Apple Watch in Jet Black: Peeling on the back
Apple's arguably most stylish watch currently comes in polished black aluminum. The problem: This apparently isn't very durable.
Apple Watch Series 10 in Jet Black, shown here in false colors: The paint has chipped off on the white areas on the back of the case.
(Image: Ben Schwan / heise medien)
Users of the Apple Watch Series 10, which Apple launched in autumn 2024, are complaining about case damage with a specific color variant. Corresponding reports can be found in the official Apple support forum as well as on Reddit. The variant affected is the Jet Black, a polished aluminum colored black. The problems primarily impact the back of the case around the sensors. After prolonged wear, some paint comes off, revealing silver areas. Depending on the severity, this is very noticeable when you take off the watch. A model in the Mac-&-i editorial office is also impacted, showing chipping around the sensor circle but also in other areas such as the buttons for releasing the strap.
Carefully treated sleep tracker affected
It is unclear how the peeling occurs. Initially, it was said that people who use body creams were particularly impacted. However, this is not always the case. The Series 10 from the Mac-&-i editorial office, for example, is a model that is only used at night for sleep tracking—and it is also treated carefully. Here it seems that sweat reacts with the back of the ear. But instead of simple salt deposits, real cracks form that cannot be removed.
Videos by heise
The newer Series 11, released in September 2025, is also available as a Jet Black variant. It costs 449 or 479 euros, respectively (42 / 46 mm). Whether Apple has made changes to prevent case damage is unclear; however, it is known that coated aluminum can cause problems. Here, however, physical influences are necessary, as with the edges of the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. The affected watches were simply worn without colliding with other objects. We have not yet seen the result of the chipping on the Apple Watch, i.e., black paint flakes. These seem to crumble into dust.
Claim warranty from Apple
So far, there is no information from Apple itself about the issue. If the Apple Watch is still within the warranty period (two years after purchase), you should report the defect to Apple and insist on an exchange or repair.
The easiest way to do this is by visiting an Apple Store with an appointment at Support. Alternatively, you can contact support online. However, users report that individual support staff see damage that is attributed to the user—and therefore the user has to pay for the repair. This could then be 350 euros or more, which we consider unacceptable.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
