YouTuber Tests Apple Watch Ultra Durability With a Hammer: Table Breaks Before the Watch

A YouTuber has put Apple’s claims for the durability of the Apple Watch Ultra to the test by putting it up against a drop test, a jar of nails, and repeated hits with a hammer to test the sapphire crystal protecting the display.

TechRax, a channel popular for testing the durability of products, first tested the ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ by dropping it from around four feet high. The ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ was left mostly unscuffed, aside from some minor dents along the titanium casing. Next, the ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ was mixed around in a jar of nails and was once again left with no visible marks.

TechRax also tested the durability of the ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌’s sapphire crystal display cover by repeatedly hitting it with a hammer. In the test, the watch withstood repeated hits with the hammer until it finally cracked, and only after the table took some damage first.

While the ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌’s display did not initially take damage, the watch did fail to turn on after repeated hits. The failure to power on could indicate that while the sapphire may not have broken at first, some internal components may have suffered damage. Of course, the test is unrealistic in portraying a typical use case of the ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌, but it may provide some customers reassurance about the strength of the sapphire crystal display cover.

Apple claims the ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ is its most rugged, durable, and extreme Apple Watch yet, appearing to be aimed to compete directly with Garmin. In response to the ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌, Garmin said it measures battery life in “months” and not “hours.” The ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ is priced at $799 and began arriving to customers on Friday.