Apple Recruiting Specialized Engineer to Focus on Apple Watch Clock Faces

A job description for a software engineer on Apple's "Clock Face Team" discovered yesterday points to the possibility of more robust Clock Face and Complications options in a future watchOS update. As discovered by AppleInsider, the listing is specifically seeking a software engineer with 3+ years of software development experience to join the Apple Watch team.

applewatch
Responsible for planning and implementing new Clock Faces and Complications for Apple Watch users, the software engineer will work in close proximity to the UI design, iOS Frameworks, and QA teams. Besides the expected timeliness and attention to detail stipulations, the rest of the description for the position at Apple includes the following:

Description

As a member of the team you will have many responsibilities relating to the design, development, and testing of the device software.

  • Collaborating closely with the design team to push the envelope on human-computer interactions.
  • Creating solutions tailored to the constraints of the software and the hardware of a small, low power device.
  • Working closely with the iOS Apps, iOS Frameworks and Hardware teams to create robust and maintainable systems that will stand the test of time.
  • Coordinating with the quality assurance teams to ensure full test coverage as well as to initiate focused testing on critical components.

New Apple Watch Clock Faces and Complications have been assumed to be in the cards for future watchOS updates, but what we still don't know is when they will be released. Last September, Apple released the first major public update for Apple Watch in watchOS 2, which introduced three new Clock Faces: two variations on Photo Album (one that shuffles through a set album, and one that sticks to a specific image) and Time-Lapse.

Currently on watchOS 2.1, the next update to the Apple Watch software (watchOS 2.2) is predicted to debut at a rumored March media event. Recent beta tests of 2.2 don't hint at the inclusion of new Clock Faces and Complications, so there's a possibility users will have to wait a little longer for these additions. The specific details for the event remain nebulous, but so far the "iPhone 5se," iPad Air 3, and new Apple Watch bands are all rumored to be included in next month's yet-to-be-announced Apple event.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...
apple news banner

Apple News Loses CNN

Monday November 24, 2025 7:56 am PST by
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports. CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Crease-Free iPhone Fold on Track for 2026 Launch as Development Advances

Monday November 24, 2025 10:25 am PST by
Apple is making progress on the development of the book-style foldable iPhone expected in 2026, according to a report from Chinese site UDN. The device has reportedly entered the engineering validation stage, and Apple is gearing up for mass production. Citing supply chain sources, UDN says that Apple has solved "the crease problem" that has plagued most foldable smartphones, and the...

Top Rated Comments

Rogifan Avatar
128 months ago
I just hope the Apple Watch 2 has a more modern and elegant look. Currently looks like a toy IMO. Maybe tweaking the crown to something like this and making it thinner.

Maybe you just want a mechanical watch instead?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OllyW Avatar
128 months ago
Maybe you just want a mechanical watch instead?
Maybe they want a nicer looking Apple Watch instead? :p
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Doctor11 Avatar
128 months ago
Can't complain about having more watch faces, the more the better. I just wish there was a better way to order them.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
128 months ago
The difference is iOS doesn't have any mechanism for changing themes, you can't select from a bunch of Apple's ones. WatchOS does support themes (ie faces) for you to switch between, and personalisation is part of it's appeal. I think (and hope) we will be able to download new faces in the future.
I think we'll see new faces, I'm just not convinced we'll get 3rd party faces via App Store.

Maybe they want a nicer looking Apple Watch instead? :p
But every "nicer looking Watch" post just attaches a photo of a high-end mechanical watch. If I want my Watch to look like a mechanical watch I'll just buy a mechanical watch. :)

Which other job listings are there? I'm interested!
Most of them are just generic engineering/QA positions but here's one for a software engineering fitness manager: https://jobs.apple.com/us/search#specs&ss=watch&t=1&sb=req_open_dt&so=1&pN=0&openJobId=44081273
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gabriel193755 Avatar
128 months ago
I don't think we will ever be able to order or download faces. Like on the iphone, they control the UI. The best that we can get is the background - they added the ability to put pictures on the watch face like you can do on the phone.
I see the opposite. I think they will authorise developers to sell new watch faces like apps in the app store.
With rules to forbid copycats to sell a non-official rolex watch face or from any other brand.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OllyW Avatar
128 months ago
But every "nicer looking Watch" post just attaches a photo of a high-end mechanical watch. If I want my Watch to look like a mechanical watch I'll just buy a mechanical watch. :)
But you wouldn't have a smartwatch then. I'm not sure why the Apple Watch must only have the single design? Surely it's possible to have a bit of variety in their cases and offer something slightly more traditional looking for those who don't like the current one.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)