Apple Watch Series 10 Finally Embraces Real-Time Seconds on Dimmed Display: A Long-Overdue Upgrade

The Apple Watch Series 10 marks a quiet yet significant evolution in how Apple’s smartwatch handles timekeeping. While much of the focus tends to land on health tracking or design upgrades, one subtle but impactful feature stands out: for the first time, the seconds hand continues to update even when the always-on display (AOD) is dimmed. This closes a long-standing gap between Apple’s high-tech wearables and the most basic analog wristwatches.

Since Series 5 introduced the always-on display, Apple Watch users have had to settle for a timekeeping compromise: the screen dims to save power, and in the process, the second hand vanishes or freezes, only resuming when the screen fully lights up. Series 10 quietly fixes this—but only for select watch faces. Here’s what’s changed, what’s still missing, and why it matters.

Real-Time Seconds Support: A Limited Yet Notable Upgrade

Apple Watch Series 10 is the first model where the seconds hand keeps updating even when the always-on display is dimmed—a subtle, yet major improvement for those who value precision timekeeping.

Previously, from Series 5 through Series 9, only hour and minute hands refreshed during AOD mode; the seconds hand either froze or disappeared.
At launch, only three watch faces supported this real-time second refresh when dimmed: Flux, Reflections, and a revamped Activity Digital.

Flux Watch Face

Uses a vertical line that rises throughout the minute to indicate seconds.

The motion continues uninterrupted, even in dimmed mode.

Reflections Watch Face

Mimics a traditional analog design.

The seconds hand sweeps when active and ticks once per second in AOD mode.
Available in both full-screen and circular versions with four complications.

Activity Digital (Updated)

Historically showed seconds in active mode but removed them in AOD.
On Series 10, the digital seconds now continue ticking, even in dimmed mode.

Two more watch faces were added after Series 10’s launch:

Unity Rhythm (2025): Features analog hands with second-hand updates in dim mode, launched in January.
Pride Harmony (2025): Released with watchOS 11.5, uses analog hands and supports second-hand movement even when dimmed.

In total, only five watch faces support the new second-hand behavior—while over 40 others still don’t. This means nearly 90% of Apple Watch faces aren’t utilizing Series 10’s enhanced display capabilities.

While the update is technically impressive, it feels partial. Apple has yet to retroactively update popular faces like Utility or California, which are obvious candidates for this feature. Unless watchOS 12 delivers broader support, many users will still be stuck with static seconds during AOD.

What Undercode Say:

Apple has built a reputation for tightly integrating hardware and software to create seamless experiences. Yet, the Apple Watch Series 10’s real-time seconds update exposes a recurring Apple pattern: powerful hardware features launching with limited software support.

Let’s break this down analytically:

Feature Scope: Enabling the second-hand update in AOD mode is not a hardware limitation. Series 10 proves it’s possible. Apple’s reluctance to backport this to older faces is likely due to resource prioritization or UI aesthetics.
Battery Trade-off: One likely reason for limiting the feature is power consumption. Continuously updating the screen—even subtly—affects battery life. Apple may be gauging user feedback before expanding support.
Design Philosophy: Apple often introduces new features gradually to keep users upgrading and to test UX changes. By limiting the second-hand feature to new or redesigned faces, Apple ensures tighter quality control.
User Expectations: Traditional analog watches show time accurately down to the second. For a \$400+ smartwatch to freeze the second hand under certain conditions was always a UX compromise. Series 10 finally solves that—but incompletely.
Developer Lock-In: Third-party faces aren’t allowed on Apple Watch. This makes Apple solely responsible for innovating and maintaining over 50+ native faces. Selectively updating just a few may reflect internal resourcing or strategic positioning.
UX Inconsistency: Having five watch faces behave differently from the remaining 40+ leads to a disjointed experience. Users may not even realize this feature exists unless they stumble upon one of the supported faces.
Strategic Delay?: Apple may intentionally save broader support for watchOS 12 to hype the next major update—potentially launching alongside Apple Watch Series 11.
Hardware-First Strategy: With the emphasis on Series 10 hardware, this upgrade feels like a way to encourage users to move beyond Series 5–9, even though those models could potentially support similar behavior with software tweaks.
Precision Users Rejoice: For users like medical professionals, pilots, or athletes who rely on precise timing, this subtle upgrade is more than cosmetic. It finally allows Apple Watch to replace a traditional precision wristwatch.

10. Fragmentation Risk: If Apple

In essence, Apple Watch Series 10’s real-time seconds update is a step in the right direction, but it’s only part of the journey. The future of wearable UX will depend on whether Apple chooses to extend this precision feature universally or continue using it as a differentiator for newer models and faces.

Fact Checker Results

✅ Confirmed: Series 10 is the first Apple Watch to refresh the seconds hand in dimmed AOD.
✅ Confirmed: Only five watch faces currently support the feature.
✅ Confirmed: Over 40 Apple Watch faces remain unsupported.

Prediction

watchOS 12 will likely expand support for real-time seconds in always-on mode across more faces—especially high-usage designs like Utility, California, and Chronograph. Apple may also introduce new faces that highlight this capability while pushing Series 11 hardware as the next leap forward in micro-efficiency and real-time display management. Given the push toward more refined timekeeping and personalization, second-hand animations in AOD could become the new standard in Apple’s wearable UX playbook.

References:

Reported By: 9to5mac.com
Extra Source Hub:
https://www.stackexchange.com
Wikipedia
Undercode AI

Image Source:

Unsplash
Undercode AI DI v2

Join Our Cyber World:

💬 Whatsapp | 💬 Telegram

Listen to this Post