60 percent tougher than Series 11’s Ion-X glass; 50m water resistance; IP6X dust resistance |
|
Health |
Health Sensing System: always-on optical heart rate every 5 seconds, HRV measured up to 24x more often than before, plus a new Readiness score |
|
Audio Intelligence |
Sound Recognition, Live Rewind, Siri Recap, and Shazam (Live Rewind and Siri Recap arrive in beta later in 2026) |
|
Battery |
Up to 24 hours normal use, 38 hours in Low Power Mode, 10 hours of outdoor workout tracking with GPS |
|
Materials and colors |
Aluminum in Dark Bronze, Black, Light Gold, and Space Gray; Titanium in Radiant Gold and Natural; Ceramic in Pearl White and Night Blue |
|
Software |
watchOS 27, with Siri AI and a redesigned Find My app |
|
Price |
From $399 |
|
Release |
Pre-orders opened September 9, in stores September 18, 2026 |
What’s Actually New This Year
Case design and display sizes carry over from recent generations, so the visible changes are modest. The bigger shifts are the new Health Sensing System, which takes heart rate readings every five seconds throughout the day rather than periodically, the new Readiness score that estimates whether to rest, pace yourself, or train normally based on recent vitals and sleep, and the return of a ceramic case option for the first time since Series 5.
Pairs Naturally With a Custom iPhone 18
Craft by Merlin does not currently customize the Apple Watch Series 12, but many customers reserving a finish from the iPhone 18 collection pair it with the new Watch as a matching set straight out of the box. If you are building out your Apple lineup for this launch, the iPhone is the piece where Craft by Merlin’s customization already applies.
Explore the full Craft by Merlin iPhone 18 collection to see all eight finishes.
