Return to Form: Why a Ceramic Apple Watch Series 12 Makes Perfect Sense

Evidence is mounting that a fan-favorite Apple Watch finish could be making a comeback next month, with a new leaker tossing their hat in the ring to say the Apple Watch Series 12 will indeed be offered in Ceramic.

While Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported earlier this month that he expects the ceramic case to make a return soon, he hedged on whether it would come in this year’s Series 12 or be held off until 2027 for what we presume will be the Series 13.

However, leaker Kosutami recently weighed in on X with a report that it’s indeed coming in the Series 12, expected to be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone next month — possibly in less than three weeks if the predictions are accurate.

Although some speculated that Apple might hold off until next year’s Apple Watch, based on the notion that it’s planning a gala release event for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary, there would be more symmetry to the ceramic finish returning this year.

The original ceramic finish debuted with the Apple Watch Series 2 in 2016. It effectively replaced the ostentatious 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition — a $10K model that was really just Apple’s play to be taken seriously by Vogue in a world dominated by Rolex, Breguet, and Patek Philippe.

The new Apple Watch Edition for the Series 2 was a much more realistic upgrade. Priced at only $1,249, it served as a viable option for mere mortals who wanted a premium finish, and it also had a more practical side: Apple claimed it was about 400% stronger than stainless steel.

Even so, the ceramic was one of Apple’s least consistently offered finishes. It continued with the Series 3 in 2017, disappeared with the Series 4 the next year (which, to be fair, had no higher-end case options), and then saw a brief return on the Apple Watch Series 5 in 2019 — the same year Apple introduced titanium into the mix.

Sadly, that was the last time we’d see it. The Apple Watch Series 6 and Series 7 doubled down on titanium. Those were the last two generations to bear the Apple Watch Edition name. The Apple Watch Series 8 eliminated the higher-end materials, and while titanium returned with the Series 10 in 2024, it simply replaced the stainless steel model.

Notably, the Series 5 was the only Apple Watch Edition to ever be offered in two separate materials: ceramic and titanium. While previous Edition models had multiple finishes, they were simply variations on the same material, such as yellow gold and rose gold for the original 18-karat versions, and white ceramic and grey ceramic in the Series 3 — the only model to offer two ceramic finishes. The Series 2 and Series 5 were limited to white ceramic.

If ceramic is indeed making a comeback, it raises the question as to which finishes Apple will offer for the Series 12, and whether it plans to resurrect the Apple Watch Edition branding, simply offer it as an alternative finish, or possibly even use it to replace titanium.

Either way, it’s likely to be the only significant design change to come to this year’s Apple Watch. The other rumored improvements are all expected to be on the inside, with an S12 chip delivering improved performance — and possibly even some enhanced Siri AI or Apple Intelligence features. There will likely be a few other small improvements, but we have yet to hear any real consensus on those from the rumor mill.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]